SIXTEEN CANDLES
US, 1984, 93 minutes, Colour.
Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling, Gedde Watanabe, Blanche Baker, Paul Dooley, Carlin Glynn, John Cusack.
Directed by John Hughes.
Sixteen Candles was the first film directed by John Hughes and made a great impact with young audiences. A writer of some of the National Lampoon Vacations as well as Mr Mom, he went on in the mid-'80s to write a series of very popular films, directing several of them: The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Ferris Buhler's Day Off, She's Having a Baby.
He used Molly Ringwald in several of these films. She had made her debut in The Tempest and appeared in Space Hunter. With her particular pouty style, she was quite popular in the mid-'80s in such films as The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, The Pick-up Artist, For Keeps. The film also uses Anthony Michael Hall who was to appear in The Breakfast Club and Weird Science.
The film focuses on Samantha and her family, their forgetting her 16th birthday and the repercussions at home, at school, with her eyes on the school jock and the help offered by 'The Geek'. Parents and grandparents are sketched in satirically, though Paul Dooley's father does have a final word of wisdom.
The film caters for the teenage audience - and may put off some older audiences. However, Hughes seems to have touched the pulse of the '80s generation and explored their world.
1. Youth-oriented film? Teenagers? Impact on boys, girls? on parents? The popularity of the film?
2. The work of John Hughes, his skill in writing comedy, his career with direction and writing and focus on teenagers?
3~ The atmosphere of the town, homes and school, the teen world, the teen perspective? The range of songs in the score?
4. The structure of the film: family and characters, Samantha's birthday, school and types? Relationships, growing up? Birthday and wedding?
5. Molly Ringwald as Samantha: the beginning of the day, the house, her expectations, the ordinariness of the detail, her parents and their reaction, her brother? tier disappointment? The details of school, admiration for Jake but his distance, watching the girls in the shower, the exercises, classes? Hopes? Her friendship with The Geek and his intervention? At home, the grandparents and her grandfather's brash comment about her growing up? Leaving the meal, going to the dance? her shyness with Jake? Her parents, her brother? Her listening to The Geek's stories and her disgust? The build-up to the wedding, her participation? her talking with her father, his advice? Audiences invited to share the 16-year-old girl's world?
6. The sketch of the family: the parents and their being busy, preparing for the wedding, not listening, wanting to help? The younger brother and his slinging off? The sister, the wedding, the build-up, in-laws, her tears? Nervousness? Her behaviour during the ceremony? Afterwards? The comic detail of life in the home?
7. The two groups of grandparents, the visit, their talk, different styles? The relationship? Their bringing the Vietnamese student? The repercussions?
8. Jake and the boys in school, the party and his girlfriend's brashness, the attraction towards Sam, the intervention of The Geek, his shyness? Her shyness? The meeting, relating?
9. The Geek and the satire on the brash teenager, trying to be cool, being geeky? Comic talk ? Telling stories, grossness? Friendship with Jake, helping him out, the encounter with the girlfriend, the car, the talk about sex?
10. Jake's girlfriend, the prom queen, the party, trashing the house, zonked out? The night with The Geek?
11. The birthday and its comedy, the meals, school? The wedding farce?
12. Long Duc Dong and his visit, with the grandparents, school, the big girl and the exercise gear, drinking and drunk?
13. Teenagers identifying with this world, with the characters, awkwardness, sympathy - and unresolved questions?
