Episode 13: Sixteen Candles

In this episode of Heads Down Two Thumbs Up, Carla and Bill discuss the iconic film Sixteen Candles.  This movie launched the career of John Hughes who quickly became known for his portrayal of teenage angst through the ubiquitous experiences of unrequited crushes, embarrassing parents and a punishing social hierarchy.

Samantha Baker is turning 16, but in the chaos of her sister’s wedding, her family has forgotten her birthday.  To make matters worse, she spends the day pining over her out of reach crush, Jake Ryan, Michael Shoeffling, and being stalked by the kind of the geeks (Anthony Michael Hall).   As the tagline suggests “It’s the time of your life that may last a lifetime.”

How has Sixteen Candles stood the test of time?  Is it still relevant today? Who was this movie for?  Why are there only white people at this high school and what does it say about sexual misconduct?  Carla and Bill discuss all of the joys as well as the cringy, problematic aspects of this 1984 classic.