Sixteen Candles (1984)
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Director John Hughes just might be the unsung hero of 80's cinema. He gave us many teen films that have a unique style. His films are hilarious, fresh, and often relatable. Teen comedies generally loathe their characters, but Hughes treat his characters with respect and compassion. After all, they are only merely human. Aren't we all? Hughes had many teen comedy hits this decade and one of them is 1984's Sixteen Candles.
Hughes truly understand the dynamics of high-school life. Sex is on everyone's mind, but they are so inexperienced, and it becomes a big deal. There were cliques in every high school as the whole geek vs. hot girl plot confirms. While this movie has some focus there, it elevates that cliché. There is this one scene where these two characters are in the front seat of an automobile. After Molly Ringwald's character tells the geek to get lost, they both realize that they feel the same; insecure, lost, and afraid. These characters would lift each other up in terms of friendship. My readers, that is the power of John Hughes. The ability to turn worn-down clichés and turn them into something new.
It is Samantha Baker's (Molly Ringwald) sweet sixteen! There is a problem. Her family forgot her birthday thanks to the hubbub surrounding her elder sister's wedding. With the family forgetting all about her, Samantha has other teenage problems in her life. She has the biggest crush on the hottest man in her senior class, Jake (Michael Schoeffling) who happens to be dating the hottest girl in the school. Meanwhile, Ted the Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) is a freshman who has an enormous crush on her and will go out of his way just to hold her panties. With the wedding only mere hours away, will Samantha finally get the love of her life? Will her family give pause to remember her birthday?
The performances are simple and sweet. Watching them bring their humane characters to life are something else. Molly Ringwald is the perfect casting choice. She elevated her role and then some. I really could relate to Anthony Michael Hall. I may not have been the sex-crazed complete geek as his character, but there were similarities and I thought Hall was impressive. He played his character like it was a real human being. The supporting cast has some solid performances from future big-name stars like John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz. I also liked Paul Dooley who played Sam's father.
Thankfully, the majority of the plot focused on the personal life of Samantha Baker. There are some problematic issues that brought down my score for the film. At best, some of the jokes are outdated. Some people thought there is a hint of racism in the form of Long Duk Dong, the foreign exchange student who loves to party. There are some impressively unfunny jokes regarding the racial stereotype. Not all of them, but many of them. Gedde Watanabe does give his best to the role though.
I may have graduated high school 26 years after this film was released, but the themes of life during high school remain constant. Hughes captured it with his direction and his screenplay in a sweet, funny way. I was laughing so hard during the scene where Hall's character uses Samantha's panties to earn some cash from other nerdy boys in the men's locker room. Ah, the life of people who find it hard to get themselves a girl! Been there, felt that!
Sixteen Candles is mostly a sweet movie about finding love and your place in the world. Unlike other teen comedies of the era, this movie has a more mature face tackling these issues. Of course, being the 80's, expect a killer soundtrack...and those crazy house parties! Cannot forget about those! Thanks to the combined efforts of John Hughes and Molly Ringwald, this film is a winner even if there are some minor issues.
My Grade: B+
Director John Hughes just might be the unsung hero of 80's cinema. He gave us many teen films that have a unique style. His films are hilarious, fresh, and often relatable. Teen comedies generally loathe their characters, but Hughes treat his characters with respect and compassion. After all, they are only merely human. Aren't we all? Hughes had many teen comedy hits this decade and one of them is 1984's Sixteen Candles.
Hughes truly understand the dynamics of high-school life. Sex is on everyone's mind, but they are so inexperienced, and it becomes a big deal. There were cliques in every high school as the whole geek vs. hot girl plot confirms. While this movie has some focus there, it elevates that cliché. There is this one scene where these two characters are in the front seat of an automobile. After Molly Ringwald's character tells the geek to get lost, they both realize that they feel the same; insecure, lost, and afraid. These characters would lift each other up in terms of friendship. My readers, that is the power of John Hughes. The ability to turn worn-down clichés and turn them into something new.
It is Samantha Baker's (Molly Ringwald) sweet sixteen! There is a problem. Her family forgot her birthday thanks to the hubbub surrounding her elder sister's wedding. With the family forgetting all about her, Samantha has other teenage problems in her life. She has the biggest crush on the hottest man in her senior class, Jake (Michael Schoeffling) who happens to be dating the hottest girl in the school. Meanwhile, Ted the Geek (Anthony Michael Hall) is a freshman who has an enormous crush on her and will go out of his way just to hold her panties. With the wedding only mere hours away, will Samantha finally get the love of her life? Will her family give pause to remember her birthday?
The performances are simple and sweet. Watching them bring their humane characters to life are something else. Molly Ringwald is the perfect casting choice. She elevated her role and then some. I really could relate to Anthony Michael Hall. I may not have been the sex-crazed complete geek as his character, but there were similarities and I thought Hall was impressive. He played his character like it was a real human being. The supporting cast has some solid performances from future big-name stars like John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz. I also liked Paul Dooley who played Sam's father.
Thankfully, the majority of the plot focused on the personal life of Samantha Baker. There are some problematic issues that brought down my score for the film. At best, some of the jokes are outdated. Some people thought there is a hint of racism in the form of Long Duk Dong, the foreign exchange student who loves to party. There are some impressively unfunny jokes regarding the racial stereotype. Not all of them, but many of them. Gedde Watanabe does give his best to the role though.
I may have graduated high school 26 years after this film was released, but the themes of life during high school remain constant. Hughes captured it with his direction and his screenplay in a sweet, funny way. I was laughing so hard during the scene where Hall's character uses Samantha's panties to earn some cash from other nerdy boys in the men's locker room. Ah, the life of people who find it hard to get themselves a girl! Been there, felt that!
Sixteen Candles is mostly a sweet movie about finding love and your place in the world. Unlike other teen comedies of the era, this movie has a more mature face tackling these issues. Of course, being the 80's, expect a killer soundtrack...and those crazy house parties! Cannot forget about those! Thanks to the combined efforts of John Hughes and Molly Ringwald, this film is a winner even if there are some minor issues.
My Grade: B+
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