Buzz
Sixteen Candles marked the beginning of John Hughes' legendary series of 1980s teen films that explore the struggles of surviving puberty while trying to graduate high school, surrounded by others going through the same experience. Though Hughes was far removed from his high school years when he wrote the script, he perfectly captured the teenage reality. Here's a list of 16 things you might not know about this film, released 32 years ago today—making it officially twice the age of its lead character.
1. HUGHES DREW INSPIRATION FROM MOLLY RINGWALD EVEN BEFORE MEETING HER.
After writing the scripts for Mr. Mom and National Lampoon’s Vacation, Hughes' agents at ICM handed him a stack of photos featuring young actors. "I was in that stack," Ringwald recalled to Entertainment Weekly in January. ''He flipped through and saw one he liked and pinned it to his bulletin board." Known for writing while chain-smoking and blasting music, Hughes penned the Sixteen Candles script in just one Fourth of July weekend.
2. VIGGO MORTENSEN WAS NEARLY CAST AS JAKE RYAN.
During the audition, Mortensen and Ringwald shared a kiss, which led to Ringwald picking him as her love interest. “He made me weak in the knees,” she told Access Hollywood. "He really did." When they later starred together in the movie Fresh Horses, Mortensen revealed to Ringwald that he always believed he didn’t land the role because of his kissing.
3. JAKE RYAN WAS 23 YEARS OLD.
Michael Schoeffling, who beat out Mortensen for the role of Jake, was 23 when filming, while Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were both 15. Though Sixteen Candles catapulted Schoeffling to stardom, he completely stepped away from Hollywood after 1991’s Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. By most reports, he moved to Virginia with his wife and children, where he now works as a carpenter. Haviland Morris, who portrayed Jake's girlfriend Caroline, also stepped away from the industry—though she still occasionally acts, she works as a real estate agent in New York City.
4. HUGHES CREATED FARMER TED ESPECIALLY FOR ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL.
Hughes was so impressed with Hall’s performance in Vacation that he believed the actor was ideal for the role of “The Geek/Farmer Ted,” so he created the part specifically for him.
5. SKOKIE, ILLINOIS WASN’T THE MOST EXCITING PLACE FOR RINGWALD AND HALL.
With nothing to do after filming wrapped on weekends, the underage actors found themselves left behind by some of the older cast members who went off to bars. However, at their hotel in Skokie, the duo crashed a Bat Mitzvah to pass the time.
6. LONG DUK DONG WAS PORTRAYED BY A 28-YEAR-OLD UTAH-BORN ACTOR WHO SPOKE ONLY ENGLISH.
Gedde Watanabe, whose Japanese-American parents had settled in Ogden, Utah, went into his audition for Long Duk Dong fully in character, imitating the thick accent of his Korean friend. During the table read, Watanabe confessed to Hughes that the accent was fabricated. Though he feared he might be fired for the ruse, Hughes simply laughed it off.
7. THE GONG SOUND WASN’T PART OF THE ORIGINAL SCRIPT.
Watanabe revealed that the gong sound was added later in post-production, joking that “somebody must’ve had a few beers.” He was also taken aback when his portrayal was criticized as racist by some Asian-American groups. "It took me a while to understand that," he told NPR. "I was working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a couple of women confronted me angrily, asking, 'How could you do a role like that?' But it’s funny because, at the same time, I laugh at the character. It’s a strange creature."
8. JOHN AND JOAN CUSACK’S ROLES WERE ESSENTIALLY COMPENSATION ROLES.
Originally, the Cusacks were set for key roles in The Breakfast Club, with John cast as Bender (who was later portrayed by Judd Nelson) and Joan as Allison (eventually played by Ally Sheedy). However, Universal believed Hughes' completed script for Sixteen Candles was more commercially viable and decided to prioritize it. As a result, John played Farmer Ted's sidekick Bryce, and Joan took on the role of Geek Girl #1, the girl in the neck brace. Sixteen Candles marked the second of (currently) 10 films in which the Cusack siblings appeared together.
9. THE FILM ALSO FEATURED MORE FAMOUS FAMILY MEMBERS.
When Ginny, Sam’s sister whose upcoming wedding distracts from Sam’s sixteenth birthday, sits down during the church scene, she takes a seat next to Agnes, the mother of John and Jim Belushi. The reverend is portrayed by actor Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill’s older brother.
10. IT WAS A SWELTERING SCHOOL DANCE.
The gym where the school dance was filmed lacked air conditioning due to budget constraints, resulting in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees during shooting. The same heat was present in Sam’s bedroom, as the set was constructed inside the high school gymnasium. At least Ringwald had the chance to decorate her character’s room using items from her own home.
11. SOME LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS FEATURED SECRET REFERENCES.
Sam’s grandparents’ license plate read V 58 for “Vacation ‘58,” the National Lampoon Magazine story by John Hughes that inspired the movie National Lampoon’s Vacation. Jake Ryan’s Porsche bore the number 21850, which corresponds to John Hughes’ birthday on February 18, 1950. Interestingly, Molly Ringwald’s birthday also falls on February 18th.
12. JAKE’S FATHER’S ROLLS-ROYCE IS WORTH OVER $66,000 TODAY.
The 1974 Corniche, which Farmer Ted uses to drive the intoxicated Caroline Mulford home, belonged to John Hughes’ father’s friend. Naturally.
13. MOLLY RINGWALD’S MOTHER INFLUENCED THE SCRIPT.
In the original script, Sam’s father concludes his heart-to-heart with his daughter by directly asking what happened to her underwear (which she gave to Farmer Ted). Molly’s mother pointed out that it was inappropriate for a father to ask such a thing. Hughes agreed, finding it creepy, and rewrote the line.
14. A SCENE THAT WAS DELETED CAN ONLY BE SEEN IN THE TELEVISED VERSION.
Not included in the theatrical release, VHS versions, or even as a DVD bonus, a scene set in the school cafeteria adds an extra minute to the film.
15. THE BIRTHDAY CAKE AT THE END ISN’T WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE.
It turns out that Jake is a bit of a penny pincher. The cake he gives Sam is actually made of cardboard.
16. MOLLY RINGWALD ONCE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN A SEQUEL.
After turning down several proposals over the years, Ringwald revealed in 2005 that she had read a script for 32 Candles that she liked and was interested in starring in. For better or worse, the sequel is still pending.
