Sixteen Candles (1984)

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

4 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

This is Samantha Baker and today is her 16th birthday. The problem is, nobody remembers.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Crush | Birthday | Exchange Student | Convertible | Photograph

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

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 Alexandra Curtis	...	Randy (as Liane Curtis)
John Cusack	...	Bryce

Also Known As:

16 Candles (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:15 (original rating) (1984-2005) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M (TV rating) | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:PA (Manitoba)

Filming Locations:

Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois, USA

Company:

Channel Productions

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Ted and Carolyn are driving down the road, just after she makes the top go up and down, there is no rear view mirror. There is a bracket for one, but no mirror.

Quotes:

Samantha: Donger's here for five hours, and he's got somebody. I live here my whole life, and I'm like a disease.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Not Another Teen Movie (2001)

Soundtrack:

Farmer John

Left me with a bad taste in my mouth

I love the movies of the 80s... I really like a lot of brat pack flicks.... John Hughs' other film made around this time, Breakfast Club? It's great, Four Stars! But 16 candles is not very good. Initially, I liked the humor; it was more shocking and contemporary than I expected, with an ironic twist. But the film's premise degenerates quickly into a huge nonsensical mess... NOT good old 80's fun mess, but stupid, racist, sexist drivel. At times, the attempts at humor made my jaw drop, they were so inappropriate and extremely unfunny. Breakfast Club similarly toyed with audience expectations and broke rules concerning the handling of subject matters like sex, drugs and society in high-school; it ended up being a very honest, poignant film that made you laugh your ass off.... it's no Citizen Kane, but Breakfast Club = good flick. If you are in the mood for a night with the brat pack, my suggestion is to skip 16 Candles, a film I found offensive and devoid of anything entertaining, in favor of the far superior Breakfast Club. :)