It is currently being reported that writer/director/producer John Hughes passed away today at the age of 59.  Hughes is remembered for writing and directing the classic 80s films "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", "Weird Science", "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", and "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles".

Click "Continue Reading" for brief details on his passing and a small obituary on his respected filmography.

According to TMZ, Hughes suffered a heart attack while taking a morning walk during a trip to NYC to visit family.

While you can debate the quality of Hughes' filmography, as you can with any one with an important body of work, you cannot deny that it was important and there are many who grew up in the 80s and cherished and continued to support his films to this day.

Hughes films, or at least the ones for which he is best known, focused on teenagers and while it wasn't a meticulously realistic representation, that was not his goal.  His films provided a truthful character but living in humorous and entertaining situations.  From five kids stuck in detention on a Saturday to a teenager trying to live his life to the fullest by pretending that he's dying, Hughes made a substantial and worthy impact on popular cinema.

Our condolences go out to his friends and family.