FORMAT: BLU-RAY | DIRECTOR: JOHN HUGHES | SCREENPLAY: JOHN HUGHES | STARRING: MOLLY RINGWALD, PAUL DOOLEY, JUSTIN HENRY, ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Humans love nostalgia, the word being a compound of the Greek for homecoming and pain. It sums up two emotions that really drive us – happiness and sadness, and we can’t get enough of it, hence the current popularity of series like Stranger Things. Luckily for those into even more authentic nostalgia, we have John Hughes and the release of Sixteen Candles on Blu-ray. Originally released in 1984, the film is lovingly restored, with a fine package of newly filmed extras. Thirty-five years later, it doesn’t fail to entertain.
Most people purchasing this disc will probably know the classic story of Samantha (Ringwald) turning 16, only to be frustrated that her family have forgotten, as they’re too busy preparing for her sister’s wedding, and her pursuit of Jake (a popular senior with movie star good looks) only to be targeted by Geek Ted (Hall), who manages to steal every scene he is in – impressive for a 15-year-old. We are presented with many of the classic high school movie tropes; hanging out at a dance, crazy house party, nerds clashing with jocks, complete with the fashion and music, nostalgia is practically dripping from every frame.
This can only get you so far, yet what keeps Sixteen Candles popular is the genuinely funny script, an array of good characters and great performances, including John Cusack’s first full role as an awkward nerd, Edward Andrews who delivers some great lines as Samantha’s Grandpa and of course Ringwald who, at 15 herself, provides a perfect teen angst performance that many have related to over the years. There are also some nice touches you may not have noticed the first time; we witness some concerned parents forcibly dropping their son off at the dance when he states he would rather hang out with them, a funny aside, but also a comment on the sometimes-difficult period of your life, when you have to discover who you are without your parents.
There are a couple of troublesome pieces that sadly haven’t aged so well. Chinese exchange student Long Duk Dong, complete with Chinese music and gong, every time we see him, is completely over the top and certainly offensive by today’s standards. To be fair to actor Gedde Watanabe, he plays it so well that Dong is actually one of the more memorable characters; plus he manages to get a girlfriend and have the wildest night of his life after his first high school party, what a legend! Impossible to defend is the treatment of Jake’s drunk girlfriend, Caroline. After she passes out at the aforementioned house party, Jake lets geek Ted drive her home, even though he’s drunk and has no licence – stating that “she’s so blitzed she won’t know the difference.” This is the other side of nostalgia, realising that not everything that has gone before was better; we can actually improve society in meaningful ways by learning from the past, so learn from this movie, indulge in the extras but ultimately just enjoy this unapologetically silly but great film, because there will never be another Sixteen Candles.
