Jessie Taylor
Sixteen Candles is an American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. It was released in 1984 and stars Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. The film is set in the fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago, but was filmed in the real-life Chicago suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, and Highland Park. The story follows 16-year-old Samantha Baker, who deals with a crush on high school senior Jake Ryan while also being pursued by freshman Ted “The Geek” Farmer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Setting | The fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago |
| Filming locations | Evanston, Skokie, Highland Park, Illinois, USA |
| School | Niles East High School, 7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois |
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What You'll Learn
The fictional town of Shermer, Illinois
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles is set in the fictional town of Shermer, Illinois. Shermer is a fictional suburb of Chicago, Illinois, imagined by writer-director John Hughes. The film follows Samantha "Sam" Baker, a high school sophomore who is disappointed that turning 16 didn't change her appearance overnight and is shocked when her family forgets her birthday due to her older sister Ginny's upcoming wedding.
By setting the film in the fictional town of Shermer, Hughes was able to create a realistic and relatable portrayal of suburban Chicago life in the 1980s. The fictional setting allowed him to incorporate elements of various Chicago suburbs and capture the essence of teenage life in the area during that time. The film's themes of adolescence, high school dynamics, and family relationships resonated with audiences, and the setting played a crucial role in shaping the tone and atmosphere of the story.
The choice to use a fictional town also provided Hughes with creative freedom to shape the narrative and characters without the constraints of a specific real-life location. He could selectively incorporate aspects of different Chicago suburbs to serve the story and create a world that felt both familiar and imaginative. The fictional setting of Shermer became synonymous with Hughes' films, as he returned to it in other works such as The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Pretty in Pink.
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Evanston, Illinois
The 1984 coming-of-age comedy "Sixteen Candles" was filmed in Evanston, Illinois, as well as other Chicago suburbs like Skokie and Highland Park. The film centres on Samantha "Sam" Baker, played by Molly Ringwald, who is disappointed that turning 16 did not change her appearance and is upset that her family has forgotten her birthday.
The Baker House, the family home of the main character, is located at 3022 Payne Street in Evanston, Illinois. The five-bedroom, 5,000-square-foot brick Georgian-style house was sold in June 2022 for $1.62 million. The film's director, John Hughes, shot numerous scenes from the film both inside and outside the home. The house has had several owners since the film was made, and renovations have been carried out to maintain its character.
The unnamed high school that features in the film is Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school ceased operating in 1980 and has since been torn down and replaced by Oaktown Community College. Both exterior and interior school shots were filmed at Niles East, including the auto shop scene. However, some scenes were also filmed at Niles North High School, another school in Skokie, such as the famous dance scene in the gym.
In addition to the Baker House, other locations in Evanston featured in the film include the lakeshore and Northwestern University's campus. Evanston has also been featured in other films like "Home Alone 3", "Nothing in Common", "Mean Girls", "Cheaper by the Dozen", and "Rookie of the Year".
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Skokie, Illinois
The 1984 coming-of-age comedy Sixteen Candles was set in the fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago. However, the movie was shot in several real-life locations in the Chicago suburbs, including Skokie, Illinois.
The unnamed high school in Sixteen Candles is Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school closed down in 1980, but director John Hughes used it as a filming location for several of his films, including Weird Science and Pretty in Pink.
By filming in these real-life Chicago suburbs, Hughes was able to bring his fictional suburb of Shermer to life, capturing the essence of teenage life in the 1980s. The film's success helped launch the careers of its young stars, including Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall.
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Highland Park, Illinois
The 1984 American coming-of-age comedy Sixteen Candles was set in the fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago. However, the movie was shot in several real-life Chicago suburbs, including Highland Park, Illinois.
The filming location of Jake's house in Highland Park is a private residence, and it is notable that the house and grounds still look much the same as they did when the movie was released 28 years ago.
Highland Park was also the filming location for other scenes in Sixteen Candles. For example, the scenes where Anthony Michael Hall (who plays the geek) is driving a Rolls-Royce with Jake's girlfriend near the end of the film were shot on Oakton Street, in front of Skokie's Village Hall, and further east near Kilbourn.
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Niles East High School
The 1984 film Sixteen Candles was set in the fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago. However, the movie was shot mainly in the real-life Chicago suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, and Highland Park, Illinois.
The unnamed high school that features in the film is Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue in Skokie, Illinois. The school was a public 4-year school that operated from 1938 until 1980 when it ceased operations. It was known as Niles Township High School until 1959 when Niles West High School opened. The school has since been torn down and replaced by Oakton Community College.
The film crew also built some of the interiors of houses inside one of the school's gyms. Exterior school scenes were shot at the former Niles East High School, now Oakton Community College, and at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.
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Frequently asked questions
The film Sixteen Candles is set in the fictional Illinois town of Shermer, a suburb of Chicago.
The film was shot in the Chicago suburbs of Evanston, Skokie, and Highland Park, Illinois.
The unnamed high school in Sixteen Candles was Niles East High School, located at 7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, Illinois.
Sixteen Candles was written and directed by John Hughes.
