John Hughes has always been heralded for his unique ability to portray teenagers as real people rather than characters on a screen. His series of successes in the 80s with the “Brat Pack” films such as The Breakfast Club, Weird Science and Pretty In Pink helped mold a generation with the enduring joy and respect that radiates from these films. While he had success with writing prior, Hughes made the leap to directing with the 1984 classic Sixteen Candles. The film made star Molly Ringwald a key fixture of the era, along with giving a major boost for costar Anthony Michael Hall, who had most notably been in National Lampoon’s Vacation prior, also written by Hughes. The coming-of-age tale was a success at the box office at the time, but has only grown in reputation since the time of its release. As we stare down the barrel of a 40th anniversary, it is time to revisit this iconic teenage comedy for the labor of love that it is.
Sixteen Candles is the story of Samantha “Sam” Baker (Molly Ringwald), a sophomore who just wants to have a great school year and a nice sixteenth birthday. This is easier said than done as her older sister, Ginny (Blanche Baker), is getting married the following day. While the focus is understandably shifted more towards Ginny, Sam is crestfallen when her family forgets her birthday entirely. In addition to this, her secret crush, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), barely has any idea she even exists. When an ill-fated “sex quiz” taken by Sam unknowingly falls into the possession of Jake, he starts to consider her in a whole new light. The idea of the two of them together is pretty inconceivable to anyone, including Sam, as he is already dating the seemingly perfect, extremely beautiful Caroline (Haviland Morris). The only guy who openly pays attention to Sam is the confident freshman geek “Farmer” Ted (Anthony Michael Hall), who she has no interest in romantically. With the impending wedding comes an influx of grandparents, along with a foreign exchange student named Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe). Everyone may have forgotten her birthday, but Sam still forges along in hopes of having a special night at the school dance.
As with most of the great teen comedies, the exploits at the dance and subsequent nighttime shenanigans is the driving force of the film. A lot transpires for all of our characters with different cliques mixing and new friendships forming. Ted may try to woo Sam fairly incessantly, but he proves to be more that a one note character when she confesses her feelings for Jake to him during a quiet moment. Ringwald is heart achingly decent and endearing in the role of Sam, which makes you really want everything good for her. Hall’s performance as Ted injects the surface-level sleazy character with the right amount of heart to make you overlook his problematic tendencies. Jon Cryer would later go on to play a character in the same vain, Duckie, in Pretty In Pink, where the character lacks the nuance of Ted. What that movie may have one over on Sixteen Candles is a charismatic lead performance from the love interest. Jake Ryan, as a character, is someone you prefer to root for over someone like Blaine, but Schoeffling lacks the immediate screen presence of someone such as Andrew McCarthy. While a lacking romantic lead performance is not ideal, the real strike against the movie is Long Duk Dong. The blatant racism that deflates every scene he is in is incredibly cringe worthy in every way. This is a true shame, as Watanabe seems like he could have delivered a really interesting performance if he would not have been written as a caricature.
Sixteen Candles is a film filled with tons of laughs and loads of heart. From the iconic turns of our young characters to the all of the strong performances from the parents and grandparents, you have a film pulsing with unbelievable talent. The simple story of a young woman with love in her heart is not a new one, but the way in which Hughes writes his characters was a game changers for the genre. As previously mentioned, some of the plot elements and characters are, at best, dated, and, at worst, supremely racist. The loosey goosey ways in which the movie plays with intoxication and consent is not easy to ignore either. But, if you choose to sidestep those elements, you are still left with your main story of the unexpected love between a lovely, but slightly insecure, girl and an idealized guy with more depth than appears on the surface. Their lack of real interaction throughout the film would typically result in the romance not working as well as it does, but the impossibly charming performance from Ringwald is all you need to get on board. As the film builds to the perfect, emotionally fulfilling final scene, you will feel so relieved that Sam has finally not been screwed over by the world. Sometimes, all you need is that bit of hope in your cinematic diet.
Video Quality
Sixteen Candles comes to Blu-Ray from Arrow Video with a stellar 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration from the original camera negative. This presentation is a knockout that preserves the filmic look with proper film grain and texture throughout. The level of clarity and detail on this release is truly something to behold. There are very subtle details in the production design that are visible here for the first time from tiny details in the outfits to the décor of the house party. The black levels are extremely deep and allow for true detail to come through. Skin tones are natural and lend themselves to showcasing an amazing amount of detail. Arrow Video has done an excellent job of restoring this, as all print damage has been cleaned up without messing with the natural look of the film. Those who have been waiting for this one to be faithfully restored on Blu-Ray should feel it was worth the wait.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack and two DTS-HD mono mix (the original theatrical track and the replacement home entertainment audio track) that sonically represents the film perfectly. The activity focuses heavily on the front channels with some quality 80s pop hits bumping out and filling the room appropriately. Music is used skillfully throughout the presentation, but it never overpowers the dialogue or other important information. The classic dialogue from John Hughes come through clearly and never falls victim to any digital anomalies. Rear speakers get some occasional activity with ambient sounds, but it is not a standout in that regard. There is a healthy amount of low-end support when the scene calls for it, as well. This track accomplishes everything it needs to do really well.
Special Features
- Extended Version: The movie had an additional scene included in syndication, so Arrow has provided the option to watch that version of the film.
- Additional Scene: The aforementioned minute-and-a-half long scene is included as a standalone scene from the extended cut, as well. This is a short little scene with Samantha in the lunch room trying to avoid looking foolish in front of Jake.
- Alternate Home Video Soundtrack: The film was originally released on home video with alternate music due to licensing issues which caused ten songs to either be replaced or omitted. Arrow has included it on this disc for posterity.
- Casting Sixteen Candles with Jackie Burch: A nine-minute audio interview accompanied by clips from the film with Casting Director Jackie Burch where she runs down her experience casting the film for all of the main roles. She offers up a lot of interesting anecdotes, including how Viggo Mortenson auditioned for the role of Jake Ryan.
- When Gedde Met Deborah: A nineteen-minute discussion with Gedde Watanabe (Long Duk Dong) and Deborah Pollack (Marlene) discussing their experiences with the film. They discuss getting cast in the film, how they portrayed their height difference, scenes that were cut from the film and more. They may have difficulty remembering specific details, but their camaraderie is infectious.
- Rudy The Bohunk: A six-minute interview with actor John Kapelos (Rudy) in which he discusses his role, getting cast in the film, his relationship with John Hughes, his experience at Second City, his memories of working with the other actors in the film and more.
- The New Wave Nerd: An eight-minute interview with featured extra Adam Rifkin in which he talks about his experience shooting the film, how he shadowed John Hughes, his future directorial efforts (Detroit Rock City) and more. It is so cool to hear about how generous Hughes was to those on the set with the smallest roles.
- The In-Between: A nearly eight-minute discussion with camera operator Gary Kibbe in which he gives a little background on himself, his relationship with cinematographer Bobby Byrne, the relationship between directors and camera operators and more. It is fun to hear the perspective of a crew member that does not normally get a spotlight.
- Music For Geeks: An eight-minute interview with composer Ira Newborn in which he discusses his process of creating some of the musical stings, working with Hughes, balancing all the sounds and more.
- A Very Eighties Fairytale: A 17-minute visual essay by Saraya Roberts in which she analyzes the film from a feminist perspective. She does an excellent job of breaking down the history of female leads in Hughes’ work, the apparent influence of his male perspective, female representation in the 80s and more. The feature does not ruin the film, but it is very interesting to hear a different perspective with fair criticism.
- Celebrating Sixteen Candles: A 38-minute archival featurette with the cast, crew and famous fans of the film, such as Diablo Cody (Juno). There are a lot of interesting anecdotes and intellectual dissections of the film that enhances your appreciation of it. This feature has a whole section that addresses the PC issues that are questionable in the film. It’s great that this one is included as it is one of the few supplemental features that has participation from some of the more central cast members.
- Trailers and Promotional Spots
- Teaser Trailer (1:30)
- Trailer 1 (2:50)
- Trailer 2 (2:42)
- TV Spots (1:01)
- Radio Spots: (13:42)
- Image Galleries
- Shooting Script
- Production Stills
- Poster & Video Art
Final Thoughts
Sixteen Candles has some incredibly dated elements, but the film remains a joyous teen comedy at its core. John Hughes crafted one of the most beloved romantic comedies with his debut feature, and the film continues to be discovered by a new generation each year. Arrow Video has given this film the proper release that is has always deserved with an excellent A/V presentation and some compelling special features. Those who love the film and have yet to purchase it on Blu-Ray will find a lot to love with this disc. Recommended
Sixteen Candles is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
