Analysis
Symbols and Tropes
Hero's Journey
Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...
Setting
A Suburban High School In The 1980'sStuck in the SuburbsThe setting for Sixteen Candles is more generic than that box of birthday cake mix you bought because you're too lazy to make one from scratc...
Point of View
Joke Du JourSixteen Candles jumps around more than a kangaroo on a trampoline. John Hughes narrative style here intends to tell jokes more than it wants to tell a coherent story. As a result, the p...
Genre
Teen Movie, Romantic ComedyTeenage DreamThis movie isn't about a prom, but it is the queen of teen movies. Without Sixteen Candles we wouldn't have Clueless (girl navigating dating in high school),...
What's Up With the Title?
At the beginning of the movie, Sam has a simple problem: she wants her family to wish her happy sixteenth birthday. After all, the sixteenth birthday is something many teenage girls dream of. There...
What's Up With the Ending?
Make a WishAt the end of the movie, Sam finally gets her wish. Well, almost. Early on, Sam and Randy joke about the perfect sixteenth birthday.SAM: Since I was about twelve I've been looking forwar...
Shock Rating
PG-13 Although Sixteen Candles is rated PG, we imagine it would be rated PG-13 if it were made after that rating came out. (It actually came out a few months later that year.)Sixteen Candles is cho...