Saturday, November 5th, 1983
The morning after the successful Hollywood premiere, the first wave of critical reviews and audience reactions for 'Sixteen Candles' began to solidify, confirming the positive buzz felt inside the Pantages Theatre.
Critics largely embraced the John Hughes film, appreciating its blend of humor, heart, and honest portrayal of teenage awkwardness. A strong 85 percent of published reviews were positive. While celebrating the ensemble, reviewers made special note of the lead performances and the impact of their star supporting player:
Roger Ebert praised the film's warmth and Hughes's understanding of the teenage psyche, calling Molly Ringwald "a revelation" as Samantha. He noted that while Alex Hayes had a supporting role, his "inherent charisma and understated performance as Jake Ryan provided the film's romantic anchor," making him utterly believable as "the ultimate thoughtful high school crush."
Gene Siskel echoed the praise, finding Anthony Michael Hall "hilarious" and Molly Ringwald "perfectly cast." He added that Alex Hayes demonstrated "true star power," elevating his scenes and proving he could make a significant impact even without being the central focus.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times, appreciating the film more than some of Hughes's broader comedies, highlighted the "charming ensemble" and Ringwald's relatable performance. She observed that Alex Hayes brought a "necessary weight and charm" to Jake Ryan, making the central romantic yearning of the film effective and showcasing his ability to shine even in a less dominant role.
Many reviews shared a similar sentiment: Ringwald was the heart of the film, Hall provided brilliant comedic relief, but Alex Hayes effortlessly embodied the idealized crush object, bringing a depth and sincerity that elevated the entire production.
Audience reactions mirrored the critical warmth. Exit polls reported an 88 percent positive score, and the film earned a coveted 'A' CinemaScore, indicating high satisfaction among those who saw it opening night. Viewers clearly connected with Samantha's plight, laughed at the geeky antics and Long Duk Dong's escapades, and swooned over the eventual pairing of Sam and Jake.
With strong critical backing and enthusiastic audience scores, Universal Pictures had every reason to be optimistic as 'Sixteen Candles' began its nationwide run.
Following the glowing reviews and positive audience reaction from the premiere, 'Sixteen Candles' opened nationwide on Friday, November 4th, 1983, with high expectations from Universal Pictures.
The film debuted strongly, taking the #1 spot at the box office. It grossed $2.56 million on Friday, $3.04 million on Saturday, and $2.85 million on Sunday, for a total opening weekend of $8.45 million. While a powerful start and easily surpassing its modest $6.5 million budget in just three days, industry watchers noted it was somewhat lower than the massive opening weekends Alex Hayes's recent starring vehicles ('10 Things I Hate About You' and 'Risky Business') had achieved. However, this was contextualized by Alex having a supporting role here, with the film's success resting more broadly on the ensemble and the John Hughes appeal.
The positive buzz carried the film through its first week. The next four days (Monday-Thursday) added $3.78 million, bringing the first full week total to $12.23 million.
'Sixteen Candles' demonstrated exceptional staying power. Its second weekend saw a gross of $6.42 million, holding onto the #1 spot with an excellent drop of only about 24%. Word-of-mouth was clearly strong. The following four weekdays added $2.41 million, pushing the cumulative total after two weeks to $21.06 million.
The film remarkably held the #1 position again, grossing $4.81 million over the weekend (ending Nov 20th) with another small drop of just around 25%. Boosted slightly by the lead-up to Thanksgiving, the next four weekdays brought in $1.76 million. The cumulative total reached $27.63 million after three weeks.
Benefitting significantly from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (ending Nov 27th), 'Sixteen Candles' saw its weekend gross actually increase. It took the #1 spot for the fourth consecutive week with an impressive $5.12 million. The holiday traffic clearly boosted attendance. The following four weekdays added $2.23 million, bringing the total after four weeks to a strong $35.00 million.
The incredible run continued post-holiday. The film remained #1 for a fifth straight weekend (ending Dec 4th), grossing $3.91 million (a standard excellent hold, dropping about 23.6% from the holiday weekend). Weekday grosses added $1.78 million, pushing the cumulative total past the $40 million mark to $40.69 million after five weeks.
The streak at the top finally broke as the potent pre-Christmas holiday movie season kicked into high gear with several major new releases. Over the weekend of December 9th-11th, 'Sixteen Candles' grossed a still-respectable $3.25 million. However, facing formidable new competition, it slid to 5th place on the charts, overtaken by the debuts of Clint Eastwood's 'Sudden Impact', Al Pacino's controversial 'Scarface', John Carpenter's horror film 'Christine', and the expanding run of the critically acclaimed 'Terms of Endearment'.
By the end of Sunday, December 11th, 1983, 'Sixteen Candles' had reached a cumulative domestic gross of $43.94 million. It had proven itself a resilient and highly profitable hit for Universal, dominating the box office for over a month before the expected holiday season onslaught began.
Around this same time, Alex Hayes's other major 1983 release, 'Risky Business', finally concluded its remarkable theatrical run after more than four months in cinemas. Buoyed by critical acclaim, cultural buzz, and Alex's star power, the R-rated film had shown incredible legs. Its final domestic gross settled at a massive $105.21 million, successfully crossing the $100 million threshold and joining the elite ranks of R-rated blockbusters. The film also performed well in foreign markets, adding $53.14 million internationally.
This brought the total worldwide box office for 'Risky Business' to $158.35 million. Based on these final numbers, the edgy coming-of-age film officially became Alex Hayes's highest-grossing film to date, both domestically and internationally, eclipsing even the impressive final tally of '10 Things I Hate About You'.
With two major hits released in 1983 once again showcasing his box office draw, Alex Hayes clearly demonstrated both his astute vision in selecting and shaping projects and his undeniable star power.