My sister and I had a John Cusak marathon last night…. and yes, he is in Sixteen Candles, as one of Anthony Michael Hall’s geeky friends. It has to be at least ten years since I’ve watched it, but I know every line, every pause, the soundtrack cues, and how many seconds are between the last line Samantha delivers before she finally moves her arm and Jake Ryan plants a sweet one on her.

These three minutes have been etched in my mind as the end-all-be-all birthday experience…. abandoned at a family gathering, cars pulling out of the church driveway in every direction revealing beautiful boy and his beautiful car…. “Me?” she says, “Yeah, you” he says …….
and then the birthday cake on the kitchen table….. “Happy Birthday Samantha, Make a wish”….” It already came true”…….kiss, cue 80’s music….. *Melly swoon*

John Hughes, man……. No one captures those middle-class-American -this-is-what-your-life-is-supposed-to-be-like snapshots quite like him.