13 Best Quotes From Sixteen Candles

Summary Sixteen Candles quotes may feel dated, but they still have a retro charm that captures the voice of a generation.

Molly Ringwald's character Sam expresses passive-aggressive frustration over her forgotten birthday, highlighting teenage angst.

Jake's pursuit of a serious girlfriend and Sam's crush on him leads to a heartwarming happy ending in this John Hughes classic.

Sixteen Candles is a beloved John Hughes classic, and as is the case with many of John Hughes '80s movies, the Sixteen Candles quotes remain something fans remember four decades later. Released in 1984 and starring Molly Ringwald as Sam Baker, the movie is memorable for its funny situations, unusual characters, and a sweet sixteen gone hilariously wrong. Frenzied by the impending wedding of their oldest daughter, Sam's parents completely forget her sixteenth birthday, and after this, things get worse.

Like many John Hughes movies, several Sixteen Candles quotes feel very dated. The 1980s has specific slang that's easy to recognize and awkward to replicate in today's world. That doesn't make the most memorable quotes unrelatable though, and in the 2020s, it gives Sixteen Candles something of a retro charm. Hughes captured the voice of a generation. His dialogue made teenagers on screen more realistic than most movies at the time, and that's part of what makes so many Sixteen Candles quotes so great, even if some of the specific terminology is dated.

Sixteen Candles is available to stream on Netflix.

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13 "I Can't Believe It. They F****** Forgot My Birthday."

Sam (Molly Ringwald)

Because Sixteen Candles is Sam's (Molly Ringwald) story, most of the best quotes in the movie belong to her. She truly sets the expectations for the audience when her family rushes around to get their day started, and she establishes the movie with one of the most memorable of Sixteen Candles quotes once she's alone. Sam is clearly used to her family making a big deal out of everything, and has to brace herself for what she thinks their reactions will be to just about anything.

There's a part of her that wants to skate by under the radar of her parents and grandparents to just be able to live her life, but it still hurts her when no one in her house remembers that she's 16. Of course, there is the distraction of her sister getting married, and the upcoming big day has her parents stressed out. However, as is the case with many teenagers in movies, Sam has a somewhat egocentric view of the world, and doesn't realize that she's not the center of the world.

12 "I Can Remember Lots Of Things."

Sam (Molly Ringwald)

Sam's day goes from bad to worse, and she never outright confronts any of her family members about forgetting her birthday. Instead, she makes comments in an attempt to get them to admit it. When her mother asks Sam to keep an eye on the oven for her, she questions whether Sam will even remember to do it. Sam's "I can remember lots of things," is incredibly pointed and very pouty. It was a way for Sam to sarcastically mock her mother for forgetting her big day.

Molly Ringwald's delivery of the line isn't angry or sarcastic though; it's just understated enough that it's not surprising her mother doesn't get it.

The audience can't blame her for being annoyed that her mother doesn't trust her memory when she has already forgot her own daughter's birthday. Molly Ringwald's delivery of the line isn't angry or sarcastic though; it's just understated enough that it's not surprising her mother doesn't get it. However, this is also a case of Sam being passive-aggressive. If she had attempted to remind at least one person it was her birthday, things might have improved. Instead, she spent the entire movie angry about it.

11 "I Loathe The Bus."

Sam (Molly Ringwald)

Anyone who has attended public school in America and had to take the bus home might share Sam's sentiment. There's a sense of lawlessness when Sam boards the bus after school, as the teens who don't drive and don't have anyone available to take them home antagonize one another. It's chaos, and this has always been the situation aboard school buses. Of course, Sam doesn't just hate riding the bus. She also asserts that "there must be a more dignified method of transportation."

At the same time, it also shows Sam's desire for something better — for someone to notice her and this won't happen when she is sitting on a bus with teens like Farmer Ted, while the people she would rather be with are driving their own cars to and from school. Sam is stuck in this world where she doesn't think that she exists and that her feelings don't matter to anyone. This Sixteen Candles quote also foreshadows Jake handing over the keys to a Rolls-Royce to Farmer Ted later in the movie.

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10 "God, I Hope Whoever Got The Note Doesn't Know It Was Me Who Wrote It. I'd S*** Twice And Die."

Sam (Molly Ringwald)

Sam lost a note that had personal information about her feelings on it, and it is easy for the audience to understand her mortified reaction to this realization. Sam has that horrible, dreaded feeling of exposure, of someone finding the note and spreading it around for other students to potentially mock her for her feelings. Sam doesn't know, and throughout the movie never finds out, but audiences know it was Jake who grabbed the note. This started him on his quest to learn more about Sam and whether she'd want to be with him.

The person who found the note did utilize it, but in the best of ways, so Sam's fears and dread were for nothing.

The person who found the note did utilize it, but in the best of ways, so Sam's fears and dread were for nothing. Also, the note was meant for the right person — and, thankfully for Sam, the intended recipient found it. The best part is that Randy fell asleep and missed Sam passing it to her, which is what leads Jake to find it. This showed that some things are just meant to be. While Sam often shines too big of a spotlight on herself, in this case, she was thankfully wrong in her worst-case scenario.

9 "Wow! Do I Feel Funky..."

Ginny (Blanche Baker)

The reason everyone forgets Sam's birthday is because of her older sister Ginny's wedding day being the very next day. Unfortunately for Ginny, her period, and cramps with it, come early. To combat this, she takes far too many muscle relaxers. Ginny then admits to feeling funky, as one of the funniest Sixteen Candles quotes reveals. As a result, she acts goofy and wonky the entire time. She spends a lot of time not sure what is going on, and it makes things even harder for her parents, who are already stressed out.

Ginny should've just delayed the wedding for an hour or two. Instead, she had a wedding day she'd likely rather forget when all is said and done, but it makes for one funny and unforgettable ceremony for all the guests in attendance. It also shows that, while this is Sam's story, and she is the one who feels let down by her missed sweet 16, her sister is just as vulnerable and has just as hard of a time in what is an even bigger day in her life as a young woman.

8 "Would You Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself? It's Bad For Your Complexion!"

Randy (Liane Curtis)

Sam's best friend, Randy, is a good source of comic relief, and she's also a dependable friend to Sam. She's the one who lets Sam know her underwear is on display and that her brother paid a dollar to see it. Horrifying as that is, at least she tells Sam the truth. Plus, she has a point with one of the best Sixteen Candles quotes. According to Randy, feeling sorry for yourself is bad for your complexion.

Sam needs someone like Randy to keep her grounded.

Randy is the perfect friend in this case. From the moment Sam got up that morning, she kept thinking of how bad her life had been since her parents forgot her sixteenth birthday. She then began feeling sorry for herself, mocked her mother for forgetting, and seemed to blame her sister for a wedding inconveniencing her birthday plans. Sam needs someone like Randy to keep her grounded and assure her that her forgotten sixteenth birthday sucks, but it's not the worst thing in the world.

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7 "I Want A Serious Girlfriend. Somebody I Can Love, That's Gonna Love Me Back. Is That Psycho?"

Jake (Michael Schoeffling)

It seems funny when Jake talks about what he wants in a girlfriend, which is really sweet and pretty deep for a male highschooler in a 1980s teen movie. However, he then prefaces this with his concern that he might sound "psycho," which sounds exactly like a teenage boy. The good news is that it is not psycho at all. His vision of a relationship is the basis of what many people want when they look for that special someone. But, sometimes it may feel that way. In Jake's case, it's easy to understand where he's coming from.

Jake is dating Caroline, and she isn't exactly the perfect girlfriend, and she's not the one for him. Caroline cares too much for her popularity and status and throws an outrageous party that destroys his beautiful house without regard for the consequences. Jake wants more. He likes Sam and pursues her, and she's definitely the right choice given she wants the same things he does. While Sam seemed self-centered for much of the movie, she opened up when she found happiness.

6 "It's Really Human Of You To Listen To All My Bull****."

Sam (Molly Ringwald)

Of the many Sixteen Candles quotes attributed to Sam, this one is universally relatable, and not just for fans of John Hughes' '80s movies. People love it when they find that person they can tell everything to, no matter how trivial, ridiculous, serious, or dramatic it may be. Sam really needed someone to listen to her, considering her birthday had been forgotten and things had just been going from bad to worse. She wanted to talk to her family, but they dismissed her since they had too many other things to do.

Of all the people in the movie who could help her with her problems, Farmer Ted feel like the least likely candidate.

Randy was there, but that wasn't the same. However, sometimes what makes a bad day better is simply talking it out. What makes these Sixteen Candles quotes so strange, though, is that it isn't Randy or Jake she spills her feelings to. She was talking to Farmer Ted. Of all the people in the movie who could help her with her problems, Farmer Ted feel like the least likely candidate. But he listens and lets her relieve all her stress to him as she talks about her struggles. Then, he asks for her underwear.

5 "Yeah, You."

Jake (Michael Schoeffling)

This is Sixteen Candles quote comes at the moment when everything falls into place for Sam. Sam's across the street, just getting out of her sister's wedding, and she looks over and sees Jake standing by his car. The two had tried getting in touch with each other, but things kept getting in the way. Finally, she sees him and he waves to her. Thanks to her insecurities, she can't believe he is there for her. She motions to herself and mouths, "Me?" He smiles back, and says, "Yeah, you," confirming he's there for her and no one else.

It's the moment Sam's dream became a reality and audiences watch as they finally, and officially, become a couple, destined for a happy ending constructed in a way only John Hughes could make so iconic and lovable. After an entire movie of everyone either forgetting about Sam or using her for their own needs, Jake is finally there to sweep her off her feet and make her feel wanted for the first time. Sam gets her happy ending, and that makes the entire movie a success.

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4 "That's Why They Call Them Crushes. If They Were Easy, They'd Call 'Em Something Else."

Jim Baker (Paul Dooley)

This is one of the best Sixteen Candles quotes to come from a parent. Sam and her dad have a heart-to-heart after Sam has a disastrous night at the dance and her dad has an equally disastrous dinner with his future in-laws. After she spends the entire day depressed that her parents forgot her sixteenth birthday, her dad apologizes for having forgotten about it, and the two share a tender moment as he learns about her crush on Jake, offering her his advice, which is often uncomfortable coming from a dad to his daughter.

Jim has the perfect advice for her, and he proves that he understands what she is going through and knows it's hard.

However, Jim has the perfect advice for her, and he proves that he understands what she is going through and knows it's hard. As he said, crushes aren't easy, and that word emphasizes something devastating happening — not something happy and joyful. However, sometimes, like in Sam's and Jake's case at the end of Sixteen Candles, the crushes more than pay off and end up being much better than anyone could have expected.

3 "What's Happenin', Hot Stuff?"

Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe)

Gedde Watanabe, as Long Duk Dong, certainly knows how to make an entrance. Hanging upside down and asking Sam what's up in such a casual manner made for a genuinely laugh-out-loud moment. Sam had no heads-up that her grandparents brought along a foreign exchange student for the wedding, so it made the gag that much better. Before his night of partying, Long Duk Dong followed the rules and was very responsible, but one night of partying with fellow teenagers leaves him "drunk as a skunk" on the front lawn.

Several things in classic John Hughes movies haven't aged well, and Sixteen Candles is no exception. The most glaring example is Long Duk Dong, who has been criticized rightfully for offensive Asian stereotypes. This includes his strained English, exaggerated exotic mannerisms, and his hypersexuality. The clichés don't hold up well today, but if there is one scene that really allows him to just be an annoying teenage boy, without worrying about racial connotations, it is this introduction scene.

2 "Can I Borrow Your Underpants For Ten Minutes?"

Farmer Ted (Anthony Michael Hall)

This is definitely not a question Sam is asked every day. It's still hard to believe Sam allowed Farmer Ted, widely regarded by most kids in his school as a loser, to take her underpants. However, he sat in the classic car with her during the high school dance and listened to her bear her soul to him, explaining why her day was going so badly. She felt so good about him listening to her and "being human," that when he asked the most inappropriate question, she actually shocked him by saying yes.

While this is definitely a gross-out moment, the underwear ironically is a part of how Sam finally gets together with Jake Ryan.

While this is definitely a gross-out moment, the underwear ironically is a part of how Sam finally gets together with Jake Ryan. Farmer Ted explains to Jake the real circumstances behind the underwear, including the fact that Sam is harboring a major crush on him. It might have been utterly humiliating to later find out guys had paid a dollar to see her underwear in the bathroom (Ted hoped that showing them off would help him seem cooler to the other students), but Jake got them back for her, so all's well that ends well.

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1 "Happy Birthday, Samantha. Make A Wish." "It Already Came True."

Jake/Sam (Michael Schoeffling/Molly Ringwald)

Sometimes birthdays don't always go as planned. For Sam, that's an understatement, when everyone in her family forgets her sixteenth birthday while planning her sister's wedding. However, she gets a birthday do-over from Jake, and that's the best birthday present she ever could've received, especially given the circumstances. Sam spent the entire movie thinking that no one cared about her and that she didn't matter — not even to her family. Then, she found her true love.

The iconic ending scene of the two sitting on a table, leaning over a cake to share a special kiss, is definitely the perfect ending for Sixteen Candles. Though their love may have seemed unlikely when the movie started, this scene proved that they couldn't have been more right for one another. Audiences were more than happy to see the two get the happy ending they deserved, as Jake provided something that Sam had been missing the entire movie — someone who only wanted to think about her.