Sixteen Candles Totally Explained

Everything about Sixteen Candles totally explained

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, and is often associated with the beginning of the Brat Pack.

Plot

Awkward high school sophomore Samantha "Sam" Baker (Molly Ringwald) struggles to get through the day of her sixteenth 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's 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 weird foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe). 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 hours 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, insecure freshman (Anthony Michael Hall) who continually (and unsuccessfully) tries to bed his love interest, Sam, to satisfy a bet with his friends. The character's name is never given explicitly, but it may be "Ted," as he refers to himself as "Farmer Ted." He is credited solely as "the Geek."
   In the auto-shop room during the dance, Sam and the Geek 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 underwear to help him win a dozen floppy disks.
   Later (after a peepshow of Sam's underpants for $1 admission, which she doesn't find out about until the next day), the Geek 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; the Geek explains the situation. Jake makes a deal with the Geek: If the Geek lets Jake keep Sam's panties, then he'll let the Geek drive home his inebriated, selfish, prom queen girlfriend, Caroline Mulford (Haviland Morris), in Jake's father's Rolls Royce. Jake later uses the excuse of finding them together to break up with Caroline (who had surprisingly fallen for the Geek, 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
Anthony Michael Hall as Farmer Ted aka "The Geek"
Gedde Watanabe as Long Duk Dong
Haviland Morris as Caroline Mulford
Paul Dooley as Jim Baker
Carlin Glynn as Brenda Baker
Blanche Baker as Ginny Baker
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
Deborah Pollack as Marlene, aka "Lumberjack"
Joan Cusack as Geek Girl #1
John Kapelos as Rudy Ryszczyk

Filming locations

Sixteen Candles was filmed primarily in and around the Chicago North Shore suburban community of Evanston, Illinois. Most of the exterior scenes and some of the interior scenes were filmed at Niles East High School. Some exteriors were shot at New Trier East High School. A cafeteria scene, gym scene, and auto shop scene were filmed at Niles North High School. Other filming took place in the gymnasium at New Trier West High School. The Baker house is located on the 3000 block of Payne St. in Evanston.

Rating

The film — released eight weeks prior to the establishment of the PG-13 rating — was originally rated R by the MPAA, and then re-rated PG on appeal.

Sequel

In 2005, Ringwald was reported to be producing a sequel to the film.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Sixteen Candles'.

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