Retro Respect: “Sixteen Candles” and the Soundtrack Classics

This week AMC network ran a “Story Notes” version of the 1984 classic, Sixteen Candles, starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling. “Story Notes” allows the viewer to read pop-up blurbs onscreen about the film, such as casting and production notes, little-known trivia, even information about the music playing over a scene.

Sixteen Candles is known for its upbeat, even heartfelt ‘80s new-wave music, as Samantha Baker (Ringwald) tries to get through what should be one of the best, most memorable days of her life: her 16th birthday. Yet, as many already know, her day is anything but sweet, as her parents “f---ing forgot my birthday.” What’s the cure for a redhead feeling ignored? Certainly go to a high-school dance. There the one boy she’d rather forget won’t ignore her, and the one boy she’d rather meet is dancing with his popular, seemingly perfect, voluptuous girlfriend, who as Samantha says, “… had to flunk about a nine grades…”

Ringwald relays relatable high-school angst in the scene below. Horrified, humiliated and defeated, Samantha is mortified as Ted (Hall), “the geek,” literally makes the (dance) moves on her in front of onlookers. As “Story Notes” indicates, the song is Oingo Boingo’s Wild Sex (In the Working Class). And, how great is that girl in the pink dress with the black belt dancing in the background?—pure ‘80s dance move.



Yet as Hollywood would have it, all works out in the end. (Unnecessary) spoiler alert: Jake surprises Samantha after her sister’s wedding, in one of the best endings of an ‘80s (teen-genre) film. The song: Thompson Twins’ If You Were Here. Schoeffling, with that chiseled jawline, conveys sensitive “aw, shucks” Prince Charming in a Porsch; Ringwald, gussied up in bridesmaid attire, finally gets her guy… and her undies back. BSo