I love the movies of the 80s... I really like a lot of brat pack flicks.... John Hughs' other film made around this time, Breakfast Club? It's great, Four Stars! But 16 candles is not very good. Initially, I liked the humor; it was more shocking and contemporary than I expected, with an ironic twist. But the film's premise degenerates quickly into a huge nonsensical mess... NOT good old 80's fun mess, but stupid, racist, sexist drivel. At times, the attempts at humor made my jaw drop, they were so inappropriate and extremely unfunny. Breakfast Club similarly toyed with audience expectations and broke rules concerning the handling of subject matters like sex, drugs and society in high-school; it ended up being a very honest, poignant film that made you laugh your ass off.... it's no Citizen Kane, but Breakfast Club = good flick. If you are in the mood for a night with the brat pack, my suggestion is to skip 16 Candles, a film I found offensive and devoid of anything entertaining, in favor of the far superior Breakfast Club. :)