John Hughes, Jr. (born February 18, 1950) is a noted American film director, producer and writer, responsible for some of the most successful comedy films of the 1980s and 1990s, including National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Home Alone.