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May 20, 2015DaisyCosh rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Created in 1984, the story of "Sixteen Candles" follows Samantha Baker, a teenage girl who is in love with the most popular guy in school. To make her life a little more complicated, her parents forget her sixteenth birthday and she is now being harassed by the high school geek. When her grandparents show up for her sister's wedding and bring a foreign exchange student with them, things become downright chaotic. There are a lot of likable elements in "Sixteen Candles". For example, the main character isn't a traditional blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty; she is the average teen girl, gawky in some ways, and played expertly by Brat Pack mainstay Molly Ringwald. The writing is great. It is funny and realistic in its diction. Writer/director John Hughes understood teenagers in a timeless way. He also responded to the raging hormones of adolescence by refusing to shy away. He walks that fine line of being appropriate and being realistic. However, at times, "Sixteen Candles" feels too much like a fairy tale with its far-fetched stream of events. Relationships are stretched and contorted like elastic bands to fit a happy ending. Still, the overall feel of a day in the life of a typical sixteen-year-old girl feels spot-on, which, in my opinion, matters the most. "Sixteen Candles" won't be receiving a perfect score from me, but I enjoyed the insightful writing. The directing wasn't too shabby either, especially since it was a directorial debut. It's actually a credit to John Hughes that this film is considered a classic. Hughes takes us on a roller-coaster ride of fun with romance, comedy, and just a touch of teen melodrama. "Sixteen Candles" makes for a very entertaining watch, enjoyable by all -- old or young, boy or girl.