John Wilden Hughes Jr. (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American filmmaker. He directed and scripted some of the most successful films of the 1980s and 90s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Some Kind of Wonderful, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink; Planes, Trains and Automobiles; Uncle Buck, Career Opportunities, 101 Dalmatians, Home Alone, and its sequels, Home Alone 2 and 3. Hughes' movies often combined slapstick comedy with heartfelt moments.