Ferris Bueller's Day Off Review

        Since I’m talking about high school/teen films of the past, John Hughes needs no introduction. I’ve already talked about his premier film The Breakfast Club and I’ll restate this that he owned the 80s with his characterization of the teenage mind. It says a lot that no studio in their right mind would ever try to remake one of his movies, since it has that nuance of teenage angst that not many writers or directors seem to quite capture nowadays. So, it’s tough to even try to rank his films particularly the ones that I’ve watched. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is easily one of his best films besides The Breakfast Club. 

1. Tour in Chicago

        The whole film is like a time capsule of the eighties. Of all the films that John Hughes wrote and directed, this one is the most 80s of them all. Right down to Ferris’ computer and the obligatory reference to MTV during its time when it aired music videos instead of the perpetual rerun of Rob Dyrdek’s Ridiculousness. We see right from the start that Ferris is faking being sick and his parents believe him. Except his sister Jeannie who’s jealous of him. 

        So yeah, the film’s title practically spells out what the whole movie is about. Ferris Bueller takes a day off and invites his best friend and girlfriend to explore Chicago. It wouldn’t be a John Hughes movie without a mention or nod to the windy city. In every aspect, beyond that this is a teen film. The whole movie is as Hughes puts it “a love letter to the city”. And can you blame him, since we have that great exterior helicopter shot of buildings in the city that set up how cool it is.

        This is Matthew Broderick’s best film bar none. While he did have some good roles like in Glory and The Lion King for instance, this is the film that immediately everyone thinks of whenever his name is brought up. In one way, the character is the public’s ideal guy and the right one who manages to evade and to stand up against authority. Just him breaking the fourth wall is something else since we see him give the younger audience a list on how to fake an illness. I haven’t watched a lot of 80s movies to know this, but it’s groundbreaking for a character where you have a protagonist that is so rebellious to the point of wanting to influence kids to be like him.

        Since we have this character be the audience’s hero, Mr. Rooney the principal is the perpetual bad guy. It’s such a shame with what happened to the actor since he had a massive fall from grace in the 2000s. In this film, he sells just being a shady principal who’s out to get Ferris. Like, his whole character beyond just running the school is to catch Bueller and to make an example of him throughout the student body. It’s silly for one thing and most of the scenes involving him is comedic like a cartoon. 

        The moment when Rooney goes to the Bueller’s household is something like a Tom and Jerry cartoon. Right down to him being confronted with the family’s pet Rottweiler. At some point you really must admire his objective to find Bueller, going through questionable means to get him. Might as well bring up the adults in the film but all of them including the Bueller’s just don’t realize Ferris’ influence in the area. All of them heard about his sickness but his parents are completely oblivious to the fact that the others are aware of it. 

        With everything happening in downtown Chicago, Ferris takes his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane around the town to have a good time. Of course, we have the antics of Ferris and Cameron attempting to dine in a fancy restaurant and attempting to avoid his father from spotting them. Right down to hijacking a parade, it’s one of my favorite scenes. It’s all great in the bigger context of the movie. Even though the film has Ferris Bueller in the title and his face in the poster, the whole movie is really about his best friend Cameron. 

        Lastly, I almost forgot about Ferris’ sister Jeannie. She’s there, well she is the typical jealous sibling that can’t stand the idea of Ferris getting everyone’s attention. I love the moment where she admires Ferris but immediately gets jealous of how he gets away with anything. The best scene involving her is when she’s in the police department and talking it up with Charlie Sheen. Basically, getting the message to worry about herself and not her brother. 

2. Cameron

        I was shocked to find out that Alan Ruck was 29 years old in the film. Hard to believe since he looked young, and he has a great chemistry with Broderick. You really believe that both are best friends, right down to prank calling Mr. Rooney to have Bueller’s girlfriend be excused from school. One would question why a film called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off would have as a focus his best friend be along with the ride. Like, he steals the show and provides that dramatic edge when Ferris tries to get him to hang out with him.

        And I love how it contrasts with both feeling “sick” in the opening minutes. Ferris, being jubilant with his brief freedom, juxtaposes with Cameron who’s a hypochondriac living in a sort of sterile room. One could interpret that Cameron is like a punching bag since he lets Ferris take his Dad’s Ferrari and basically friend-nap him to hang out in the city. To me, it’s Bueller’s obligation to help him get an idea of what the basic idea of freedom looks like. We see how he sorts of acts like his friend throughout the whole adventure as he starts to ease off a bit. 

        I think the best scene in the whole movie is when the trio visit the art museum. Just the way it’s shot, and the music playing is borderline profound and emotional. That’s the power of movies right there. Anyways, what I love about this scene is that it looks very minimal with the paintings and how the trio practically tag along in a school field trip. We see that they are looking at the paintings and mirror a sculpture. In one way, you can interpret the scene as the kids embracing their childhood and the trio are about to transition with their adulthood. 

        The following shots really sell the difference among the characters. Cameron looks at this one painting called “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte”. We see that Cameron looks intently at it, while Ferris and Sloane kiss in a blue lit room. Cameron looks deeper to the point where we see the painting over the canvas fibers. All of it symbolizes to us that Cam feels that he’s nothing. Being ignored by his Dad and just not having the courage to stand up for himself, all the while Ferris is attempting to break him out of that mindset. 

        It's kind of surprising that Ruck’s performance wasn’t nominated during the awards at that time. I’d say that he’s the best character aside from Ferris, since he’s neurotic and he wishes to be just like Ferris. It’s rare to have a side character be as profound as the main subject. He’s the result of what Ferris wanted out of him, to me it’s an act that shows just how much of a friend Bueller is to him. More so when seeing the Ferrari speed off in reverse and crash is the perfect way to cap off his whole character arc. 

3. Legacy

        Duh it made money and is universally beloved by everyone. It was a big hit when it came out in 1986. I think what speaks to the film’s relevance 30 odd years later is the fact that it’s quotable beyond belief. And the overall message is still relevant even as the times has changed. Every now and then the film is referenced in some commercial or another. One made me believe that there would be another one. Only to realize that it was designed specifically for the Super Bowl, my mind has failed me on multiple occasions. 

        There have been attempts to continue the story of Ferris, but only in a mocking way whereas Alan Ruck said that he wants his character to die in the film. Perplexing as I’m typing this down, there’s a film in development about the two parking attendants that took the Ferrari for a joy ride. A movie of what they did during the events of the central film, it’s sounds like a bad idea, but Rogue One comes close to making one tidbit in a massive story interesting. 

4. Overall

        Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the many hits of the 80s. A classic that is relevant for anyone who wants to live a little.