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
Darren Harris	...	Cliff
Deborah Pollack	...	Lumberjack
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:
Elizabeth Cox	...	High School Student (uncredited)
Andy Hirsch	...	Boy with Coronet (uncredited)
Stephan Meyers	...	Geek at Dance (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
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)
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
Al Shenfeld	....	auditor
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)
• United Pictures Finland (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• 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:

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

A difficult kiss.

The final shot of this film can in some ways mirror the difficulties of adolescence. We see Molly Ringwald finally getting to kiss the boy she's been after since the film's outset. However this kiss doesn't look like it would have been particularly easy for the actors to pull off. Both Ringwald and Shoeffling are sitting "Indian-style" on a tabletop facing one another. They both have to lean forward presumably using their wrists for leverage while their lips meet over the flaming candles on her birthday cake. A difficult kiss, indeed.

Sixteen Candles is one of the best films John Hughes gave us in the 1980s. The young cast full of so many extraordinary talents gives us one memorable scene after another. Anthony Michael Hall is particularly effective as the leader of the nerdiest students on campus. Listen to his voice crack as he reads many of his lines, and try not to laugh. Good luck! The plot, as many of us know, centers around a young girl (Ringwald) whose parents forget about her sixteenth birthday in the midst of the chaos surrounding her older sister's wedding. At the same time she tries to win the affection of the most popular guy in school who happens to be dating the most beautiful girl in school. Ah, the trials and tribulations of high school.

The film is well-paced, never drags, and has its characters pegged pretty well. The obnoxious grandparents are particularly well-drawn. Of course things are eventually resolved in a manner that could never possibly happen in real life, but that's why we go to the movies.

I miss those destructive house parties!!! 9 of 10 stars.

The Hound.