Sixteen Candles (1984)

Sixteen Candles is a perfect Brat Pack movie, one that my little brothers could certainly learn a lesson from. This is one of a few defining movies for those born towards the end of Generation X, one of the defining movies of the '80s. I had seen it before, but never start to finished, and never unedited. I must say, I was really missing out; this movie is terrific, and hilarious start to finish. This may be Anthony Michael Hall's best performance, he is absolutely perfect for this role, and is hysterical throughout. Molly Ringwald, although this is not the only movie within which she does this, is perfect at portraying teenage angst and awkwardness. I have seen both St. Elmo's Fire and Pretty in Pink recently, and of the three, I would say this is the best, although it is quite dissimilar to St. Elmo's Fire. I am not sure I would say Sixteen Candles is better than the Breakfast Club, but it is certainly one of the best teen movies of the '80s, probably one of the top ten best ever. There is something else in this movie that you would be unlikely to see today. The character Long Duck Dong, despite being quite amusing, is more than a slightly racist portrayal of oriental people, but in the '80s, stuff like that could pass. My wife has seen this movie before, but liked it enough to watch it again with me. I give Sixteen Candles 3 and a half stars.