The one with the Donger ...
Ready to feel old? This year marks the 40th anniversary of Sixteen Candles. Written and directed by John Hughes, it would go on to become one of the iconic teen films of the ‘80s — not to mention the source of some truly memorable lines. Who can forget classics like “What’s happenin’, hot stuff?” or “Can I borrow your underpants for 10 minutes?”
Though there have been many imitators in the years since, it’s worth noting that pre-Sixteen Candles, most teen movies were either raunchy romps à la Porky’s or violent horror flicks. Hughes tapped into something special by making a film about ordinary kids that was lighthearted and funny while still taking the teenage experience seriously. Maybe that’s why we all have a place in our hearts for Farmer Ted to this day.
But did you know …
1. Weekend writing frenzy
John Hughes was known for chain-smoking and blasting music while working on screenplays, often writing late into the night. That formula turned out well for Sixteen Candles, which he wrote over the course of a single weekend.
One thing that helped Hughes was finding his muse for the project in Molly Ringwald. He had received a stack of headshots and pulled hers out as inspiration for the movie. He hung the photo above his desk and pictured her in the lead role while writing.
2. Princess Buttercup, is that you?
Even though Ringwald’s headshot was the inspiration for Samantha Baker, she still had to audition to secure the starring role. Several other promising young actresses were also in the running, including Robin Wright, Laura Dern, and Ally Sheedy. They’d all go on to stardom eventually, but Sheedy must have made a big impression since Hughes cast her in The Breakfast Club not long after.
3. Aragon was almost cast as the heartthrob.
Sam’s crush, Jake Ryan, was played by Michael Schoeffling. His wholesome good looks make it seem like he was an obvious choice for the part, but another actor was also in the running: Viggo Mortenson. More of a brooding bad boy type, Mortenson was actually Ringwald’s first pick. It came down to Schoeffling and Mortenson, but in the end, it seems the right Jake got the job.
4. Geeking out
Finding someone for the role of “The Geek,” aka Farmer Ted, was a big piece of the puzzle. A number of young actors auditioned, including Jim Carrey, who had yet to break out of stand-up comedy, and Ralph Macchio, fresh off of a big role in The Outsiders. But they weren’t what the filmmaker had in mind.
According to Hughes, “Every single kid who came in to read for the part of the freshman in Sixteen Candles did the whole, stereotyped high school nerd thing. You know — thick glasses, ball point pens in the pocket, white socks. But when [Anthony Michael Hall] came in he played it straight, like a real human being. I knew right at that moment that I'd found my geek.”
5. The deleted rap scene
One of the most memorable — and most divisive — parts of Sixteen Candles is the character of Long Duk Dong, an Asian foreign exchange student. Gedde Watanabe, a Utah native who was 28 years old at the time of filming, actually faked the accent in his audition for the role, and kept it hidden from Hughes until the first table read. He was worried he’d get fired when his American accent was revealed, but Hughes just laughed.
According to Watanabe, a scene where the Donger raps about why he loves America was deleted from the final cut of the film. Someone seriously needs to unearth this footage!
6. All grown up
What happened to the Sixteen Candles characters as adults? In 2003, USA Network was developing a sequel based on that very premise. With a working title of “32 Candles,” this follow-up would take place 16 years after the original.
Ringwald was on board, but only wanted to do it if Hughes was involved. He hadn’t directed a film since Curly Sue in 1991, so it seemed unlikely. After Hughes died in 2009, any remaining plans for a sequel were scrapped.
7. One less candle
While the “sweet 16” is a big moment for many teens, there’s a similar coming-of-age ritual in Mexican and Latin American cultures that might get the Sixteen Candles treatment: the quinceañera. Selena Gomez is said to be developing a comedy TV series for Peacock called “15 Candles” that would be a Latinx reimagining of the 1984 film. The minor adjustment to the title comes from the age when girls celebrate their quinceañera.
8. You’ll never guess who I saw at church …
The church scene in Sixteen Candles is comedy gold, with Sam’s drugged-up sister, Ginny, stumbling down the aisle at her wedding. But with all the attention on her pratfalls, it’s easy to miss the somewhat famous faces in the crowd.
The woman Ginny briefly sits next to in the church is Agnes Belushi, mother to Jim and John Belushi. Up at the altar, you can spot Bill Murray’s brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, as the reverend. The organist is played by Zelda Rubinstein — better known as Tangina Barrons from the Poltergeist movies.
9. License plate Easter eggs
John Hughes snuck a couple fun Easter eggs into Sixteen Candles with vanity license plates. Sam’s dad’s car has a plate which reads V58. This is a reference to “Vacation ‘58,” a short story he wrote that would later be adapted for the movie, National Lampoon’s Vacation.
The numbers 21850 can be found on the license plate of Jake’s car as a nod to Hughes' birthday on February 18, 1950. Coincidentally, February 18 happens to be Molly Ringwald’s birthday, too.
10. Lunch ladies gone wild
The high school cafeteria in Sixteen Candles subjected the characters to some seriously questionable fare. Cream of lunch soup, meatball salad, jumbo fishdog, cornaroni, gelatin balls, canned brownies in light syrup, and vitamin cobbler are just some of the strange items listed on the menu.
Interestingly, this deleted cafeteria scene only appears in televised broadcasts, and was never included in the theatrical release or VHS and DVD copies of the movie. If your school lunches were just as unappetizing, you probably don’t want the reminder anyway!
My parents are out of town this weekend, so I’m throwing a rager. Forward this to someone who can party as hard as the Donger.
Editorial: Ashley
Illustration: Nick