Sixteen Candles: Difference between revisions
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Awkward [[high school]] [[sophomore]] Samantha "Sam" Baker ([[Molly Ringwald]]) struggles to get through the day of her 16th birthday, which her entire family forgets because her older sister, Ginny ([[Blanche Baker]]), is getting married the next day. She is also plagued by her ongoing infatuation with the very popular and very attractive senior, Jake Ryan ([[Michael Schoeffling]]). Her day at school fares no better when she finds out that her completed "sex quiz," which she surreptitiously slipped to her friend, never reached her (and, unbeknownst to either of them, was picked up by Jake Ryan himself). Sam panics as the quiz contains personal information, including the fact that she is a virgin and is saving herself for Jake. |
Awkward [[high school]] [[sophomore]] Samantha "Sam" Baker ([[Molly Ringwald]]) struggles to get through the day of her 16th birthday, which her entire family forgets because her older sister, Ginny ([[Blanche Baker]]), is getting married the next day. She is also plagued by her ongoing infatuation with the very popular and very attractive senior, Jake Ryan ([[Michael Schoeffling]]). Her day at school fares no better when she finds out that her completed "sex quiz," which she surreptitiously slipped to her friend, never reached her (and, unbeknownst to either of them, was picked up by Jake Ryan himself). Sam panics as the quiz contains personal information, including the fact that she is a virgin and is saving herself for Jake. |
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She has a whole new set of problems when she arrives home to find that both sets of grandparents are staying at the Baker home for the duration of the wedding visit. On top of it all, one set of grandparents brings along bizarre [[Student exchange program|foreign exchange student]] Long Duk Dong ([[ |
She has a whole new set of problems when she arrives home to find that both sets of grandparents are staying at the Baker home for the duration of the wedding visit. On top of it all, one set of grandparents brings along bizarre [[Student exchange program|foreign exchange student]] Long Duk Dong ([[Antonio Madrid]]). Sam's grandparents force her to take him along to her school dance that night and, to Sam's amazement, it takes "The Donger" only five minutes to find an unlikely girlfriend — the tallish, large-breasted [[Jock (athlete)|jock]], Marlene, promptly nicknamed "Lumberjack." After some ensuing madness with everyone involved, Sam's family eventually makes up before the wedding and apologizes for forgetting her birthday. |
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A running subplot involves a geeky freshman ([[ |
A running subplot involves a geeky freshman ([[Jorge Martinez]]) who continually (and unsuccessfully) tries to bed his love interest, Sam, to satisfy a bet with his friends. The character is referred to on several occasions in the movie as either "Ted" or "Farmer Ted", but he is credited solely as "the Geek." |
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In the auto-shop room during the dance, Sam and Ted begin talking and Sam confesses her love for Jake. Upon hearing this, he tells her that Jake had been asking about her at the dance, and they agree that Sam should just go and talk to him. As she's leaving, he reveals the wager to Sam, who, in her excited state, agrees to loan him her [[panties]] to help him win a dozen [[floppy disk]]s. |
In the auto-shop room during the dance, Sam and Ted begin talking and Sam confesses her love for Jake. Upon hearing this, he tells her that Jake had been asking about her at the dance, and they agree that Sam should just go and talk to him. As she's leaving, he reveals the wager to Sam, who, in her excited state, agrees to loan him her [[panties]] to help him win a dozen [[floppy disk]]s. |
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Revision as of 19:42, 3 February 2011
| Sixteen Candles | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Hughes |
| Written by | John Hughes |
| Produced by | Hilton A. Green Michelle Manning Ned Tanen |
| Starring | Molly Ringwald Justin Henry Michael Schoeffling Haviland Morris Gedde Watanabe Anthony Michael Hall |
| Cinematography | Bobby Byrne |
| Edited by | Edward Warschillka |
| Music by | Ira Newborn |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date | May 4, 1984 |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | Template:FilmUS |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6,500,000 |
| Box office | $23,686,027 |
Sixteen Candles is a 1984 coming-of-age film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling and Anthony Michael Hall. The film was written and directed by John Hughes.
Plot
Awkward high school sophomore Samantha "Sam" Baker (Molly Ringwald) struggles to get through the day of her 16th birthday, which her entire family forgets because her older sister, Ginny (Blanche Baker), is getting married the next day. She is also plagued by her ongoing infatuation with the very popular and very attractive senior, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling). Her day at school fares no better when she finds out that her completed "sex quiz," which she surreptitiously slipped to her friend, never reached her (and, unbeknownst to either of them, was picked up by Jake Ryan himself). Sam panics as the quiz contains personal information, including the fact that she is a virgin and is saving herself for Jake.
She has a whole new set of problems when she arrives home to find that both sets of grandparents are staying at the Baker home for the duration of the wedding visit. On top of it all, one set of grandparents brings along bizarre foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong (Antonio Madrid). Sam's grandparents force her to take him along to her school dance that night and, to Sam's amazement, it takes "The Donger" only five minutes to find an unlikely girlfriend — the tallish, large-breasted jock, Marlene, promptly nicknamed "Lumberjack." After some ensuing madness with everyone involved, Sam's family eventually makes up before the wedding and apologizes for forgetting her birthday.
A running subplot involves a geeky freshman (Jorge Martinez) who continually (and unsuccessfully) tries to bed his love interest, Sam, to satisfy a bet with his friends. The character is referred to on several occasions in the movie as either "Ted" or "Farmer Ted", but he is credited solely as "the Geek."
In the auto-shop room during the dance, Sam and Ted begin talking and Sam confesses her love for Jake. Upon hearing this, he tells her that Jake had been asking about her at the dance, and they agree that Sam should just go and talk to him. As she's leaving, he reveals the wager to Sam, who, in her excited state, agrees to loan him her panties to help him win a dozen floppy disks.
Later (after a peepshow of Sam's panties for $1 admission, which she does not find out about until the next day), Ted and his equally unwelcome friends, Cliff (Darren Harris) and Bryce (John Cusack), crash the senior after-party at Jake's house — during which the entire house is completely trashed. At night's end, Jake finds Ted trapped under a table and they begin to talk. Jake inquires further about Sam; Ted explains the situation. Jake makes a deal with Ted: If Ted lets Jake keep Sam's panties, then he will let Ted drive home his inebriated, stuck-up, prom queen girlfriend, Carolyn Mulford (Haviland Morris), in Jake's father's Rolls Royce. Jake later uses the excuse of finding them together to break up with Carolyn (who had surprisingly fallen for Ted, and thus doesn't mind the break-up very much). Afterward, Jake drives to the church just in time to meet an incredulous Sam after her sister's wedding. The movie concludes with them sharing a kiss over a birthday cake with 16 candles.
Cast
- Main characters
- Molly Ringwald as Samantha Baker
- Justin Henry as Mike Baker
- Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan
- Jorge Martinez as Ted, aka "The Geek"
- Antonio Madrid as Long Duk Dong[1]
- Haviland Morris as Caroline Mulford
- Paul Dooley as Jim Baker
- Carlin Glynn as Brenda Baker
- Blanche Baker as Ginny Baker
- Supporting characters
- Edward Andrews as Grandpa Howard Baker
- Billie Bird as Grandma Dorothy Baker
- Carole Cook as Grandma Helen
- Max Showalter as Grandpa Fred
- Liane Alexandra Curtis as Randy
- John Cusack as Bryce
- Darren Harris as Cliff (Wease)
- Deborah Pollack as Marlene, aka "Lumberjack"
- Joan Cusack as Geek Girl
- John Kapelos as Rudy Ryszczyk
- Jami Gertz as Robin
- Brian Doyle-Murray as Reverend
- Zelda Rubinstein as Organist
Filming locations
Sixteen Candles was filmed primarily in and around the Chicago North Shore suburban communities of Skokie and Highland Park, Illinois during the summer of 1983.[2] Most of the exterior scenes and some of the interior scenes were filmed at Niles East High School,[3] close to downtown Skokie, the setting for Hall's driving the Rolls Royce.[4] A cafeteria scene, gym scene, and auto shop scene were filmed at Niles North High School. The Baker house is located on the 3000 block of Payne Street in Evanston. The church and parking lot where the final scenes take place are in Glencoe.[5]
Soundtrack and songs
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| No. | Title | Performed By | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "16 Candles" | Stray Cats | 2:52 |
| 2. | "Hang Up the Phone" | Annie Golden | 2:59 |
| 3. | "Geek Boogie" | Ira Newborn & the Geeks | 2:48 |
| No. | Title | Performed By | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gloria" | Patti Smith | 5:54 |
| 2. | "If You Were Here" | Thompson Twins | 2:55 |
The original soundtrack was released as a specially priced mini album containing only 5 songs. However, the movie actually featured an extensive selection of over 30 songs. Songs form the movie that were not included on the soundtrack EP are as follows:
- Snowballed"
Performed by AC/DC
- "Today I Met the Boy I'm Gonna Marry"
Performed by Darlene Love
- "Love of the Common People"
Performed by Paul Young
- "Kajagoogoo" (Main Title Song)
Performed by Kajagoogoo
Performed by Altered Images
- "Kazooed on Klassics"
Performed by The Temple City Kazoo Orchestra
- "Dragnet"
Performed by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra
- "Rumours in the Air"
Performed by Night Ranger
Performed by Ray Anthony and His Orchestra
- "True"
Performed by Spandau Ballet
- "Wild Sex in the Working Class"
Performed by Oingo Boingo
- "Little Bitch"
Performed by The Specials
- "Growing Pains"
Performed by Tim Finn
- "When It Started to Begin"
Performed by Nick Heyward
- "Lenny"
Performed by Stevie Ray Vaughan
- "Whistle Down the Wind"
Performed by Nick Heyward
- "Ring Me Up"
Performed by The Divinyls
- "Love Theme" from The Godfather
Conducted by Carlo Savina
Performed by The Vapors
- "Rev-Up"
Performed by The Revillos
- "Farmer John"
Performed by The Premiers
Performed by Frank Sinatra
- "Young Guns"
Performed by Wham!
Performed by Billy Idol
- "Lohengrin Wedding March"
Performed by The Bavarian Staatsoper Munich Chorus and Orchestra
Performed by David Bowie
Reception
Critical response
Sixteen Candles was well received by critics and is considered by many as one of the best films of 1984.[6][7] Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 90% of critics gave it a positive rating, based on 30 reviews.[8] Ringwald's performance was especially praised; Variety called her "engaging and credible"[9] while Roger Ebert wrote that she "provides a perfect center for the story".[10]
The character of Long Duk Dong was criticized for being racially insensitive and offensive to Asians and others[11] who found that the character "represents one of the most offensive Asian stereotypes Hollywood ever gave America"[12] and encouraged playground-taunting by quoting his stilted-English lines.[13] Ebert defended him, writing that Gedde Watanabe "elevates his role from a potentially offensive stereotype to high comedy".[10]
Box office
Sixteen Candles was a moderate success at the box office, grossing $23,686,027.[14]
Awards
The movie ranked number 49 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.[15]
Sequel
In 2005, Ringwald was reported to be producing a sequel to the film.[16] As of March 2010[update], Ringwald stated that she thought it was not a good idea to do remakes of great classic films.[17]
References
- ^ Alison MacAdam (2008). "Long Duk Dong: Last of the Hollywood Stereotypes?". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Susannah Gora (2010). You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0307408433.
{{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ William A. Gordon (1995). Shot On This Site: A Traveler's Guide to the Places and Locations Used to Film Famous Movies and TV Shows. Citadel. p. 133. ISBN 978-0806516479.
{{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Wilmette Public Library "Movies filmed on the North Shore" reference page. http://www.wilmette.lib.il.us/reference/record_display_public.php?id=28
- ^ Alex Thomas (2002). "Hughes Hunt". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Best Films of 1984". listal.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Most Popular Feature Films Released in 1984". IMDb.com. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
- ^ "Sixteen Candles (1984)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
- ^ Staff (1984-01-01). "Sixteen Candles". Variety. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ a b Ebert, Roger (1984-01-01). "Review: Sixteen Candles". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Maslin, Janet (1984-05-04). "Review: Sixteen Candles". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-17.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Alison MacAdam (2008). "Long Duk Dong: Last of the Hollywood Stereotypes?". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Michael Joseph Gross (2004-05-09). "When the Losers Ruled in Teenage Movies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) [dead link] - ^ "Sixteen Candles". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-06-27.
- ^ "50 Best High School Movies".
- ^ William Keck (June 5, 2005). "MTV awards honor actors". USA Today. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Miles Bradford (2010). "Molly Ringwald not a fan of remaking one of her classic 80's movies". KABC-TV. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
