Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling in the John Hughes movie ‘Sixteen Candles’

We turn to writer and director John Hughes with his directorial debut movie. The coming-of-age comedy looks into the experiences of a handful of high school kids, themed around a girl whose family has forgotten to celebrate a girl on her sixteenth birthday. Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Shoeffling star in the movie Sixteen Candles (1984).

(From left, Molly Ringwald as Samantha ‘Sam’ Baker and Liane Curtis as Randy in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha ‘Sam’ Baker, whose sixteenth birthday opens with a telephone conversation with her good friend Randy. Liane Curtis portrays Randy, who offers encouragement through the events of a weekend where embarrassing event after embarrassing event greet Sam. The events escalate from forgotten birthday wishes before school to an embarrassing admission, passed during study hall, that falls into the hands of Sam’s secret crush.

(From left, Haviland Morris as Caroline Mulford and Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Michael Shoeffling portrays Jake Ryan, Sam’s older secret crush who has been seeing Caroline Mulford, as portrayed by Haviland Morris. The age difference plays a role in Sam’s reluctance to approach Jake, let alone her unawareness of Jake having read the note and considering a response that would make Sam happy. It is while riding the school bus home that we learn ‘Farmer Ted’, also known as Ted Farmer, is also interested in Sam.

(From left, Anthony Michael Hall as Ted Farmer, John Cusack as Bryce and Darren Harris as Cliff, also known as ‘Wease,’ in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Anthony Michael Hall portrays Ted Farmer. Farmer Ted either is Sam’s age, or slightly younger. In approaching Sam Baker in multiple awkward and embarrassing ways of his own, he uses trust within his own social group while using self-assurance to connect at separate points with Sam, Jake Ryan and Caroline Mulford. Much of the film’s humor and sweetness gets expressed through situations Farmer bridges. Parallel humor surrounds the character of Long Duk Dong, who bridges separate points in the familial and high school stories expressed within Sixteen Candles.

(From left, Gedde Watanabe as Long Duk Dong and Debbie Pollack as Marlene, also known as ‘Lumberjack’ in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Gedde Watanabe portrays Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student living with one set of Sam Baker’s grandparents. Dong connects with Marlene, as portrayed by Debbie Pollack, at a school dance. Dong’s introduction was intended for a series of promiscuity-based jokes that overlapped with the appearance of Sam Baker’s sister and extended family for what would be the marriage of Ginny Baker, Sam’s sister, the day after Sam’s sixteenth birthday. Blanche Baker portrayed Ginny Baker.

(From left, Blanche Baker as Ginny Baker, Carlin Glynn as Mrs. Brenda Baker and Zelda Rubinstein as Organist in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

The events surrounding Ginny Baker’s wedding, including the family introductions, the ceremony itself and the immediate aftermath offer embarrassments of lighthearted humor for the family, friends and celebrants in attendance. The bringing together of this event as well as the larger movie offer a nice tying together of the movie, if not the knot of marriage itself.

(From left, actress Molly Ringwald, writer/director John Hughes and actor Michael Schoeffling on set of the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

The movie Sixteen Candles offered lighthearted comedy in the spirit of coming-of-age comedy. Not all jokes have aged well, yet nothing significantly over-the-top from a gender or culturally mean-spirited perspective, at least to my listening, is a legacy here. The perspective is largely an awkward, teenage one. In this sandbox, the movie is appropriate and appealing. I offer Sixteen Candles as written and directed by John Hughes 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank in the Christopher Nolan movie ‘Insomnia’

Robin Williams as a villain? Al Pacino as a conflicted policeman? Hilary Swank somewhere outside the loop yet every bit the advocate for justice? Welcome to the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia (2002), a remake of the Norwegian movie Insomnia (1997).

(From left, Hilary Swank as Detective Ellie Burr, Martin Donovan as Detective Hap Eckhart and Al Pacino as Detective Will Dormer in the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia).

Al Pacino starred as Detective Will Dormer of the Los Angeles Police Department of Los Angeles, California. Detective Hap Eckhart, set to testify against Dormer in an internal affairs concern in Los Angeles, flies with Dormer to the fictional town of Nightmute, Alaska to assist in a murder investigation at the request of Nightmute Police Chief Charlie Nyback, a former colleague of Dormer’s. Paul Dooley portrayed Nyback as Martin Donovan portrayed Eckhart.

(From left, Hilary Swank as Detective Ellie Burr and Al Pacino as Detective Will Dormer in the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia).

Nightmute, Alaska Detective Ellie Burr, as portrayed by Hilary Swank, picks up the LAPD detectives at the airport. While tension exists between Eckhart and Dormer, Burr greets the pair with a stated admiration for the investigative work that prompted lent support for Nyback in getting Dormer the opportunity to investigate the murder that brought him the LAPD detectives to Alaska in the first place.

(From left, Robin Williams as Walter Finch and Al Pacino as Detective Will Dormer in the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia).

It was during the long daylight hours of an Alaska summertime that the course of the murder investigation took the detectives into near wilderness habitat in pursuit of the team’s murder suspect, Walter Finch. Robin Williams portrayed Finch, whose gun is left at the scene of a police-involved shooting that leaves one of the pursuing detective’s dead. Knowing how the notion of a shooting death looks, Dormer makes up a story that magnifies what Dormer knows is already a difficult situation back home.

(Maura Tierney as Rachel Clement in the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia).

Suffering from the near constant daylight of an Alaska summertime, the difficulties back home, the original murder investigation, the police involved shooting and an offer by murder suspect Walter Finch to turn the plot of this psychological thriller into film noir, Detective Dormer confides some of his inner feelings to innkeeper Rachel Clement, as portrayed by Maura Tierney.

(From left, actor Robin Williams and director Christopher Nolan on set of the Christopher Nolan movie Insomnia).

The stage is set well in amplifying the tension within the film functioning from the Hillary Seitz, Nikolaj Frobenius and Erik Skjoldbjærg screenplays. Fundamentally, the centerpiece for this movie to me is the story and cinematic feel more than the performances of the actors, which isn’t meant to diminish the acting performances. The real casting surprise, which works for me as a portrayal against typecast, rests with the role of Walter Finch. Make no mistake in knowing that the film works. I offer Insomnia as directed by Christopher Nolan 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 10, 2021