From Idea to Script to Sale
Coming of Age Films—Sixteen Candles
Last week we looked at Risky Business [1983], a coming of age film that follows a teen through some very risky business while his parents are away for the weekend. A year later, the coming of age film that grabbed a lot of people was Sixteen Candles [1984] by John Hughes. This was John Hughes’ first film and the teen angst flick became his trademark.
The film follows a bunch of high school teen classmates—headed by Samantha [Sam], who is turning 16 and lamenting her crush on senior, Jake. The film also has a secondary story about Sam’s family—because her sister’s getting married tomorrow, so the chaos from that has resulted in everyone forgetting that today is Sam’s 16th birthday.
Take a look at the trailer from the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGLtBJupFFM
It gives you an idea of all the overlapping stories going on in the film:
--Samantha’s family forgets her birthday
--Her sister’s wedding tomorrow has the house in chaos as relatives descend
--This geeky guy, Ted, is driving her nuts
--Her crush on Jake is going nowhere
--She’s embarrassed ALL the time
--Her grandparents make her take a Chinese exchange student to the dance
--And eventually she and Jake actually get together
Is there anything different about this teen movie, about this girl turning 16 and thus in the middle of her own coming of age story?
Yes. There is.
The biggest thing is that she’s a girl—not a guy. Nearly all coming of age films to this point had guys as main characters and along comes John Hughes to write about the inner life of a teenage girl. You wouldn’t think it would be such a mindbender, but it was. Instead of a film always being about a teenage boy coming of age, we focus on a teenage girl. Seems like a small thing, but in 1984 it was totally breaking the norm.
Is it the best film in the world? No. But it struck a chord with teens, because most teens feel a certain amount of angst, so they can relate.
The other thing the film has going for it is its fast pace. Just as Sam gets into one drama and finally seems to work her way through it, she is hit with something else. So the film is never stagnant—it moves from one relatable situation to another relatable situation.
And it’s also about the voices. It really captures the ‘teen speak’ of the time. This can be hard to do. If you’re writing a teen coming of age film and you’re not a teen anymore, I’d encourage you to hang out in places where you can just listen to teens talk. Go to an after-school hangout and sit in an adjoining booth and really listen to how they speak. Take notes! Then when you’re writing your own script, try to capture that spontaneity, that unique way of speaking.
Next week, John Hughes’ love affair with teens continues in his slightly more serious film, 1985’s The Breakfast Club.
Copyright © Diane Lake
27Jun21
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