The Breakfast Club (Hughes): More Than Just Teen Angst?

Okay, so I know Hughes isn't exactly Bergman, but hear me out. I've been thinking about The Breakfast Club again (as one does, lol), and while it's easy to write it off as just a teen movie, I think there's some interesting stuff going on with identity and performance, specifically in relation to authority. Think about it: each of the "criminals" starts out playing a very specific role - the jock, the princess, the brain, blah blah. But it's only under the pressure of Principal Vernon and literally being confined together that those roles start to crack. Specifically, I'm thinking about the scene where they're all being forced to write the essay. You see the cracks forming, right? Like, Bender's constant antagonism is clearly a performance, a defense mechanism, and we get glimpses of the hurt underneath. And Claire, giving Andy her earring? That's her actively shedding the 'perfect princess' act. I think Hughes is showing us how teenagers are forced into these roles by expectations – both internal and external – and how those roles can be suffocating. Vernon, in a messed up way, is the catalyst for them to break free. Maybe that's why so many people love it, it lets you feel like you're allowed to evolve. But here's the thing that kinda bugs me... does the ending betray the whole thing? I mean, Claire and Bender, Andy and Allison? Are they REALLY breaking free, or are they just conforming to NEW roles? Like, are they just swapping one restrictive archetype for another by pairing off into slightly-less-defined relationships that are are still relationship-defined. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it. But the ending always feels a little too neat and tidy for the messiness that comes before it. Anyway, just some thoughts. Anyone else have feelings on this? Am I totally off base? Let me know!