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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

When you're just sixteen anything can happen!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

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

The license plate on Jake's car reads "21850", which is director John Hughes's birthday (2/18/50).

---

Goofs

When the family is leaving for the wedding, the grandparents all pile into the car, but it was not large enough to accommodate the group. Grandma Baker squats near the passenger door to create the impression that she is sitting in the car. However, when the car is backing out of the driveway, you briefly see her curved back remain stationary while the car moves away from her.

---

Quotes

Samantha: Thanks for getting my undies back.
Jake: Thanks for coming over.
Samantha: Thanks for coming to get me.
Jake: Happy Birthday, Samantha. Make a wish.
Samantha: It already came true.

---

Connections

Referenced in Greek: Camp Buy Me Love (2010)

---

Soundtracks

"If You Were Here"
Performed by The Thompson Twins
Courtesy of Arista Records Inc.

User Reviews

The Only Teen Comedy That Matters

The teen comedy to which every teen comedy made for the rest of eternity will be compared.

"Sixteen Candles" is one of those movies that has entered the vocabulary of Gen-Xers everywhere. All you have to do is say a line like: "Oh look, Frank, she's got her boobies"; or "Thanks for lending me the Donger here, he's totally bitchin'"; or "What's happening', hot stuff?", to anyone between the ages of 30 and 40, and I guarantee they'll know what you're talking about.

Molly Ringwald raised teen surliness to Shakespearean heights; Anthony Michael Hall channeled hormonal distress; and Joan Cusack brought acceptance to head-gear wearers everywhere, proving that kids with bad teeth are humans too.

Grade: A+