Sixteen Candles (1984)

A young girl's "sweet sixteenth" birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment possible.

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes

Stars:

Molly Ringwald, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Molly Ringwald	...	Samantha Baker
Justin Henry	...	Mike Baker
Michael Schoeffling	...	Jake Ryan
Haviland Morris	...	Caroline Mulford
Gedde Watanabe	...	Long Duk Dong
Anthony Michael Hall	...	The Geek
Paul Dooley	...	Jim Baker
Carlin Glynn	...	Brenda Baker
Blanche Baker	...	Ginny Baker
Edward Andrews	...	Howard Baker
Billie Bird	...	Dorothy Baker
Carole Cook	...	Grandma Helen
Max Showalter	...	Grandpa Fred
Liane Curtis	...	Randy
John Cusack	...	Bryce

Storyline

Samantha's life is going downhill fast. The fifteen-year-old has a crush on the most popular boy in school, and the geekiest boy in school has a crush on her. Her sister's getting married, and with all the excitement the rest of her family forgets her birthday! Add all this to a pair of horrendously embarrassing grandparents, a foreign exchange student named Long Duc Dong, and we have the makings of a hilarious journey into young womanhood.

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Plot Keywords:

crush | birthday | exchange student | drive in restaurant | jock | 

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Taglines:

It's the time of your life that may last a lifetime.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Se busca novio

Filming Locations:

1407 Waverly Road, Highland Park, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$20,500,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Channel Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall first met, they did not get along at all. Director John Hughes took them shopping at a music store and they discovered they had similar musical tastes and eventually got along.

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Goofs

The scene where Samantha gets off the bus and is talking to Randy through the bus window you can see the extras who got off the bus in the reflection of the of windows.

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Quotes

Jake: You better not be dickin' me around. It'd be a major downer to try and get together with this girl and find out that she really does think I'm a slime.
The Geek: Jake, would I dick you? Let me put it to you this way, what happens to me if I dick you?
Jake: I'll kick your ass.
The Geek: Right! So why would I lie? But I feel compelled to mention to you, Jake, I mean, if all you want of the girl is a piece of ass, I mean, I'll either do it myself, or get someone bigger than me, to kick your ass. I mean, not many girls in ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in 10 Things I Hate About You: I Want You to Want Me (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Farmer John"
Performed by The Premiers
Courtesy of Rampart Records / Rhino Records, Ltd.

User Reviews

Charming and very funny

The story may be a little uneven in structure and perhaps tone, but overall Sixteen Candles is hugely enjoyable. It is both a very charming and very funny film. As to expect, the production values are excellent, and the soundtrack is cool and memorable. The script is both funny and smart with a keen ear not just for the idiom of teenspeak, but also genuine sympathy. The pacing is good, and the direction is solid, while the acting I have no qualms with either. Anthony Michael Hall is perfect as the nerd who tries hard to impress, but to me this is Molly Ringwald's movie as she adeptly personifies the sulky sweet teen whose day goes from bad to worse. Overall, charming, funny if slightly uneven. 8/10 Bethany Cox