No one in Illinois forgets Samantha Baker’s birthday.
To no surprise, the 1984 John Hughes classic “Sixteen Candles” tops the list as Illinois’ favorite romantic comedy, according to Comparitech. The data research and internet security company compiled data from Google Trends to identify the top romantic comedies in each state — just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Hughes, who grew up in the Chicago area and wrote and directed cinematic gems like “The Breakfast Club” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” famously set and shot many of his best films in and around the city.
Scenes for “Sixteen Candles” were shot in Evanston, Highland Park, Northbrook, Glencoe, Winnetka, Skokie and Chicago, according to the Internet Movie Database. Many of the locations featured in his movies still draw fans today.
The Molly Ringwald-led flick came out on top in Colorado as well. “Pretty in Pink,” another Hughes/Ringwald romantic comedy, reigns in West Virginia.
Several states favored movies close to home as well. “Clueless,” set in Los Angeles, leads in California, and “10 Things I Hate About You,” set in Seattle, is a fan favorite in Washington.
Other favorites include “His Girl Friday (no. 1 in Minnesota, Michigan and North Carolina), “Pretty Woman” (tops in Connecticut and Nevada, where Vivian could have legally worked), “The Princess Bride (Oregon and Idaho) and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (Ohio).
