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A theme common in John Hughes movies.  The poor person who doesn't fit in conflicts with the rich and beautiful people.  In the end, the one who doesn't fit in is accepted by the rich and the beautiful.  You can see this in "Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," and "Dutch."
Samantha "Sam" Baker was Ringwald's character in "Sixteen Candles."  Andie Walsh was her character in "Pretty In Pink."
....Annie Potts' character, Iona, would have been cool, but she gives Andie this talk about how she better go to the prom, or she'll feel something missing for the rest of her life.  I had already made up my mind not to go to mine.  I thought it was a bogus ritual and a lame excuse for a rite of passage.  I don't regret it to this day.  Most Americans don't even know that "prom" is short for a longer word!
:-/
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I think I know what it stands for but only from watching the movie "Never Been Kissed" where Drew was talking to her teacher and saying prom was short for promenade. ;D
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The soundtrack for PIP is what I liked best.  I think Duckie was a little soft, needed to work out and add some machismo to his act, a team sport would have helped his confidence.
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I pretty much felt that his whole thing was the sensitive guy with the wild streak. The very physically performed lip-synch to "Try a Little Tenderness" in the record store made it clear that he was more than just a push-over/softie. I think joining a team sport would have been contrary to his persona. Hughes always put his geeks and sportos on opposing sides and I think it worked best that way.

But I can personally understand where you're coming from. I was a complete geek in high-school and participating in sports, as little as I did, helped build my confidence. Not that I'd recommend it for everyone but it did help me a little.

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The soundtrack for PIP is what I liked best.  I think Duckie was a little soft, needed to work out and add some machismo to his act, a team sport would have helped his confidence.
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[ I only had 1 problem with the movie... the end! I think Sam shouldve went with Duckie her true friend. Ok Andrew Mcarthey lets put it like this stomped on her heart but Duckie stuck by her. Anyone agree?
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Yes, I think she should have ended up with Duckie also.

Quoting:
Max, once highschool is over, it's gone forever, and though there were bulleys along the way, school was/is still meant to be educational and fun. I wish I had participated more, regardless of the jerks who I perceived as keeping me down (kids, coaches, teachers, any of 'em).  I could have and should have made a better effort.  You can cut me down all you want, but I wish I'd have had more school spirit and applied myself more in highschool. My kid is kind of like Duckie, and I'm trying to get her more involved, but I'm not pushing too hard.  Though she's just in 9th grade, she is starting to have fun at school, and her grades are pretty good as well.  
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BJ,
Sorry if I sounded like I was cutting you down.  My gut reaction to the prescription of team sports for unhappiness is one of disgust.  I'm not saying my attitude is righteous.  Sports are the answer for some kids, but not others.
I don't have kids, but if I had one in high school, I certainly wouldn't encourage her to rebel at every turn.  I would hope I could instill within her enough self worth not to be run crazy by high school pathologies.
And Thank God high school is gone forever.  I believe high school is an inherently sick institution.  For most of history, children worked alongside adults from the age of about twelve.  I'm not suggesting a return to exploitative child labor.  I'm saying that once you've got adult plumbing, you need adult wiring.  We now suppress adulthood well past the age of 18.  I get sick of hearing 24 year olds referred to as "kids."
When you throw hundreds of adolscents together and treat them like children, as American schools do, you're going to end up with a lot of destructive social and sexual politics.
It's much healthier for a fifteen year old to be apprenticed to a professional in a given field, to start earning money, and taking on adult responsibilities little by little.  Instead, we have college seniors who dream of sex and booze on spring break, and are saddled with debt and jobless when they graduate.
I realize these are huge generalizations, and no system is perfect.   However, I think it's time we consider doing away with that magical time of life, the time we call "teens."
Max

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Was that one of the bands in the club? What scene?
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Yup - love that song!

They were the band on stage when Annie and Iona went to the nightclub where Andrew 'Dice' Clay was the doorman!

I haven't seen the movie in years. Didn't they go to that club a couple times?

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Well said Max, trouble is you aren't reaching many people expressing your values and beliefs on this switchboard. Perhaps you'll show a few of us some new ideas. But if you are sincere about really wanting to change the world, you need to put your energy into a position which reaches more people.  Maybe run for office, become a councilman, or even become a substitute highschool teacher and introduce your ideas (suggest slowly), but you need to start somewhere. I might even vote for you. End Quote

Thanks for your encouragement!  This isn't the best venue for ideas about social change, but I don't mind posting opinions from the top of my head.  I'm not the first one to point out these sociological problems with high school, either.  I'm a great writer when I put my mind to it.  It's a lot of work, though.  There's no great writing, only great re-writing, said some great re-writer.

on February 12th, 2004, 2:55pm, rubixgirl wrote:

Quoting:Was that one of the bands in the club? What scene? They were the band on stage when Annie and Iona went to the nightclub where Andrew 'Dice' Clay was the doorman!

I haven't seen the movie in years. Didn't they go to that club a couple times?
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That club was supposed to be their hangout.  The doorman didn't let Duckie in because Duckie would get himself in trouble, as happens when Duckie does get in.  The Rave-Ups were the band in the movie, and the band who did "Positively Lost Me."  Notice in "Sixteen Candles," Sam has "The Rave-Ups" scrawled on her notebook.

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Does anyone like the The Rave Ups? I love the song "Positively Lost Me". One of my favorite parts was when they were singing the song in the movie.
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The Rave-Ups were a very good but unappreciated band.  They did "Positively Lost Me" and "Rave Up Shut Up" in the movie.  Either of those songs should have been included on the soundtrack!

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 The Rave-Ups were the band in the movie, and the band who did "Positively Lost Me."  Notice in "Sixteen Candles," Sam has "The Rave-Ups" scrawled on her notebook.
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Ah...I will have to keep an eye out next time I watch 16 Candles :)

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I know you can see it when her mother's trying to console her before she heads out to school.  Just after:
"She only eats carrots to increase the size of her breasts!"
"You had better watch yourself, young man, or you will miss your sister's wedding."
"Promise?"

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The only thing that really bothers me about PIP is when Molly cuts up the old polka-dot prom dress.  I wanted that dress so bad, and I still do, so it always makes me cringe.  I love the movie though.  I also love Annie Potts.  I wish she was on tv and movies more, she's such and awesome actress!End Quote

I didn't know anybody wore a polka dot prom dress, but what do I know about prom dresses?  
Oh, in case the question hasn't been answered, prom is short for promenade.

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I think you have an interesting perspective, Max.
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Why, thank you for saying so...but an interesting perspective on what?  ???

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On cable they change the word "breasts" into "bust" in their edit of the movie "Sixteen Candles"  What a ridiculous word to edit out.
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That's the TNT network, they're the worst for editing overkill.  They didn't edit that line on "WE" (ennui?)  An even worse case of censorship on TNT was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, in the strip-o-gram scene.  She recites this rhyme:
"I heard that you were feeling ill, headaches, fever, and a chill. I've come to help restore your PLUCK, 'coz I'm the nurse who likes to..."
Then Katie slams the door.  TNT cut it after the stripper says "chill."  Now they're going after words that RHYME with the F-word?  Isn't what you think in your own head your own business?  Maybe the stripper's next word was going to be truck, or duck, or chuck, or muck.... :P

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Does anyone like the The Rave Ups? I love the song "Positively Lost Me". One of my favorite parts was when they were singing the song in the movie.
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The Raveups' "Town and Country" is still my favorite album of the 80's; not a bad song on it.  I got the impression Molly Ringwald was a fan since they thanked her in the liner notes.  Actually now that I think about it I may have read that lead singer (Jimmer Podrasky?) was married to her sister or something.

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For most of history, children worked alongside adults from the age of about twelve.  I'm not suggesting a return to exploitative child labor.  I'm saying that once you've got adult plumbing, you need adult wiring.  We now suppress adulthood well past the age of 18.  I get sick of hearing 24 year olds referred to as "kids."
When you throw hundreds of adolscents together and treat them like children, as American schools do, you're going to end up with a lot of destructive social and sexual politics.
It's much healthier for a fifteen year old to be apprenticed to a professional in a given field, to start earning money, and taking on adult responsibilities little by little.  Instead, we have college seniors who dream of sex and booze on spring break, and are saddled with debt and jobless when they graduate.
I realize these are huge generalizations, and no system is perfect.   However, I think it's time we consider doing away with that magical time of life, the time we call "teens."
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It's scary when I agree w/you, Max.  Well, I agree w/the general idea that "kids" don't always need to be treated like kids.  And we (including I) often call 25yo "kids" cuz that's too often what they act like - promulgated undoubtedly by our low expectations of them.

OTOH, I didn't loathe HS.  Sure, I was never "popular", and mostly had good friends of every niche except the pops, but I didn't have a bad time by and large.  The bad times were elementary and middle school.   :-/  That's where the torture occured for me.  I got more confidence in HS and worried less about others liking me - and then more people liked me.  (I wish I could get that confidence back again - I think I'm in a regressive mode!)

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I definitely preferred Duckie - at the very least, for the story ending!

Nothing really wrong w/Blaine, it's just how can you resist some1 who obviously meshes so well w/you already?

Not to mention Duckie's cool total '80s look.....
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"Go take a shower, you look like sh*t!" is one of my favorite lines in that movie and perfectly describes Blaine (I think that name is a combination of 'plain' and 'boring' isn't it?)

Zed
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To quote Duckie.."Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!"

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Oh, you stole my thunder! ;)
I'll have to settle for--
Duckie:
Drinking and driving don't mix.  That's why I ride a bike.

What's next?
Bed.
Yours or mine?...Ours?

Andie's friend (in re preppie girl): I hope they shrivel up and fall off.
Gym teacher: You hope what falls off?
Andie's friend: Her breasts, Ms. Dietz.

Benny: I know you, aren't you in my calculus class?
Andie: Gym
Benny: Your name's Jim?

Quoting:

Thanks for your encouragement!  This isn't the best venue for ideas about social change, but I don't mind posting opinions from the top of my head.  I'm not the first one to point out these sociological problems with high school, either.  I'm a great writer when I put my mind to it.  It's a lot of work, though.  There's no great writing, only great re-writing, said some great re-writer.



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PIP was on TV last night. I just had to laugh at how they audio-ly edited it.
Though I didn't like his character at all, I thought James Spader was pretty hot.

I gotta say also, I love the scene where Duckie gets thrown into the girls' bathroom.  ;D
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"You guys get a candy machine, we don't get a candy machine."  No mentioning of prophylactics!
I saw a bit of it last night.  That scene with where she confronts her father about her mother abandoning them is intense, and actually quite well directed.  You can't go wrong with Harry Dean Stanton, of course.
Regarding James Spader, it's no fair to guys actually in high school when they get 26 year old hunks to play high school students!

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You can't go wrong with Harry Dean Stanton, of course.
Regarding James Spader, it's no fair to guys actually in high school when they get 26 year old hunks to play high school students!
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Harry Dean Stanton was really excellent in his role.
Also you're right, I think both James Spader and Andrew McCarthy looked too old for high school, more so James Spader though. (I loved his character in Mannequin  ;D )

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Spader himself went to Andover, one of THE most presigious prep schools in the world.  Both presidents Bush went there.  Spader in PIP, though he looked older, played the role of the elitist degenerate preppie quite well.  Maybe it was true to life. I say "elitist degenerate" because the stereotype exists.  You've got these silver spoon kids whose parents are so rich and well-connected that they never have to worry.  Some of them feel they're entitled use people, break all the rules, do drugs, and generally not need to be nice to anyone. These guys grow up to be like George W. Bush.