Molly Ringwald Reflects on Being John Hughes’ Teenage Muse

As a lifestyle expert reflecting on my artistic journey, I’ve recently found myself revisiting the creative collaborations I shared with the late, brilliant John Hughes. These partnerships gave birth to timeless ’80s classics such as Sixteen Candles (1983), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986).

On their shared birthday in February 18th, a 57-year-old member of the Brat Pack and a 33-year-old married filmmaker with two children, wrote the script for Sixteen Candles. The face of the 15-year-old, whose headshot adorned his desk, served as inspiration for him during the writing process.

During the latest episode of Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, Molly admitted that she found it both intriguing and flattering to be John’s muse. She reflected on this experience later, acknowledging that there was something somewhat unusual about it as well.

The situation is intricate, there’s no doubt about it. I find myself pondering it frequently, trying to understand its impact on me. It seems as though I’m continuously deciphering it, and I believe I always will be, right up until the end of my days.

Ringwald boasted a considerable amount of film industry expertise compared to John, having earned a Golden Globe Award nomination following her work in three movies and two prominent television shows – Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life.

‘Sixteen Candles was his directorial debut,’ the Feud: Capote vs. The Swans actress noted.

Although I had accumulated more practical knowledge than my age suggested (being just 15), my life experiences were still limited. At the time, it didn’t strike me as unusual to serve as his muse. However, looking back now, it certainly seems strange.

The coming-of-age teen comedy went on to earn $23.6M at the box office from a modest $6.5M budget.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but notice certain aspects of Sixteen Candles that seem problematic when viewed through a contemporary perspective. The character of Long Duk Dong, portrayed by Gedde Watanabe, stands out as particularly concerning with his racially stereotypical depiction.

Hughes portrays many teenage boys as clumsy, sexually inappropriate characters, and the movie reaches its peak when the attractive Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) suggests that Farmer Ted (Anthony Michael Hall) take advantage of his intoxicated girlfriend Caroline (Haviland Morris), implying she wouldn’t realize what was happening.

Seven months following the death of the National Lampoon alum, aged 59, due to a heart attack, Ringwald participated alongside Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Jon Cryer, Matthew Broderick, and Macaulay Culkin at the 2010 Academy Awards. Their purpose was to pay tribute to his career with a touching tribute.

In a piece for The New Yorker published in 2018, the red-headed mother of two expressed that John held more faith in me as an actress and my talents than anyone else I’ve encountered, and he was the one who first suggested I should write and direct at some point.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, I can attest that he was an exceptional holder of grudges, mirroring Bender’s character from The Breakfast Club when it came to dealing with perceived rejection. Yet, my focus isn’t on the man himself but rather the films he’s left in his wake. Films that I feel a profound sense of pride and admiration for, in countless ways.

In addition to that, John was the director behind films like Weird Science, Ferris Bueller’s Day Out, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Curly Sue, She’s Having a Baby, and Uncle Buck.

John Hughes is responsible for both writing and directing movies such as National Lampoon’s Vacation series (including the original, European Vacation, and Christmas Vacation), The Great Outdoors, Home Alone, Dutch, and Beethoven.

Molly is set to appear in two upcoming movies, Jeffrey Obrow’s suspenseful film titled “Pursued” and Sean Nalaboff’s enigma named “Montauk.