Sam Baker is bummed out when she finds that her whole family forgets her birthday because they are too preoccupied with her sister’s upcoming wedding. When Sam finds that her budding crush on Jake Ryan has caught wind of someone else’s attention the same day she becomes more focused on his attention.
Lately, I’ve been a tad obsessed with the 80s, and Sixteen Candles seems like one of the essentials of that decade, so I wanted to check it out. When it says in the description that this is teen angst it isn’t lying though. Sam is full of it, and it spews throughout the whole film. There are other characters to keep it lively though.
For some reason all the lead males in these movies are pretty bland, and Jake Ryan isn’t an exception. He basically is just there to look good, and eventually give Sam someone to have a happy ending with. Sam is interesting, but she is very filled with the angst. I understand someone forgetting your birthday is very depressing, but the expression on her face was the exact same one you see on the cover throughout the movie. She was just like “ugh”.
Probably the most memorable group were the geeky guys? I’m not sure what their exact category was, but that is my guess. Seeing John Cusack in this movie was one of the more enjoyable parts, just because he looked insanely young. I was more interested in the developing romance between the lead blonde geek, and the preppy, popular girl. I looked forward to seeing them all on screen.
If you like teen 80s flick this might be one to check out. Personally, I preferred Pretty In Pink, and even Say Anything. It goes with the flow of the usual, and sticks with the feel good feelings of 80s romance. You can check out the movie at Amazon.
Rating 4 of 5.
An Innovative Pursuit 