Sixteen Candles (1984)

Directed by John Hughes. With Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling. A girl's "sweet" sixteenth birthday becomes anything but special, as she suffers from every embarrassment possible.

Overview of Sixteen Candles, 1984, directed by John Hughes, with Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Dooley, at Turner Classic Movies

On the eve of her sister's wedding, suburban teenager Samantha (Molly Ringwald) suffers silently as her family forgets her birthday. Even worse, some total dork (Anthony Michael Hall) keeps propositioning her with sophomoric innuendo when she really craves romantic attention from high-school hunk Jake (Michael Schoeffling). Moving from Samantha's family home as it's invaded by outre relatives to a high-school dance where nothing seems to go her way, this bittersweet teen comedy traces the hopes and disappointments of not only Samantha, but also a host of incidental but memorable characters, from a hapless Japanese exchange student to a prom queen and a posse of barely pubescent nerds. A climactic party scene at which these various strata of young America overcome their rigid hierarchies sets the stage for resolutions both tender and torrid. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Sam Baker's (Molly Ringwald) 16th birthday should be perfect and memorable, but her whole family is so preoccupied with her older sister's (Blanche Baker) we...

A teenage girls deals with her parents forgetting her birthday and a crush on her high school's heartthrob.

Sixteen Candles, the 1984 Molly Ringwald-Anthony Michael Hall classic written and directed by John Hughes, may confuse and today's young generation. Here's our handy guide to a world before smartphones and when nerds were NOT cool.

It's Samantha Baker's Sweet Sixteen and no one in her family remembers the important occasion. John Hughes, the writer of National Lampoon's Vacation, shows how coming-of-age can be full of surprises in this warm-hearted teenage comedy starring Molly Ringwald. She's your average teen, enduring creepy freshmen, spoiled siblings, confused parents and the Big Blonde on Campus who stands between her and the boy of her dreams. But wait...the day isn't over yet! This sparkling film features a dynamic score, and outstanding performances by Paul Dooley, Emmy winner Blanche Baker and Oscar nominee Justin Henry.