Sixteen Candles (1984)

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

4 May 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | 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 | Drive In Restaurant | Jock

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 Curtis	...	Randy
John Cusack	...	Bryce
Darren Harris	...	Cliff
Debbie Pollack	...	Marlene 'Lumberjack' (as Deborah Pollack)
Ross Berkson	...	Ray Gun Geek #1
Jonathan Chapin	...	Jimmy Montrose
Joan Cusack	...	Geek Girl #1
Brian Doyle-Murray	...	Reverend
Bekka Eaton	...	Female D.J.
Pamela Elser	...	Caroline's Shower Double (as Paula Elser)
Steven Farber	...	Ray Gun Geek #2
Jami Gertz	...	Robin
Frank Howard	...	Freshman
Cinnamon Idles	...	Sara Baker
John Kapelos	...	Rudy
Marge Kotlisky	...	Irene
Tony Longo	...	Rock
Steve Monarque	...	Jock
Bill Orsi	...	Bruno
Beth Ringwald	...	Patty
Zelda Rubinstein	...	Organist
Dennis Vero	...	Bus Driver
Elaine Wilkes	...	Tracy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Agnes Belushi	...	Wedding guest (uncredited)
Elizabeth Cox	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Sven Granlund	...	Extra (uncredited)
Andy Hirsch	...	Boy with Coronet (uncredited)
Stephan Meyers	...	Geek at Dance (uncredited)
Robert Minkoff	...	Bit (uncredited)
Jennifer Scott	...	Wall Flower (uncredited)
James Vallo	...	Bandie (uncredited)

Directed by
John Hughes

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Hughes		written by

Produced by
Hilton A. Green	....	producer
Michelle Manning	....	associate producer
Ned Tanen	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ira Newborn

Cinematography by
Bobby Byrne

Film Editing by
Edward Warschilka

Casting by
Jackie Burch

Production Design by
John W. Corso

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Polito

Makeup Department
Edouard F. Henriques	....	makeup artist (as Edouard Henriques)
Rodger Jacobs	....	makeup artist: Chicago (as Roger Jacobs)
Kathe Swanson	....	hair stylist: Chicago
Yolanda Toussieng	....	hair stylist (as Yolanda Toussien)

Production Management
Adam Fields	....	executive in charge of production
Daniel Franklin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Newt Arnold	....	first assistant director (as Newton D. Arnold)
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	second assistant director (as James R. Giovannetti Jr.)

Art Department
Paul Stanwyck	....	head painter: Chicago
Robert R. Volpe	....	property master

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound mixer (as Jim Alexander)
Bruce Bell	....	sound editor
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Jack Gosden	....	adr editor
Glenn Hoskinson	....	sound editor
Bob Johnston	....	sound editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Priest	....	assistant sound editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
John Stacy	....	supervising sound editor
Bruce Stambler	....	sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael D. Wilhoit	....	sound editor (as Mike Wilhoit)
Greg Agalsoff	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Ed Golya	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Allen Hurd	....	sound (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Stunts
Paula-Marie Eiser	....	stunt coordinator (as Paula Eiser)
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunts
Shannon Madill	....	stunts
Cheryl Ivy Sweendy	....	stunts
Kay Whipple	....	stunts
Mike Yuan	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Art Bartels	....	key grip: Chicago
James Blanford	....	camera operator: Chicago (as Jim Blanford)
Rick Borchardt	....	key grip
John W. Brumshagen	....	gaffer (as John Brumshagen)
Donald Carlson	....	assistant camera: Chicago crew (as Don Carlson)
Tom Cox	....	best boy (as Tommy Cox)
Eric Engler	....	assistant camera
Gary B. Kibbe	....	camera operator (as Gary Kibbe)
Michael Orefice	....	best boy
James Zenk	....	still photographer: Chicago (as Jim Zenk)

Casting Department
David Gonzales	....	casting assistant
Dee Dee Wehle	....	casting assistant (as DeeDee Wehle)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Peterson	....	costumer: men
Marla Denise Schlom	....	costumer: women (as Marla Schlom)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Jerrie Fowler	....	assistant film editor: Chicago
Aubrey Head	....	color timer
Scott K. Wallace	....	assistant editor (as Scott Wallace)

Music Department
David Buell	....	music recording engineer
Jimmy Iovine	....	music supervisor
Carlton Kaller	....	assistant music editor
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Patrick Nallon	....	transportation captain: Chicago (as Pat Nallon)

Other crew
Tracy Cutts	....	assistant: John Hughes
Drew Elisius	....	special consultant
Pamela Elser	....	shower double: Haviland Morris
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	titler
Pam Green	....	production assistant
Mike Henry	....	intern
Bill Higgins	....	location manager
Charles Hirschhorn	....	production assistant
Sandy King	....	script supervisor
Ross L. Kulma	....	set medic
Al Shenfeld	....	auditor
Walter Tabayoyong	....	stand-in
Linnea Ebba Wicklund	....	production secretary (as Linnea Wicklund)

Production Companies

• Channel Productions
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (2012) (Australia) (theatrical) (2K Digital re-issue)
• United Pictures Finland (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1986) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (????) (Finland) (video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Universal Title  opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG (re-rating on appeal) (#27313) | USA:R (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) (original rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) (re-rating) (2003) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | UK:12 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:15 (original rating) (1984-2005) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

1407 Waverly Road, Highland Park, Illinois, USA

Company:

Channel Productions

Trivia:

The cake at the end of the movie is actually made of cardboard.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: 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.

Quotes:

Samantha:This is Farmer Fred.
The Geek:Ted.
Samantha:Oh, I'm sorry, Farmer Ted.
The Geek:I'm not really a farmer. I'm a freshman.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Million Dollar Movie Week 2 (#7.107)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

True

Now we're both on the pill!

I had to write about this film after seeing the last 10 minutes of it on TV last night. I didn't miss much after all cause I had seen the film countless times when I was younger. Man I remember how much I enjoyed it. This has to be the most 80's character driven film about high school I have ever seen. It is just plain out stupid funny and heartwarming.

While Breakfast Club tries to handle the seriousness of social peers, and Ferris Beuller just solidifies the ultimate 80's experience with some great performances and total hip coolness, Sixteen Candles is just a crazy fun romp through the perils of being a teenager.

Ringwald is at her prime as the overburdened teenager, and Michael Hall is at his greatest as the ultimate schemer-geek. The party aftermath always cracks me up everytime I see it, plus so many more things.

Also, there's a scene where the geek gets unloaded out of the trunk of a car, and i SWEAR it's not a human person but a dummy cause the guy does not move but stands like a broomstick.. It's just one of those bizarre movie qwerks I wish someone could explain to me. And who can forget those alligator shirts.... I laugh now at the way everyone and the bands look in these 80's movies.

Alas it seems, Hall and Ringwald got stuck in stereotyped roles that they never seemed to shed or outgrew them as they became adults, which is to bad cause Ringwald, and particularly Hall's comedic sense of timing in this film is just amazing.

Rating 8 out of 10.