Music Box — Showtimes noted below
On a hot streak after penning the screen gems that were NATIONAL
LAMPOON'S VACATION and MR. MOM, John Hughes started a three year directorial
run that would redefine the Teen Movie, and made a splash with his 1984
debut, SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984, 93 min, DVD Projection; Thursday,
7pm). A romantic comedy with a heavy dose of slapstick, it is best remembered
for two things: making the 15 year old stars of the film, Molly Ringwald
and Anthony Michael Hall, into overnight sensations, and featuring Gedde
Wantanabe as Japanese foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong. As far
as Ringwald and Hall are concerned, this was their first major step
in becoming teen idols of the 80s. Both turned in great performances
in what would turn out to be the first of a multi-movie partnership
with Hughes, and made this teen oriented movie funnier, if not smarter,
than it deserved to be. Ringwald is the awkward sophomore who is madly
in love with a popular senior, and Hall is "the Geek." Despite having
lengthy, and still active, careers, the characters they played here
have cast a long shadow over the two, pigeonholing them for years to
come. Wantanabe has carved out a living through bit and supporting parts
(most notably on the TV series ER), but he too is irrevocably
tied to his role here—he is still being accosted by strangers for his
over-the-top portrayal of "the Donger." There is a thin line between
funny and offensive when depicting a racial stereotype and, almost 30
years later, it's still not clear where his portrayal lands. Despite
this ongoing controversy (NPR did a 2008 story on the cultural reaction
to the character), Hughes' knack for crafting memorable comic sidebars
was on full display here, as it would be in his 1985 effort, WEIRD
SCIENCE (1985, 94 min, DVD Projection; Thursday, 9:30pm). Again
casting Hall as the geek, this lighthearted tale is to computer pornography
as TRON was to computer gaming. Taking creative license from the Frankenstein
films (which the boys watch in the movie), Hall and his nerdy cohort
use a computer to create the perfect woman. Through the power of a military
mainframe and the perfect timing of a lightning bolt, these two uptight
virgins accidentally spawn Kelly LeBrock, and comedy ensues. Though
not featuring the most sophisticated of storylines (basically, nerds
use virtual woman to gain popularity and meet girls), the film is noteworthy
as the further development of Hughes' career and commercial success.
Beyond that, its focus on two insecure high-school outcasts who learn
to be comfortable in their own skin is a theme that Hughes would return
to time and again. The appeal of both these films lies in their relatable
teenage heroes, at once shy and smart, just waiting to grow up. In contrast,
there is the picaresque tale of FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986,
103 min, 35mm; Friday and Saturday, Midnight), about a confident young
man doing what he can to postpone adulthood. In a performance that made
him a bonafide leading man at the age of 23, Matthew Broderick creates
a character so clever and charming that you can't help but root for
him. Beginning with a little white lie about a serious illness to get
a final day off before going to college, Ferris schemes to cheer up
his best friend Cameron with a VIP tour of the city. Wrigley Field,
the Art Institute, Michigan Avenue, and the Sears Tower ("I think
I see my dad") are the backdrop for the greatest senior ditch day
ever put on film. Its enduring appeal lies in the subplot, however,
in which the evil dean of students, Edward Rooney (Jeffery Jones), vows
to catch Ferris in the act and force him to repeat his senior year.
In the film that not only taught countless youngsters how to properly
play sick, but also showcased our city as the playground for Broderick's
under stimulated Northshore slacker, there are moments of cinematic
greatness. Along with 1985's THE BREAKFAST CLUB, these films mark the
high point of Hughes' career as a director, and the popularity of the
teen movie. SIXTEEN CANDLES and WEIRD SCIENCE show as part of the
Chicago United Film Festival. JH - Cine-File.info
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