Throwback Thursday - Two words...Jack Ryan!

If you were a teenage girl growing up in the 1980's you likely know who Jake Ryan is...and if you don't, you need to revisit the movie Sixteen Candles staring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling who plays the famous Jake Ryan.

Jake Ryan was my first real crush, and to this day, I still have a crush on him!

Sixteen Candles was a huge hit in 1984. The story line follows Samantha Baker played by Molly Ringwald, a high school sophomore who struggles to get through the day of her 16th birthday. 

Her entire family has forgotten her birthday because her older sister, Ginny, is getting married the next day. Sam has a major infatuation with the most popular senior in school...The one and only, Jake Ryan.

To add to Sam's problems her eccentric grandparents are staying at her house for her sister's wedding. One set of grandparents brings with them a foreign exchange student "Long Duk Dong." 

Sam's grandparents force her to take "The Donger" as he calls himself, to her school's senior dance that night.  The Donger quickly finds himself a girlfriend at the dance and goes along his night with his girlfriend. 

Another subplot involves a geeky freshman, played by Anthony Michael Hall. He calls himself Farmer Ted...No idea why. Farmer Ted is a very insecure teenage who continually pretends he's popular but in all reality he's a geek and is in love with Sam. 

After the dance Jake's girlfriend, the most popular girl in school, throws a huge party at Jake's house. By the end of the night Jake's entire house is completely trashed. 

At night's end, Jake finds Farmer Ted trapped under a table and they begin to talk. Jake asks Farmer Ted about Sam. Jake allows Farmer Ted to drive home his drunk girlfriend Caroline home in his father's Rolls Royce. Farmer Ted...doesn't have a license. lol.

The next morning Jake finds his girlfriend and Farmer Ted in the church parking lot where Sam's sister is getting married and breaks up with his girlfriend.

Jake waits for Sam to exit the church after her sister's wedding to help celebrate her 16th birthday. 

The movie ends with an iconic scene of Jake and Same sitting on a table with a birthday cake between them. Jake says "Make a wish Samantha", and Sam replies "It already came true"...then they kiss!!

THE END!!! and I LOVE it!

Some interesting facts about Jake Ryan or his real name Michael Schoeffling:

• He was a member of the U.S. Junior Wrestling Team. His team won a gold medal at the 1978 European Championships in West Germany.
• At the time of shooting Sixteen Candles he was 23 and Molly Ringwald was only 15 years old.
• Viggo Mortensen was almost cast as Jake.
• He was so shy during his audition that he almost lost the role. But the film’s producer found him so “stunning and dreamy” that they cast him anyway.
• He had a serious girlfriend at the time of shooting Sixteen Candles. They eventually married and now have 2 children together.
• He retired from acting in 1991 and is now the owner of a handcrafted furniture woodworking shop

Jake Ryan was my very first crush...and to this day whenever I watch Sixteen Candles, I still get butterflies in my stomach!!