Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I remember watching this movie, and while I loved the first 2 acts, both full of endless laughter, I couldn't help but think that Ferris Bueller was something of a narcissist. He does many seemingly selfish things; lying to his parents, humiliating his principal, and putting his 'best friend' in danger, all so he can have 7 carefree hours off of school. It is not until the 3rd act that he becomes a 3-dimensional character, and we begin to understand him and realize he is not the sociopath we might have assumed he is. While it seems he does all the things he does for his own pleasure, it becomes clear in the last 20 minutes he was really doing it for his friend. At the beginning of the movie, Cameron is timid, constantly worried, and unsure of himself. We learn his parents argue, and his dad neglects him, and would rather work on his Ferrari instead of spending time with his son. Throughout the movie, Ferris tries to boost his friend's self-esteem, and by the end, he has succeeded. His friend is a completely different person, and most of the major characters are, notably his sister. However, Ferris doesn't seem to change at all. He helps his friends become better people, but in doing so, he isn't changing at all.

Like Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off seems to hold a pretty firm and entrenched place in whatever 1980s teen cannon that people hold in such high regard. Back to the Future was, perhaps famously, rejected by many-a studios on the basis of 'not being raunchy enough'; something other films of its ilk were at the time. I can imagine something similar happening to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but like Back to the Future, it is the decidedly 'un-raunchy' films of the era that we now revisit the most often and just seem to hold in higher regard.

I think what keeps this film resonating with past and current audiences alike is its clear distinction in paying close attention to young people, and their ever-ongoing battle for independence, for recognition and for individuality. The lead is Ferris Bueller (Broderick); a young and very confident, almost borderline sociopathic in his behaviour, male in then-contemporary America. Ferris is the sort of guy who can con his way into an expensive restaurant; hack his way into the school computer mainframe and shows total disregard to his friend's and certain respective situations when trying to haggle the use of a rare and classic car for the day. The film takes special care in introducing him as an individual whom lives in a large, detached house in a rich neighbourhood that comes complete with a white picket fence. He is literate in all the latest gadgets and pieces of technology, be it home computers used to hack or stereo systems to further the notion he is unwell.

In direct opposition to Ferris is the principal of Ferris' school, named Ed Rooney (Jones). Rooney isn't just out to capture Bueller as he plays truant, he is out to destroy Bueller's life; this, Rooney outlines as his goal very early on in the piece. This seems to be the essence of what keeps audiences old and new consistently discovering the film; that study of 'old vs. young' as these cocky, smart and quite attractive bunch of confident oddball kids dare stand up to those of a high authority; those that are grey, suit-clad authoritarian figures such as Rooney.

But I think Bueller is smarter-still than what he lets on. He talks very early on about how important it is to go to college and learn a trade and live the American Dream, but he does so in a very nonchalant manner, almost as if he is repeating what it is he's told to say, or think, or feel. What follows is a chain of events and total disregard to most things that suggest he isn't of this ideation at all. But the journey does have an ideation; an ideation Bueller himself cooks up to do with being able to notice life and enjoy life as best you can, otherwise it might seem like it's passing you by.

But the film isn't preoccupied with just these studies. Its attention to young vs. old or independence vs. routine is similarly played about with through one of Bueller's two friends named Cameron Frye (Ruck), who is given a slight subplot to do with being able to stand up to his father. Ferris and Cameron's third friend is Sloane Peterson (Sara), Ferris' girlfriend. The three complete an unusual triangle of pals; they are one another's' friend as well as foil, forever getting into adventures and situations but hitting the odd wall when it comes to the finer things during the day out. Cameron is forever concerned with the car; Cameron and Sloane are forever worried they might get caught (particularly when Ferris partakes in a large musical number in the street) and Ferris seems forever pre-occupied that the three of them will not get the best out of their day off; a day off Ferris sees as a gift, as something they worked hard towards earning with their scheming, and thus; must embrace it as fully as possible.

The film is a love story, a comedy that relies on slapstick, situation and screwball alike; the film is an odd beast of basic convention, surrealist humour and truancy glorification. But does it ever focus too much on one thing? Does it particularly care what you might think of it? I don't think it does, it just throws mostly everything at the screen, stirs it all up and allows it all to play out. It feels like two, or possibly three, different films at once – but that's fine because there is enough different sorts of content all brewing at once, and focused on at a balanced rate, that we go with it. One might say the film's attitude echoes that of its lead; it's doing things its own way, in its own style and doesn't particularly mind how you react. It's the kind of film that can go from a slow motion shot of two guys driving a sort-of stolen car that was sort-of stolen in the first place to the Star Wars theme; to a series of scenes that rely on a school teacher falling over a few times as a source of humour. The best thing about it all, is that it's all actually rather effective.

First of all let me say that this movie is genuinely, ingeniously funny, the watch-it-twelve-times-and-it-never-gets-old kind of movie. I myself have seen it seven and a half times and will probably view it again before the end of summer. The movie stars then 23-year-old Matthew Broderick as 17-year-old Ferris Bueller, a high school student who would like nothing better than to be done with school. So he gives in to a strong temptation to cut class and go to downtown Chicago with friends Cameron and girlfriend Sloane (who he gets out of school extremely cleverly, and quite hilariously i might add!). It doesn't take long for principal Edward Rooney to catch on to Ferris's skipping, so he tries as hard as he can to catch him, but is going on about it quite unsuccessfully. All through the movie we learn of Cameron's struggles with his parents and life itself, and through all the hilarity of the movie Cameron finds a part of himself that he hadn't been able to find before. The movie consists of several several fun scenes, such as the German American Appreciation Day Parade, in which Ferris climbs onto the Great Float and the parade-goers dance to "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton and "TWIST AND SHOUT" of course, by the Beatles. Other very important characters are Jeanie Bueller, his revenge-seeking sister who can't seem to understand why Ferris gets away with everything, and Grace, the absent-minded and honest-to-a-fault secretary. There are so many left out parts and characters but to see them all you'll have to watch the movie (you won't regret it!). "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -ferris bueller I give this movie 2 thumbs up, if only i had more hands i could give it a higher rating....

Ferris Bueller was either loved or hated by his peers for always getting away with anything he'd do. Some would want him expelled, others want him for Class President. On this extremely eventful day, the audience is invited to follow Ferris, his best pal and his girlfriend from morning to afternoon (when they all should have been in school), enjoying a holiday declared by the resourceful Ferris Bueller.

They get to speed on the freeway in a Ferrari, sing "Danke Schoen" on an Octoberfest Float, eat at the most exclusive restaurant in town and always keep just one step ahead of a furious principal in hot pursuit. With fake computer grade and attendance records, Ferris has it made.

The scene where the principal hitches a ride on a school bus after having been "torn up" by Doberman watch dogs is worth the ticket price (Oh Yeah!). This is one of the funniest "high school prankster movies" ever! Has it been 20 years already? This is a definite Cult Classic! Right up there with Animal House and Caddy Shack.

Presenting "the 1980's", the golden era of teen flicks. This is another outstanding classic.

What makes the whole idea absolutely hilarious is that this isn't at all something teenagers would do when taking a breather from school. Fine dining, art exhibits and parades, really? Or how would I know, perhaps the jazz was different back in the 80's.

The humour here is very subtle but effective all the same. It's hidden in the facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice. I particularly enjoyed the famous 'staring at a canvas' scene which I found both highly entertaining and profound at the same time.

Modern-day film and television industry could take a lot from this one. It shouldn't be all about the bawdy comebacks and toilet jokes. Humour is most effective when it's undetected.

But on a more serious note, there are actually important themes that are discussed here whether it's defying your parents, discovering your abilities or keeping your friends close but enemies even closer.

With both its lighter and more serious facets I know a comedy when I see one. And this is pure comedy gold.