Today is my 41st birthday,
so I thought it appropriate to somehow tie my blog post to a birthday related
theme. I had initially thought about outlining various birthday celebrations
depicted in the literary world, but my mind wouldn’t budge from the most epic
birthday movie ever made.
Sixteen Candles.
If you are young enough to
have missed out on this epic classic, then you must go to your preferred movie
retailer of choice and watch immediately.
As I thought about Sixteen
Candles, I got to thinking how a sequel would play out on Sam’s 41st birthday.
Here’s how I envision some of the moments from her 16th birthday would
link up with her at the age of 41.
“Chronologically you’re sixteen today.
Physically, you’re still fifteen.”
At 16, Sam looks in the
mirror the morning of her birthday hoping for a dramatic change in appearance.
She wants to look like the woman she is becoming, not the child she is leaving
behind.
At 41, Sam steps in front
of the mirror, eyes closed. She’s afraid to look. She’s no longer hoping to
look a year older, but rather praying that the aging has stopped. She takes a
deep breath, opens her eyes, and looks in the mirror—instantly she wonders what
the hell happened. Her red hair is now infested with strands of gray. Her once
pale, smooth complexion is now marked with wrinkles. Her years of eating
carrots had eventually paid off, however now she wishes there were a vegetable
that would make them stop sagging.
Suddenly, that 15 year old
body doesn’t seem so bad after all.
“They
forgot my birthday.”
In the original movie, Sam’s
entire family forgets that it’s her birthday. Ouch. At 16 she’s disappointed
and hurt—as she should be.
At 41, Sam is hoping that
people have forgotten her birthday. She’s thinking that maybe if it goes
uncelebrated then it won’t really happen. She’d still be 40. But no, her kids
are on it. They remember for one simple fact:
Mom’s birthday means they get to eat cake.
“What’s
happenin’, hot stuff?”
16 year old Sam is forced
to take her grandparent’s exchange student, Long Duk Dong, with her to the
school dance. She is not pleased by this and quickly attempts to ditch
him.
For her 41st birthday, Sam would like to get a new car. She wants a sporty new BMW, but doesn't want the price tag that goes with it. Long Duk Dong owns the BMW dealership in town, and he's still not over the way she treated him. She's hoping that her lunch date later in the day with his wife, Lumberjack, will smooth things over.
“Am
I turning you on?”
The Geek, or Farmer Ted,
has a major crush on 16 year old Sam. Although Sam is not interested in the
younger geek, she tolerates him—and
even lets him borrow her panties for a bet!
At 41, Sam no longer
tolerates The Geek’s behavior. He still tries to get that pair of panties back,
and he manages to maintain a one-car-distance behind her everywhere she goes.
And, even though she changes her phone number every year, The Geek still finds
a way to call her to sing, “You say it’s your birthday! Da-na-na-na-na! It’s my
birthday too!”
Sam finally recognizes his behavior for what it
really is: Stalking. Instead of handing over her panties, she slaps him with a
restraining order.
“Make
a wish.”
16 year old Sam has a huge
crush on Jake Ryan, but he doesn’t know she exists—until he picks up the survey
that Sam drops in class. Sam’s answers to the survey questions are enough to
make him take notice, and he sets of on a quest to learn more about her. Then
he shows up at her house, and her sister’s wedding...
[Swoon.]
At 41, Sam is happily
married to Jake Ryan. He is still just as romantic as he was at 16, and every
year they sit on the kitchen table with a cake full of candles between them. However,
as each year passes and the number of those candles increases, it’s harder and
harder for them to kiss over the cake without catching their clothes on fire.
Any other birthday
favorites out there? If so, how would you envision the sequel?
~Carrie
13 comments:
I never actually saw this movie...but happy birthday!!! 41 is not too shabby whatsoever =)
Happy Birthday, chiquita! 41 is the new 31.
Thanks Anne Marie! And regardless of how things turned out for Sam, I agree that 41 is not too shabby!
Oh, I like that! Thanks, Kimberly!
Happy Birthday! I'd actually like to think that Sam would look in the mirror and thank God she's not 16 anymore with all of that angst! 41 is much better. :)
Thanks, Brenda! Well, she does have the perfect husband which means she can't have a perfect mindset too, right? I mean, no one is that pulled together :-)
ok I have to see this movie! I loved Pretty in Pink. Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Carrie! <3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I love this post! I shall make it my project today while sewing to watch this movie! Is it on Netflix?
Pretty in Pink is also a favorite! If you loved that, you will certainly love Sixteen Candles too.
It is on Netflix, but unfortunately not on streaming. I only use Netflix, so not sure if it streams on other services.
Truth!
Isn't 16 Candles like the original chick flick? I'm not so big on chick flicks, but I am big on birthdays. Hope you had a happy one, Carrie!
Thanks Jonathan! I'm not sure if it's officially THE original chick flick, but in my mind - yes, yes it is. If you ever get the itch to watch a chick flick, it should be Sixteen Candles :-)
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