#380 Sixteen Candles

 

This year the movie Sixteen Candles turns 30.  Whenever someone asks me what my favorite movie is, I immediately answer, “Sixteen Candles.”  As a child of the 80s, it hits home with me on many levels. 

For those who have never seen this movie (what is wrong with you?!), it’s an iconic John Hughes movie about Samantha Baker’s 16^th birthday.  Her family forgets it’s her birthday because they are so stressed about her sister’s impending wedding to an oily bohunk.  Add kooky grandparents and a foreign exchange student to the mix (all staying at the house). 



At school, Samantha has a crush on Jake, who’s a senior and beautiful and doesn’t know she exists.  Jake has a girlfriend, but she’s self-involved and he’s growing tired of her.  I know you want to see it now, right? 

In high school especially, I was the girl who always liked the (tall) guy who didn’t know I existed.  Well, I guess they must have known I existed since I was the tallest kid in school.  But they certainly didn’t like me back in that way.  I still feel like that girl sometimes.  The guys I like usually don’t like me, and I am usually not romantically interested in the guys who do like me (Farmer Ted).  High school never goes away! 

Another similarity to Sam is that I was not in the popular crowd in high school.  (No, I did NOT give my panties to a geek.)  I wouldn’t call myself (or my friends) geeks, but we didn’t go to big parties and mainly hung out at each other’s houses or at Noble Romans on the weekends eating pizza and breadsticks.  With that said, I loved high school.  I had a great group of friends back then.  I’m still close friends with some of them.  I cherish my high school memories and love that there are quality movies out there that represent those times. 

I will always love “Sixteen Candles” and will always think back fondly on my high school days.  It’s a great place to visit but I’m glad I’ve grown up.  And that my boobs finally came in.  Just like Samantha’s  eventually did, I'm sure.