Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this is a hilarious high school comedy with sharply observed moments. The early '80s score will sound dated to some, but for others, it will be a walk down memory lane. But bear in mind that this is also an adult comedy with teen characters. The teens drink, have sex, and talk about birth control. Parents may want to exercise caution with more impressionable, and especially preteens or younger. But this smart exploration of adolescent life will be fun for teens and adults.
Families who watch this film may want to discuss Sam's insecurity about her body. How could her family have eased some of the anxiety of adolescence? Families may also want to discuss the stereotype of Long Duk Dong, and how that stereotype has changed today.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Randy White
Sam (Molly Ringwald) is turning 16, but her family has forgotten her birthday. At school, Sam has a crush on a senior, Jake, who might not know she's alive. At home, Sam's sister is getting married and her grandparents arrive with a strange Chinese exchange student who tags along to Sam's school dance. He quickly dumps Sam at home and trots off to a party with a date in tow.
Fortunately for Sam, Jake is tiring of his prom-queen girlfriend. With help from a freshman super-geek (Anthony Michael Hall), Jake sets his sights on Sam, but will he find her amidst her sister's wedding chaos to fulfill her birthday wish?
SIXTEEN CANDLES is a hair-raising tour of adolescence. Sam is a girl in the throes of her first crush, and she's desperately insecure about her body. A sublimely awkward dork dogs her heels, alternately yearning for approval and crassly propositioning her. She's infatuated with a senior god and intimidated by his goddess girlfriend.
The movie doesn't raise profound issues or craft scenes of special beauty. However, this is John Hughes at his best; he captures the nuances of adolescent slang and recreates the little humiliations that can make teen life a living hell. It's all in the details: When Sam's grandmother checks out Sam's "perky boobies" with a squeeze, you'll wonder how anyone gets through high school.
This is an explicit movie, but not all of the sexual subject matter is gratuitous. For example, it's not unusual for girls to compare themselves furtively with others in the gym shower. But be warned, Hughes makes the shower shot of a girl's naked torso steamier than warranted.
The movie becomes even more exploitative when it caricatures Long Duk Dong, the Chinese exchange student who speaks an obnoxious pidgin. The main joke about this misfit, who refers to himself as "The Donger," is that he could have any sex appeal.
Molly Ringwald has mastered adolescent angst, and yet conveys the unsinkable spirit of a kid who will make it in the end. This movie started a series of successful collaborations between Ringwald and Hughes, most notably Pretty in Pink.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentTeens and sex are central, with lots of talk about body parts, much of it vulgar. A shower scene shows a girl's naked torso. One boy talks about violating a girl who has passed out. A high school kid coaxes a girl into giving him her panties and shows them to bathroom full of freshman for a dollar. |
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ViolenceMild slapstick violence. |
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LanguageSome use of the words "f--k" and "s--t." |
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Social BehaviorThe Chinese exchange student is reduced to a grossly offensive stereotype, and Sam's elderly grandparents don't fare much better. But at the film's center is a plucky teenage heroine with whom girls can identify. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoTeens drink to the point of passing out. |
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