Sixteen CandlesFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 coming-of-age film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. The film was written and directed by John Hughes, and is often associated with the beginning of the Brat Pack
Plot:
Awkward high school sophomore Samantha "Sam" Baker (Molly Ringwald) struggles to get through the day of her sixteenth birthday, which her entire family forgets because her older sister, Ginny (Blanche Baker), is getting married the next day. She is also plagued by her ongoing infatuation with the very popular and very attractive senior, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling). Her day at school fares no better when she finds out that her completed "sex quiz," which she surreptitiously slipped to her friend, never reached her (and, unbeknownst to either of them, was picked up by Jake Ryan himself). Sam panics as the quiz contains personal information, including the fact that she is a virgin and is saving herself for Jake.
She has a whole new set of problems when she arrives home to find that both sets of grandparents are staying at the Baker home for the duration of the wedding visit. On top of it all, one set of grandparents brings along weird foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe). Sam's grandparents force her to take him along to her school dance that night and, to Sam's amazement, it takes "The Donger" only five hours to find an unlikely girlfriend — the tallish, large-breasted jock, Marlene, promptly nicknamed "Lumberjack." After some ensuing madness with everyone involved, Sam's family eventually makes up before the wedding and apologizes for forgetting her birthday.
A running subplot involves a geeky, insecure freshman (Anthony Michael Hall) who continually (and unsuccessfully) tries to bed his love interest, Sam, to satisfy a bet with his friends. The character's name is never given explicitly, but it may be "Ted," as he refers to himself as "Farmer Ted." Bryce also calls him "Ted" immediately before he shows Sam's panties in the bathroom. He is credited solely as "the Geek."
In the auto-shop room during the dance, Sam and the Geek begin talking and Sam confesses her love for Jake. Upon hearing this, he tells her that Jake had been asking about her at the dance, and they agree that Sam should just go and talk to him. As she's leaving, he reveals the wager to Sam, who, in her excited state, agrees to loan him her underwear to help him win a dozen floppy disks.
Later (after a peepshow of Sam's underpants for $1 admission, which she does not find out about until the next day), the Geek and his equally unwelcome friends, Cliff (Darren Harris) and Bryce (John Cusack), crash the senior after-party at Jake's house — during which the entire house is completely trashed. At night's end, Jake finds the Geek trapped under a table and they begin to talk. Jake inquires further about Sam; the Geek explains the situation. Jake makes a deal with the Geek: If the Geek lets Jake keep Sam's panties, then he will let the Geek drive home his inebriated, selfish, prom queen girlfriend, Caroline Mulford (Haviland Morris), in Jake's father's Rolls Royce. Jake later uses the excuse of finding them together to break up with Caroline (who had surprisingly fallen for the Geek, and thus doesn't mind the break-up very much). Afterward, Jake drives to the church just in time to meet an incredulous Sam after her sister's wedding. The movie concludes with them sharing a kiss over a birthday cake with 16 candles.
Cast:
* Molly Ringwald as Samantha Baker
* Justin Henry as Mike Baker
* Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan
* Anthony Michael Hall as Farmer Ted, aka "The Geek"
* Gedde Watanabe as Long Duk Dong
* Haviland Morris as Caroline Mulford
* Paul Dooley as Jim Baker
* Carlin Glynn as Brenda Baker
* Blanche Baker as Ginny Baker
* Edward Andrews as Grandpa Howard Baker
* Billie Bird as Grandma Dorothy Baker
* Carole Cook as Grandma Helen
* Max Showalter as Grandpa Fred
* Liane Alexandra Curtis as Randy
* John Cusack as Bryce
* Darren Harris as Cliff
* Deborah Pollack as Marlene, aka "Lumberjack"
* Joan Cusack as Geek Girl #1
* John Kapelos as Rudy Ryszczyk
Filming locations:
Sixteen Candles was filmed primarily in and around the Chicago North Shore suburban community of Evanston, Illinois. Most of the exterior scenes and some of the interior scenes were filmed at Niles East High School, close to downtown Skokie, the setting for Hall's driving the Rolls-Royce. A cafeteria scene, gym scene, and auto shop scene were filmed at Niles North High School. The Baker house is located on the 3000 block of Payne St. in Evanston. The church and parking lot where the final scenes take place is in Glencoe.
Sequel:
In 2005, Ringwald was reported to be producing a sequel to the film.
Sixteen CandlesDirected by John Hughes
Average customer review:
Product Description
One of the most iconic teen comedies of the 1980s, Sixteen Candles, returns in an all-new Flashback Edition with never-before-seen bonus features! Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) is ready to make the most of her sweet sixteenth birthday … if only someone in her family would remember it. She’s your average teen, enduring creepy freshmen, spoiled siblings, confused parents and the “Big Blonde on Campus” who stands between her and the boy of her dreams. From writer/director John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Weird Science), Sixteen Candles is a warm-hearted coming-of-age comedy that helped define a generation!
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1099 in DVD
- Released on: 2008-09-16
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
- Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
- Original language: English
- Number of discs: 1
- Running time: 93 minutes
Amazon.com essential video
Molly Ringwald established herself as the teen queen of the '80s in this fresh comedy. The movie is a day in the life of Samantha, whose 16th birthday is turning out to be anything but sweet. All the traumas of teendom come down on one long day, which sees Samantha surrounded by dithery relatives, mooning over a high school hunk, and pursued by a sawed-off Lothario. Sixteen Candles marked the directing debut of John Hughes, and its goofy energy displayed a promising talent with a great ear for high school lingo ... a promise neglected since Hughes became, after Home Alone, a one-man entertainment industry. There are some pretty crass moments (Why the stereotype of the foreign-exchange student from Asia?), but Ringwald's steady appeal smoothes over the rough spots. As the pubescent, self-styled lady-killer, Anthony Michael Hall turns in a hilarious portrait of a young swinger; he and Ringwald would reteam with Hughes for The Breakfast Club, another key teen picture of the decade. --Robert Horton
Customer Reviews
You know everyone in this family has gone total outer limits
Samantha Baker(Molly Ringwald) has just woken up on the most special day of her life, her long awaited 16th birthday, only everyone in her house has forgotten!
She has a bratty little brother, a conceited sister who's getting married the next day, and two absent minded parents who've got there hands full with the relatives coming to stay with them.
Not to mention Samantha is totally in love with Jake Ryan(Michael Schoeffling) a beautiful senior who doesn't even know she exists(or so she thinks) who happens to intercept a note that says she would 'do it' with him! If that wasn't mortifying enough she doesn't have her own car yet and has to ride the bus with geeks like 'Farmer Ted'(Anthony Michael Hall) who only has eyes for her 'aged sophomore meat'.
Only John Hughes could deliver such a classic 80's tale, plus the soundtrack is near brilliant, especially Spandeau Ballet's 'True'.
Sixteen Candles is my personal favorite John Hughes film, and 80's movie to boot!
If only all bad birthdays could turn out to be not so bad at all!
A near-perfect teen comedy
"Sixteen Candles" is arguably the most well known film the the 1980s John Huges teen-film cannon. The film is the exact picture of high school as we try to imagine it as kids, and exactly what we remember when when we are reminescing as adults.
The film centers upon Molly Ringwald as we follow her around on her sixteenth birthday. Like all girls, Samantha has been building up her sweet-sixteen birthday for most of her teenage life. When she wakes up on the day she doesn't feel miraculously different, like she had hoped and is dismayed even further when her entire family forgets her birthday. The day continues from there as Sam is stuck into going to a lame dance with her cousin, giving her underwear to a geek, and going to an un-tamed party.
The movie is a comedy from the perspective of someone who has been there and been all of the major characters in the film. It is full of humor, but still carries a very big heart. It is one of those movies that you can watch 5 different times in you life, getting a different experience with every viewing. It is the definition of a classic 80s film, and is the first film screened in the "Teen Genre" courses in Film School.
This is a new special-edition DVD that finally includes special features such as a multi-part featurette, trailer and "additional extras"
Sixteen Candles: Nostalgic Comedy
Sixteen Candles is kind of cheesy, but in a good way. What is a girl to do when she can't seem to catch the eye of her true love, has parents that forget her birthday and a sister that is completely self-absorbed? The plot line exaggerates the strifes of the teenage years in a way that is extremely funny. I enjoyed the film mostly for its nostalgia and humor. If you're a fan of the brat pack and 80's teenaged comedy, this is one film you won't want to miss. It's not one of my favorites, but it was certainly worth a viewing.
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