Sixteen Candles

1984 "Turning sixteen isn't easy, when you've fallen in love... for the first time."
7| 1h33m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 04 May 1984 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha faces her 16th birthday with typical adolescent dread. Samantha pines for studly older boy Jake, but worries that her chastity will be a turnoff for the popular senior. Meanwhile, she must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted, who is unfortunately the only boy in school who seems to take an interest in her.

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makalov_82 Unlike other's 80's movies Sixteen Candles didn't aged well, the movie has some dialogues that really bother me like: 'Jake: I can get a piece of ass anytime I want. Shit, I've got Caroline in the bedroom right now, passed out cold. I could violate her ten different ways if I wanted to. The Geek: What are you waiting for? Jake: I don't know. She's beautiful, and she's built and all that'i think don't worth a watch, besides all problems the plot and characters aren't really that much...
Sam smith (sam_smithreview) ms like Sixteen Candles personify what the eighties was all about. And if you were a child of the 80s, you will probably identify with this film a lot more than the now younger generation. The story is simple enough, but it works so well. Molly Ringwald is particularly like able in this, and she is almost irreplaceable in her part. There are heaps of familiar faces, including small parts from many of the present day 'movie stars' i.e John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Jami Gertz. It's kind of doggy though, and when you tell people you watched it their response is usually "Oh My God. That is so OLD." But that's what I like about it. If you want to watch a film that reflects the eighties, forget the nostalgia trips of The Wedding Singer and Romy and Michelle. Hire a true eighties product, such as Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, St Elmo's Fire.... The list goes on and on.
Evan Wessman (CinematicInceptions) Of the John Hughes films I've seen, this is probably the worst. It tries to have some slightly deep messages like Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Planes Trains and Automobiles, but kind of falls short. It was entertaining much of the time, but some of the more off color stuff like the gags involving Long Duk Dong failed to be amusing. As they go, John Hughes is great when it comes to making off color jokes that don't completely turn off certain audience members, but I guess he was still working on it at this point.The story centers around a character that deserves sympathy, but complains a lot about it. Not that she doesn't deserve to complain, but it just makes her a little less likable as a character. Certainly it's an accurate portrayal of sixteen year old girls with Sam's polarized emotions and evident insecurity about her appearance. In some ways, this makes Jake Dyer a less realistic character. I think the point of his character was to show that it's okay for teenage guys to have a heart. However, this results in the story becoming something like the inverse of the cliché where the loser guy ends up with the dream girl (examples include but are not limited to Spiderman, Transformers, Alladin). It's an unfortunate thing, but I do not see any real-life 18 year old's making the same decision that Jake does. I suppose this accounts for the presence of the Geek/Farmer Ted, who I'm sure more of the male presence in the audience relate to.The plot has more layers to it than the usual comedy, but is not at all hard to follow. What is a little surprising is how passive Samantha is in context of the plot. After all, she doesn't go to Jake's party, which is a pretty big part of the story. I can't think of one thing she does to motivate the eventual concluding scene. I suppose her one quality that makes her deserve the rewards of her suffering is her honesty. She's not that shy about her feelings for Jake, but never acts on them exactly.Despite some of its other flaws, it is consistently amusing with jokes surrounding the Geek, Samantha's dysfunctional family, Joan and John Cusaks' characters, and the general awkwardness of being in high school. It has a similar feel to Breakfast Club because of the actors, but the comedy is much more situational here, whereas it's more verbal in Breakfast Club. There are some classic lines in Sixteen Candles too, but not that many.If you like John Hughes or the Brat Pack, this should satisfy, though it's not his or their best. Don't let the PG rating fool you into thinking it's a family-friendly movie, especially if Ferris Bueller does not fit that standard either. By modern ratings, it would be a fairly high PG-13. Also I'll warn you that it does not take place over one day. I was expecting this and it kind of worsened the experience. Finally, I will add that the portrayal of Long Duk Dong could easily come off as offensive to the Chinese exchange student stereotype. But if none of that deters you, give it a shot. Overall Rating: 7.6/10.
Jess Noor An unrequited crush, your obnoxious grandparents are staying over, your sister's getting married, and your parents forgot your birthday. Could anything get worse? Sixteen Candles, released in 1984 and directed by John Hughes answers this question and proves that no matter how bad it gets, a happy ending is always possible. Samantha Baker, our heroine is a high school sophomore who happens to be having the worst week of her life. Jake Ryan, a senior, has every girl in the school's heart, including Sam's. Through trial and error accompanied by a foreign exchange student's wackiness, being stalked by a geeky freshman with a huge crush on her, and attending a school dance nervous and alone, Sam's attempts to woo Jake make for one of the most influential movies of the 1980s. The cinematography of Sixteen Candles is flawless. Soundtrack from timeless media makes its way into the picture. Perfect camera angles capture the emotion of the scene perfectly. Through twists and turns, the plot weaves itself into a classic love story. The need for acceptance is a primary theme in Sixteen Candles. Sam is unassertive about her appearance and place in society, Caroline flaunts her beauty out of insecurity, and the Geek feels a need to stand out. Many teens will find Sixteen Candles uplifting and relatable. An absolutely perfect movie by one of the best directors of the decade. 10/10.