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Sixteen Candles

Sixteen Candles (1984)

Turning sixteen isn't easy, when you've fallen in love... for the first time.

Release:1984
Runtime:1h 33m
Country:United States
Director:John Hughes
Language:English

Genre

ComedyRomance
See the best comedy movies →

Keywords

High SchoolBirthdayNerdConvertibleCrushTeenage CrushExchange StudentNight Vision Goggles
iRank71

Sixteen Candles rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7/10· 134K votes
Rotten Tomatoes81%
Metacritic61%
TMDb6.758/10· 2K votes

With 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7/10 on IMDb and 61/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About Sixteen Candles

With the occasion all but overshadowed by her sister's upcoming wedding, angst-ridden Samantha faces her 16th birthday with typical adolescent dread. Samantha pines for studly older boy Jake, but worries that her chastity will be a turnoff for the popular senior. Meanwhile, she must constantly rebuff the affections of nerdy Ted, who is unfortunately the only boy in school who seems to take an interest in her.

Cast of Sixteen Candles

  • Molly Ringwald

    Molly Ringwald

    as Samantha Baker

  • Michael Schoeffling

    Michael Schoeffling

    as Jake Ryan

  • Haviland Morris

    Haviland Morris

    as Caroline Mulford

  • Gedde Watanabe

    Gedde Watanabe

    as Long Duk Dong

  • Anthony Michael Hall

    Anthony Michael Hall

    as Geek (Ted)

  • Justin Henry

    Justin Henry

    as Mike Baker

  • Paul Dooley

    Paul Dooley

    as Jim Baker

  • Carlin Glynn

    Carlin Glynn

    as Brenda Baker

  • Blanche Baker

    Blanche Baker

    as Ginny Baker

  • Edward Andrews

    Edward Andrews

    as Howard Baker

  • Billie Bird

    Billie Bird

    as Dorothy Baker

  • Carole Cook

    Carole Cook

    as Grandma Helen

Sixteen Candles facts

Budget
$6.5M
Box office
$23.7M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

  • •Charming 1980s teen comedy captures high school awkwardness authentically
  • •Romantic tension between leads develops with genuine chemistry and warmth
  • •Humor lands consistently throughout despite occasional dated sensibilities

What the audience disliked

  • •Some comedic elements feel offensive by contemporary social standards
  • •Pacing occasionally drags during romantic subplots mid-film

Trailer

Where to watch Sixteen Candles(US)

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