Common Sense Media Review
Racy, drunken, dated 1980s high school comedy.
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Sixteen Candles
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 35 parent reviews
Parents say that while the film was a beloved classic from the 80s, many now caution against its suitability for younger viewers due to inappropriate content, including nudity, sexual references, and troubling themes surrounding consent and substance use. Reviewers express that the film's outdated humor and cultural depictions do not align with contemporary values, making it a challenging watch for parents who want to introduce it to their children.
- inappropriate content
- cultural depictions
- outdated humor
- parental guidance needed
- challenging themes
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 81 kid reviews
What's the Story?
In SIXTEEN CANDLES, Sam (Molly Ringwald) is turning 16, but her family has forgotten her birthday because of her sister's impending wedding. At school, Sam has a crush on a senior named Jake (Michael Schoeffling), who might not know she's alive. 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?
Is It Any Good?
This 1980s comedy is a hair-raising tour of adolescence filled with casual, very problematic gender and race stereotypes. In Sixteen Candles, Sam is a fairly relatable girl in the throes of her first crush who'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 film doesn't raise profound issues or craft scenes of special beauty, but director John Hughes has been praised for how he captures the nuances of adolescent slang and recreates the little humiliations that can make teen life a living hell.
All of that said, the film is painfully dated by its racial stereotypes (a gong sound plays every time Chinese exchange student Long Duck Dong enters). And women are treated terribly: Men and boys talk about their bodies and aggressively hit on them, and a supposedly funny side plot is about orchestrating the sexual assault of a drunk popular girl. Decades after its release, the high school nostalgia that some viewers might get from this film is overshadowed by the cringeworthy treatment of women and Asian people in the film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Sam's insecurity in Sixteen Candles. How could her family have eased some of the anxiety she has around her birthday, her body, or her love life?
Discuss the problematic stereotype of Long Duk Dong's characterization. How have things changed since the movie was released?
In what ways was Carolyn treated inappropriately by her boyfriend and classmates? How does being intoxicated or passed out impact a person's ability to consent?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 1, 1984
- On DVD or streaming : January 19, 1999
- Cast : Molly Ringwald , Anthony Michael Hall , Michael Schoeffling
- Director : John Hughes
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : December 5, 2025
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