Inside the grand Pantages Theatre, the lights dimmed, and a hush fell over the premiere audience. Alex Hayes, seated beside Diane Lane, settled back, surrounded by the cast, director John Hughes, Universal head Sidney Sheinberg, CAA agents, and other invited guests. The opening titles for 'Sixteen Candles' appeared.
The film immediately introduced Samantha "Sam" Baker (Molly Ringwald), navigating the frustrating reality that her entire family has forgotten her 16th birthday amidst the chaos of her older sister Ginny's (Blanche Baker) wedding preparations. The audience connected instantly with Sam's plight, a wave of empathy rippling through the theater. At school, the relatable awkwardness continued as Sam filled out a friend's revealing sex quiz, confessing her crush on senior heartthrob Jake Ryan (Alex Hayes).
The scene shifted, showing Jake asking his friend Rock about Sam while they sparred in the gym – Alex looked effortlessly cool executing the Judo moves and the throw, drawing appreciative murmurs. Rock's dismissal of Sam as "immature" elicited knowing sighs – the perceived gulf between sophomores and seniors. The introduction of geeky freshman Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) and his relentless, awkward flirtations with Sam on the school bus brought the first big laughs, Hall perfectly capturing the character's earnest cluelessness.
Sam's humiliation compounded at home: grandparents who also forgot her birthday, being forced to sleep on the sofa, and the arrival of the over-the-top foreign exchange student, Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe). Dong's broad antics and accented pronouncements ("What's happenin', hot stuff?") drew loud, rolling laughter, typical of the era's less sensitive comedic style. Being forced to take Dong to the school dance felt like the ultimate indignity for Sam, and the audience shared her pain.
At the dance, the film balanced Sam's lonely pining for Jake with Dong's instant, comedic success attracting "the Jockette," Marlene. Ted's disastrous attempt to dance with Sam, leading her to flee in tears, shifted the mood back to empathy. Then came Ted's bet with his geek friends, Bryce and Wease – securing Sam's underwear as proof he could "get physical" with her. Groans mixed with laughter at the sheer nerve of the freshmen. Hope sparked briefly when Jake was shown asking Ted about Sam, confirming he had noticed her.
The heart of the film emerged as Ted finds Sam crying in the auto shop. He apologizes, and she opens up about her forgotten birthday and her seemingly hopeless crush. Molly Ringwald beautifully conveyed Sam's vulnerability. Anthony Michael Hall, as Ted, transitioned from pure geek to surprising confidante, encouraging Sam to talk to Jake. The audience rooted for this unlikely connection. The mood broke again, however, when Ted awkwardly procures the underwear to win his bet, charging other freshmen a dollar to peek – more groans and laughter. Sam's subsequent attempt to approach Jake fails as she loses her nerve, and seeing him leave with Caroline (Haviland Morris) elicited sighs of disappointment.
The narrative shifted focus to Jake's perspective. The wild party raging at his house, thrown by Caroline, highlighted his own dissatisfaction. Alex portrayed Jake's quiet frustration effectively. His retreat to his bedroom to try and call Sam, only to be thwarted by her grandparents' confused and dismissive responses, added another layer of missed connection.
After the party, the scene where Jake finds Ted trapped under the glass table amidst the wreckage brought huge laughs. The subsequent conversation, where Jake learns Sam is interested and entrusts the drunken Caroline to Ted's care (the revised, respectful version), painted both characters in a more positive light, earning nods of approval from the audience.
A genuinely touching moment followed as Sam's father (Paul Dooley) finds her on the couch late at night, finally remembering her birthday and apologizing sincerely. His comforting words resonated, drawing soft "awws" from the viewers. The cross-cutting between Sam and Jake, both awake and thinking of each other, built romantic anticipation.
The wedding day morning brought more humor: Sam's mother also apologizes, and Jake arrives at the house only for a hungover Dong to misunderstand and imply Sam is the one getting married at the church, sending Jake racing off in confused panic – another big laugh. The brief cutaway showing Caroline waking up in the car, impressed by Ted's gentlemanly behavior and rewarding him with a kiss, drew satisfied chuckles and applause for the geek finally getting a win.
The climax unfolded perfectly: Jake finds Caroline and Ted making out, leading to an amicable breakup with Caroline. He then arrives at the church just after the wedding, finding Sam outside. The tentative conversation, Jake revealing he has her underwear, the invitation back to his house... the audience was fully invested.
The final scene landed beautifully. Jake presents Sam with her retrieved underwear and, more importantly, a birthday cake glowing with sixteen lit candles. He tells her to make a wish. Her response – "It already came true" – followed by their long-awaited, tender kiss as the screen faded to black, brought sighs of satisfaction and warm, sustained applause. John Hughes, Alex Hayes, Molly Ringwald, and the entire cast had delivered a funny, heartfelt, and ultimately uplifting coming-of-age story that clearly charmed the premiere audience.
As the lights came up and the applause continued, the consensus was immediate. While Alex Hayes technically had a supporting role, he brought undeniable depth and effortless charm to Jake Ryan, perfectly embodying the sensitive, thoughtful dream guy beneath the popular facade – like every teenage girl's idealized high school crush sprung to life. Anthony Michael Hall was confirmed as hilariously endearing as Farmer Ted, and the entire supporting cast had done a great job, bringing Hughes's quirky world to life.
But the true revelation of the film was Molly Ringwald. She carried the emotional weight of the movie, making Samantha Baker's frustrations, embarrassments, and romantic yearning completely relatable and captivating.
Amidst the crowd congratulating Hughes and the cast, Nancy Jones caught Michael Ovitz's eye across the aisle. In Nancy's eyes, there was a quiet confirmation of her unwavering confidence in Alex's instincts – his decision to take this role, his input on the script changes, it had all paid off beautifully. Ovitz met her gaze, a subtle look of surprise briefly crossing his usually impassive features. He recalled their conversation just months earlier, his strategic thought that perhaps this smaller film, this "chick flick," might be the necessary misstep, the lesson Alex needed. But watching the audience's reaction, feeling the warmth in the room, Ovitz knew instantly that Alex had backed another winner. Any plans CAA might have had to gently guide Alex's career choices following a potential stumble would have to wait. It seemed like it would be a long wait indeed. Alex Hayes, it appeared, knew exactly what he was doing.