Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, and Judd Nelson were key to St. Elmo's Fire, sparking the Brat Pack movement in the 80s film scene. Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were left out due to being too young for mature themes and looking out of place. The age difference between the actors from The Breakfast Club affected the dynamics but was a common practice in 80s teen movies.

Joel Schumachers 1985 film St. Elmos Fire is one of the two core films responsible for the Brat Pack ensemble. Focusing on the unique situations experienced by seven young adults in university, the film needed quite a few recognizable young actors to cover all its bases. Schumacher sought advice from director John Hughes, who was building a name for himself writing and directing teen-centric dramatic comedies. He had several references for Schumacher, and three of the seven actors ultimately cast in St. Elmos Fire...