The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, earning $23.6 million against a $6.5 million budget, and launched Ringwald to fame.
When it first came out, 16 Candles' writer and director, John Hughes, was lauded for his honest portrayal of teenage culture in the '80s. “This is a fresh and cheerful movie with a goofy sense of humor and a good ear for how teenagers talk,” wrote revered film reviewer Roger Ebert.
Although it's rated PG (it was released before the PG-13 option existed), this is an adult comedy with teen characters. The teens drink, have sex, and talk about birth control; in one scene, it's implied that a guy had sex with a girl while she was passed-out drunk.
"Sixteen Candles" is a classic '80s teen comedy directed by John Hughes. It's known for its humor, relatable coming-of-age themes, and memorable characters. If you enjoy lighthearted films with a mix of humor and heartfelt moments, it could be an enjoyable watch.
At 40 Years Old, Sixteen Candles Has Not Aged Well
The classic coming-of-age might be one of the worst offenders when it comes to some of the problematic elements of the story. The one character of color included in the movie is a caricature of harmful Asian stereotypes.
35+ Years After ‘Sixteen Candles’ & Molly Ringwald Still Has Something to Say to Teens
How old was Joan Cusack in Sixteen Candles?
Sixteen Candles wasn't the first film that 21-year-old Joan Cusack appeared in alongside her brother John (that would be 1983's Class), and it was far from the last. As an unnamed geek, Cusack enjoyed a memorable sight gag involving a drinking fountain.
Released on May 4, 1984, Sixteen Candles was an affirmation of everything we wanted high school to be (but rarely got). Let's face it: Did anyone in the movie - except maybe Samantha's sister Ginny - have a truly bad time? (The jury is still out on Long Duk Dong, but he had some good times before the bad times. Ugh!
When Jake puts Caroline in the car and Geek-Ted gets his geek friends to take pictures of him with Caroline her hair is definitely still cut in the back (actually it's a wig) - it's cut.
How old was Molly Ringwald when the Breakfast Club was made?
Molly was just 16 years old when she played the so-called “princess” Claire in the film, the most popular girl in school known for how beautiful and rich she is. Throughout the movie, Claire is relentlessly teased by John Bender, played by Judd Nelson.
These are much needed scenes lifting the movie just out mediocrity, and the movie could've been much better focusing on the drama and cutting a good chunk of light humor. I give "16 candles" a high 6/10, round it up to a 7/10. Its in the top 5 or so of Hughes films - it has some flaws but also some touching moments.
The drunk girl in question is Caroline (Haviland Morris), the girlfriend to romantic hero Jake Ryan, and if you know one thing about Sixteen Candles, it's that Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) is perfect.
Despite the title, “Sixteen Candles” stars Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were actually both 15 years old during filming. Michael Schoeffling (Jake Ryan), on the other hand, was 23 at the time. It's an age gap that makes the movie slightly creepy in hindsight. And meanwhile, Geddy Watanabe was 28.
How old was Michael Schoeffling in Sixteen Candles?
Schoeffling came to international prominence at the age of 23 for his role as Jake Ryan, the popular yet sensitive high school athlete on whom Molly Ringwald's character has a crush in the teen film Sixteen Candles.
There are some vulgar terms for breasts (hooters, golden bozos) and conversations involving sex and virginity A boy says he's never "bagged a babe." A boy bets he can have sex with a girl; the girl gives him her panties which he shows to his friends.
In a separate interview, when asked why he never included s*x scenes in his films, he said, “What's the point?” He also revealed that the only thing that happened between Bender and Claire in the closet was some dialogue and a kiss, which was cut from the film. “Too much kissing.
Michael Earl Schoeffling is an American former actor and model, known for playing the role of Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles, Al Carver in Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken, Kuch in Vision Quest, and Joe in Mermaids. Schoeffling was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and raised in South Jersey.
That Rolls-Royce? Not just any old prop. The 1974 Corniche, the one The Geek uses to take a drunk Caroline Mulford (Haviland Morris) home, belonged to the father of a friend of John Hughes. It's worth over $66,000 today.
Jake Ryan, portrayed by Michael Schoeffling, arrives at a church in a red Porsche 944 to meet Samantha near the movie's end. Sixteen Candles features the requisite high school party gone wild.
In an old interview given to a media portal, Michael Earl Schoeffling said that in Hollywood many actors spend most of their time out of work, hence he decided to spend more time making furniture instead. The 16 Candles actor claimed that furniture making turned out to be better than acting for him.
