Sixteen Candles was written and directed by John Hughes and released in 1984 and was an instant hit at the box office.
Things Go Wrong
Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) wakes up to her 16th birthday with great expectations for a special day, but her whole family has forgotten. Her older sister Ginny (Blanche Baker) is getting married the next day and the family is preoccupied with the wedding preparations. During class Sam takes a sex quiz and in the quiz she says that if she could have sex with someone it would be Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), a popular and very cute senior. When she passes the quiz back it falls on the floor and Jake picks it up.
Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) is in love with Sam. Ted is a nerd and a geek and not at all part of the popular crowd. Ted is forever hitting on Sam when they travel in the school bus. When Sam arrives home after school all four grandparents are staying at the house to attend Ginny’s wedding.
One set of Sam’s grandparents have brought along a strange exchange student Long Duk Dong (Gedde Wattanabe) who is hilarious and adds some great humorous scenes to the movie.
Jake confides in his friend that his relationship with his girlfriend Caroline (Haviland Morris) is not what it used to be and that he is looking for something more in a relationship. At a dance Ted’s geeky friends challenge Ted to hit on Sam and want proof – in the form of her panties. Jake and Caroline are also at the dance and Jake notices Ted and Sam interacting.
Ted embarrasses Sam and she runs out of the dance. Ted tells Jake that he intends to take Sam home after the dance and Jake thinks that Ted and Sam are an item.
Sam is mortified after Ted embarrasses her and she goes and hides in the auto shop. Ted goes looking for Sam and she confides in him that she is in love with Jake. Ted tells her that Jake has been asking about her and Sam is not quite sure what to do. Meanwhile, Sam gives Ted her panties so that he can win the bet, although we bet that playing the online pokies NZ has to offer would have been less embarrassing, and still a sure winner!
The Party
Jake’s parents are away for the weekend and Caroline invites everyone she knows to his house for a party. He tries to phone Sam but her grandparents keep answering the phone and he never gets to talk to Sam. Sam of course is not aware of this. Her parents realise that in all the busyness of Ginny’s wedding they had forgotten Sam’s sixteenth birthday. Sam has a heart to heart talk with her Dad and all is forgiven.
After the party at Jake’s house Ted takes a very drunk Caroline home. Before taking her home he first stops at his friend’s house so they can take a picture of Caroline in the car.
After Ginny’s wedding has taken place with a few hitches Sam comes out of the church and sees Jake waiting for her outside the church. She can’t believe that he is there waiting for her.