Sixteen Candles is a 1984 coming-of-age film starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Michael Schoeffling. The film was written and directed by John Hughes, and is often credited with the beginning of the Brat Pack film movement.
Taglines:
- It's the time of your life that may last a lifetime.
- When you're just sixteen anything can happen!
Cast
Plot
Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald), a high school sophomore, has a terrible crush on Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), whom she believes does not know she exists. On the eve of her sister's wedding, her entire family forgets her sixteenth birthday. Further complicating the day, an awkward foreign exchange student, Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe), has come to visit the Bakers' home as the guest of his hosts Grandma and Grandpa Baker; Jake is dating the prom-queen; and a freshman geek, "Farmer Ted", (Anthony Michael Hall in a career performance) is hounding her.
To win a set of floppy disks, "Farmer Ted" bets his friends that he will sleep with Samantha ("By night's end, I predict me and her will interface") and bring back her underwear as proof. Following Samantha into the shop room, Ted makes a couple of unsuccessful attempts to accomplish his goal. Their ensuing conversation includes Ted's admission that he has "never bagged a babe" and Samantha exposing her crush on Jake. Ted's confrontation with Jake in the gym just prior revealed Jake's apparent interest in Samantha and Ted recounts what was said. After talking and getting to know each other, Ted confesses the wager and suggests an alternative. Samantha gives the geek her underwear to help him out.
Later (after a peep show of Samantha's underpants for $1 admission) the geek and his equally unwelcome friends, Bryce and Cliff, attend a senior after-party at Jakes ("party hardy dude-person"). At night's end, Jake finds Ted trapped under a table and they too chat. Ted explains to Jake the situation with Samantha and gives him her underwear. In return, Jake loans Ted a car, as well as his fully inebriated girlfriend.
Meanwhile, Samantha's family apologizes about forgetting her birthday. And Samantha confides to her father about her crush who "doesn't know she exists."
After a wild night with the drunken Caroline, during which he attempts to record his unbelievable fortune in a botched photo, Ted and Caroline wake up in a church parking lot in the back seat of a Rolls Royce.
Ginny's wedding proceeds despite her menstrual cramps and a mild overdose of muscle relaxants which result in a comedic ceremony. Upon exiting the church, the wedding party slowly dissipates and Samantha is left standing alone. Jake is seen leaning against his Porsche across the street and gestures to Samantha which, at first, bewilders her.
In the subsequent and final scene, to the archetypal 80's pop-ballad If You Were Here by the Thompson Twins, the profiles of Jake and Samantha can be seen lit by the candles of a birthday cake between them. Jake asks her to make a wish which she says has already come true.
Influence
Sixteen Candles launched the film careers of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, John Cusack, and Joan Cusack as well as that of director Hughes; several of these young actors became core members of the so-called "Brat Pack" and went on to star in other films, many directed by Hughes.
Filming Locations
Sixteen Candles was filmed primarily in and around the Chicago north shore suburban community of Skokie, Illinois. Most of the exterior scenes and some of the interior scenes were filmed at Niles East High School. Some exteriors were also shot at New Trier East High School. A cafeteria scene, gym scene, and auto shop scene were filmed at Niles North High School. Still other filming took place in the gymnasium at Niles West High School.
Long Duk Dong
Long Duk Dong was portrayed by Gedde Watanabe. The character is a visiting Chinese, foreign-exchange student with a heavy accent and, at best, a moderate grasp of Western culture and standards. Most of his appearances in the film, and most mentions of him by other characters are simultaneous with or succeeded by the sound of a gong. There are complaints that the character is a preposterous Asian stereotype.
Tim Hibbs has claimed that Long Duk Dong is similar to the character Xgung Wo in John Hughes' short story for National Lampoon magazine "Christmas '59".[1]
References
Quotes
Watanabe's portrayal of this character has become a stereotype of people of Asian descent in the US. Many of his lines have become some of the film's most memorable while some even exist in popular contemporary usage despite the fact that the film is 22 years old.
- "Wassa happening hot stuff?"
- "No more yankie my wankie. The Donger need food."
- "Oh, sexy girlfriend."
- "Au-to-mo-beeeeeeeeeeeel?"
Sequel
In 2005 Ringwald said she was considering starring in a sequel to the film.
Trivia
- The license plate on Jake's car reads "21850", which is director John Hughes's birthday (2/18/50).
- Filmed at Niles East High School. Some of the students in the big party scene are wearing Niles East Trojans jackets and shirts. Niles East is in Skokie, Illinois.
- Molly Ringwald almost lost the part of "Samantha" to Ally Sheedy.
- 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.
External links
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