I have been asked a few times lately what my favourite movie is. As I have stated before, I a huge fan of movies, so narrowing it down to a singular favourite is a little hard for me. But, ever since I was younger, I have always loved Dirty Dancing and Sixteen Candles. So in honour of this question being asked, this week's throwback review features the John Hughes teen classic, Sixteen Candles.
Sixteen Candles
Director: John Hughes
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Michael Schoeffling
Released: 1984
Box Office Gross: $23,686,027 (USA)
Throwback Review
When people think of John Hughes, they generally remember his teen movies first. Mainly The Breakfast Club. However, before Judd Nelson was pumping his fist into the air to the closing theme of Simple Minds' Don't You (Forget About Me) and Molly Ringwald was identifying herself as a "princess", Hughes wrote and directed Sixteen Candles. Hughes' first official teen film starred Ringwald (in her first starring role) as Samantha Baker, a girl who struggles to get through the day on her 16th birthday and has to deal with the normal issues of teenage life.
To add to her struggles, Samantha's family has forgotten about her birthday because her older sister is getting married the next day. Even her visiting grandparents have forgotten this milestone birthday. She is also dealing with teenage issues that include being unpopular and infatuated with attractive senior, Jake Ryan. Her completed "sex quiz" note that was meant to be read by her friend, gets picked up by Jake. She panics as this note stated that she was saving herself for Jake. But the timing couldn't be more perfect as Jake is dealing with his own relationship issues with his popular and selfish girlfriend, Caroline.
Sub plots that truly endear the film and add to the comedic feel of the storyline are strategically placed throughout the central plot and interacts with it every so often. Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student who is living with one set of Sam's grandparents and is therefore staying at her house during the wedding. Sam is forced to take him along to the school's dance and Long Duk Dong quickly becomes a hit, earning the nickname "The Donger". Geeky freshman, referenced as Ted (or Farmer Ted as he is nicknamed), tries to win a bet with his friends that he will "bed" Sam, who he has a crush on. (Though he is referenced by these names in the film, his character is simply credited as "The Geek").
The film starts with Sam waking up on her 16th birthday and goes through her entire day. It spills over into the next day and her sister's wedding, but mainly takes place during the one day. The storyline is laid out fairly simply, despite the interweaving of the subplots that tends to make most films too confusing (or meta). In true John Hughes fashion, the film tackles real life problems in a unique and comedic way that makes them so appealing to the entire audience. He blends comedy and romance in a way that neither genre feels forced or cheesy. He had a keen eye for seeing what a film needed and adding all those elements to make a beautiful and classic film.
I fell in love with this film the first time I saw it. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to marry Jake Ryan. It is one of those films that I can watch over and over again and never get tired of it.
Final Verdict: See it. Easily one of the best "coming of age" films that was ever made. One of Hughes' best creations, Sixteen Candles still warms my heart and makes me laugh. It gave us so many quotes and scenes that still resonate in today's pop culture. Remember this famous scene in the film?
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