SIXTEEN CANDLES. Directed and written by John Hughes; produced by Hilton Green for Universal. Starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling. Rated PG (language is stronger than usual for PG).
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As anyone who has lived through it knows, turning sixteen can be a traumatic experience. The pain is all the more excruciating because of the romantic expectations. And as we old fogeys can now appreciate, the contrast makes for fine comedy. Sixteen Candles is too cluttered with subplots that don't contribute anything to the main story. But in spite of its sometimes frantic pace, it scores hits more often than misses.
Samantha (Ringwald) does have more than her share of trouble at this milestone of life. All in an uproar over her older sister's wedding, her family completely forgets the birthday. She is harassed by a freshman (Hall), of all creatures. She has to contend with truly obnoxious grandparents who have invaded for the wedding. And she is in love with Jake (Schoeffling), a senior who, she believes, doesn't "know she exists."
All the action of Sixteen Candles, and there is plenty, takes place from the morning of Sam's birthday until the next evening. The script manages to get several scenes around school, a dance, a wild party, and a wedding into this period. Along with what seems like hundreds of little scenes with a staggering number of quirky minor characters.
The pace is somewhat breathless, but Ringwald manages to hold it all together (most of the time) with a good performance. She is believably shy and awkward, but sympathetic enough to make us hurt for her. Her supporting cast does a good job of providing relief from her constant troubles. Hall is particularly impressive, although he is so nerdy it takes a while to be able to watch him comfortably. His suave, with-it patter, contrasted with his 12-year-old looks, provides some of the funniest scenes in the movie.
Sam's parents remain fairly calm through all the goings-on, even when faced with the prospective in-laws of every parent's nightmares. The grandparents, however, are completely off the wall. Sam's brother (loveable Justin Henry from Kramer vs. Kramer, only not so lovable) has some good one-liners.
The main problem with Sixteen Candles is the distraction inevitable with so many zany characters. The grandparents' scenes are handled well, and aren't too long. But the same cannot be said of the whole subplot involving the Chinese exchange student. It's overacted and silly, and doesn't either help or hinder Sam's quest for a perfect 16th birthday. (Except for a funny dinner scene where she gets roped into taking him to a dance.)
Some of the really minor characters are gems, like Hall's two friends. They show up with different electronic headgear in every scene. But their technological expertise is matched by complete social ineptitude. Some of the other side characters, however, are unnecessary, or even offensive. The scenes involving a girl wearing a cumbersome neck brace are in pretty poor taste, as well as irrelevant.
Jake's character is probably the only one in the entire movie without a funny line. This makes him seem a little out of place, in spite of his crucial role in the plot. The scenes where he wishes for true love, instead of just a party partner, express a nice sentiment. But the audience wants to get back to the action.
Sixteen Candles follows pretty closely some fantasies I had when I was Sam's age. And I suppose they're pretty universal. Kids having her experiences now will enjoy the movie for sure. And their elders probably will, too. The music on the soundtrack may be unfamiliar to them (even the title song is a Stray Cats' version, not the original), but the dreams and the frustrations shouldn't be.
May 9, 1984