Review of Sixteen Candles (1984) by Bryan K — 08 May 2011

A better movie than the first time I saw it. John Hughes' directorial debut does include typical National Lampoon politically incorrect humor (some of which may offend--Long Duk Dong, anybody?) and edginess (considering National Lampoon magazine is where Hughes started out in his career as a writer).

Yet, compared with more raunchy teen comedies like "American Pie," "Sixteen Candles" maintains a sense of depth and realism in its characters that makes them unique and quite identifiable.

Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall (this was their first film each with Hughes) are perfectly cast and thoroughly engaging. A winning (if sometimes edgy) look at teenage youth, with emphasis on expectations; embarrassments; angst; issues of ideal romance and identity; and family conflicts and resolutions.

A benchmark in teenage youth cinema at the time. The piognant father-daughter scene between Ringwald and Paul Dooley ("Breaking Away") hits home, as does the climactic (and now, iconic) shot of Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling over a birthday cake.

Cue the Thompson Twins' "If You Were Here.".