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Ferris Bueller's Day Off

7/26/2015

51 Comments

 

B
3.14

  • Even if we don’t like [Ferris] necessarily, we certainly wish we were him in high school - Phil
  • Where some might see a rebellious truth-teller, I'm left with a hedonistic narcissist - Jon
  • It's a fun movie that mostly holds up and definitely provides a good bit of nostalgia in a rewatch - Bobby 
Picture
Initial Review by Drew

“Bueller….Bueller….Bueller….Bueller….”

To this day, it is one of the most memorable lines of the 1980s.  Why is that?  It must be because the film, and its maker, is iconic. It, along with other films, defined a generation and that is its legacy.  Many skeptics wonder why it has the echelon and it is my self – deemed task to explain its important place in American culture.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off concerned a high school senior who desires to cause trouble and get away with it.  Here was the thing.  He did! His philosophy was “life goes by so fast that if you don't stop and look around, you might miss it."  That line appeared twice in the film – at the beginning and end.  Wise words for an eighteen year old.

With his mantra, Ferris Bueller gathered his best friend Cameron Frye and girlfriend Sloane Peterson and they skipped school in the fictitious suburb of Sherman, Illinois, for a fun day in Chicago.  That was the general thought but specific scenes highlight Bueller’s thinking.  Take the lunch scene for example.  Obviously they have no business being there, but he outsmarted the maître d into thinking he is Abe Froman – “Sausage King of Chicago” – and took his reservation.

Another instance was when Bueller attempted to make Frye feel better about their day and hijacked a German – American parade and sang the Wayne Newton rendition of “Danke Schoen” and then topped it off with The Beatles’ rendition of “Twist and Shout.”  That was the pinnacle of the film’s fun as it appeared nearly all of Dearborn Street and its surroundings took part in the celebration. A good song choice to get rowdy.

During all of this, Dean of Students Edward Rooney attempted to catch Bueller in truancy and withhold his graduation for excessive absences.  His attempt to achieve that was a hilarious failure.  He was spit on, lost a shoe, chased by a Rottweiler, kicked in the face by Jeanie Bueller – Ferris’ sister – , got his car towed, and given a humiliating bus ride back to school.  We can tell these events were a preview for Home Alone.  Classic stuff.

Matthew Broderick was great at playing Bueller, as it is his best role.  Alan Ruck played the great neurotic character that was Cameron Frye but like Broderick, he did nothing substantial afterwards.   Furthermore, I cannot name one movie Mia Sara – Sloane Peterson – was in post Bueller.  Jennifer Grey, who was Jeanie, did another iconic film but had a much larger role in that than this.  Jeffrey Jones – Rooney – went on to star in Beatlejuice but this was his best spot.  He was fantastic as Rooney.  Whenever I think of a dimwitted school official, Rooney comes to mind.  Finally on this list, is Charlie Sheen.  His role as the druggie in the police station is his best acting.  He stayed up for two or three days straight to get that look and he absolutely nailed it.

The film was peppered with quotable lines.  Obviously, the “Bueller” line but there were more.
  • “Drugs?”  “Thank you, no.  I’m straight.”  “I meant, are you here for drugs?”  “Why are you here?”  “Drugs.”
  • “So THAT’S how it is in their family…”
  • “What’s the score?” “Nothin’ nothin’” “Who’s winning?”  “The Bears.”
  • “Oh, he's very popular, Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads, they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.”

There is a debate that often transpires as to who is the main character.  I am not entirely interested in that as I am about answering why this film and its director are iconic.

John Hughes was known as the director who defined Generation X through his adolescent films throughout the 1980s.  When discussing films in the 1980s, or films in general, one cannot forget about him.  Whether viewers liked Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is irrelevant because of how the characters were defined throughout the pieces.  It all came down to relativity.  I am an older Millennial but would much rather be considered a young Gen X – er because of the idiotic stigma that exists in being a Millennial.  Younger Millennials have a clue as to why Hughes’ films are important because they cannot relate to those stories; whereas the older generation appreciates them because it described their attitude toward authority.  Sure, parents and other authoritative members may never understand the youth, but Hughes’ teen films exemplified that notion to an art and science.

Having stated that, Bueller brought out the fun in getting away with something.  The plot in and of itself displayed it but in a more subtle manner, examine how Jeanie left the police station.  She told the Sheen character that most guys called her Shauna.  When did they do that?  I never heard a single character call her “Shauna.” She tried to be cool in front of the guy and it was hardly noticeable, which was ingenious.

There are, however, some hokey moments so it is understood why some may not think this is great but its iconic status is unequivocal.

Grade: A


51 Comments
Phil
7/24/2015 03:38:50 am

“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is a special movie to our generation. Like Drew implied, it’s a cultural touchstone. Even now, the go to line for people when things get silent and awkward is “Bueller? Bueller?” The vast majority of us caught it at the right time in our lives, namely high school. I had a high school Spanish teacher who loved Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In the three years I took Spanish with him as my teacher, we probably watched the movie in class at least 15 times. There were days where we would come in, expecting a quiz or something, and Mr. P would just say that we all got 100’s and we were gonna watch Ferris again, but we could do whatever we wanted while it was on in the background. What a weird class. No wonder I know barely any Spanish to this day. Nostaglia aside, Ferris Bueller is best remembered for its moments and its cast of characters moreso than the plot. That’s what we expect from a John Hughes movie – high concept, memorable characters, and quotable lines. Ferris delivers on this in spades.

This is a high concept movie, which is a term that I don’t know if we use it around here much. That just means the movie’s plot can be explained in a sentence or two. A high school senior fakes sick so he can go on the town with his girlfriend and best friend, and the principal tries to prove he’s faking. It’s simple and it’s relatable. I’ve always enjoyed the opening scenes juxtaposing Ferris having a good time at home with the students learning about whatever. Those looks on their faces while teachers drone on about facts you’ll only need if you apply to be on Jeopardy… just perfect. John Hughes was always great at capturing the essence of high school life we all know far too well, whether it be listening to a boring teacher drone on about tariff acts or the snowball effect of a rumor gone out of control. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is more concerned with the macroenvironment of high school as opposed to the interpersonal relationships that mark other Hughes movies like Sixteen Candles or The Breakfast Club. That’s not to say Ferris Bueller’s Day Off isn’t without its memorable characters. In fact, the characters are the strength of this movie.

Starting with our titular hero, Ferris, played a little too woodenly by Matthew Broderick, is presented as the archetype of the BMOC. Everyone likes him, he’s extremely self-assured, and he’s got the hot girlfriend. He’s the personification of “carpe diem,” advising the audience early on that “life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you might miss it.” This mantra permeates throughout the movie, and it’s no wonder it is still being used as high school senior yearbook quotes almost 30 years after it was first said. Hughes paints Ferris as a character that radiates positivity, and he gets it back in return. When Ferris catches the foul ball at the Cubs game, our only reaction is “of course HE would catch a foul ball.” He’s a magnet of good fortune. This attitude also gives Ferris a sense of fearlessness, not allowing anything to stand in the way of a good time. You’re not supposed to jump on a parade float… Unless you’re Ferris Bueller. (Although, admittedly, even by 80’s standards, the parade scene is extremely silly.) And of course he’s got the hot girlfriend in Sloan, who Mia Sara plays and gives a fun performance. Sloan is, for the most part, a nothing character – an extension of Ferris, and just another “thing” he has that solidifies his status.

It’s imperative that the audience likes Ferris in order to establish the stakes of the consequences getting caught cutting school again, and Hughes spends the bulk of first act making Ferris a guy we want to be friends with. And even if we don’t like him necessarily, we certainly wish we were him in high school. Ferris has something that 99% of high school kids do not have – self-confidence. Ultimately, that’s why he is enviable. Have you never said to yourself that you wish you could have gone through high school knowing what you know now? That all the petty garbage and awkwardness was really just conjured up by you and your peers? Ferris is that very ideal.

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Jon
7/25/2015 07:52:28 am

That quote in a yearbook would mark the person who used it as a person who never had an original thought in their life. There's a reason Carpe Diem is in Latin. People have been saying the exact same thing for millenia.

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Drew
7/25/2015 08:26:26 am

There are two sides to that. If someone cannot think of anything else to say and is like "uuuuhhh Carpe Diem," then yeah, that is incredibly unoriginal. On the other hand, when someone seizes every moment of the day and desires to inspire others to do that, "carpe diem" is correctly used.

The question concerning this is if a high school student understand any of that and usually, the answer is no. In FBDO, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

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Jon
7/25/2015 08:53:56 am

I don't care if the person that thinks they're being profound by quoting Ferris Bueller skips through the street handing out flowers to homeless people. It's not a unique thought or sentiment, and FBDO pretends it is.

Drew
7/25/2015 08:59:29 am

I said nothing about quoting Ferris Bueller.

Jon
7/25/2015 09:06:00 am

I derided the idea of a high schooler quoting Ferris Bueller.
You said that they maybe could sell it if they lived their life in a carpe diem kind of way.
I said even if they did, that person should attempt to have an original thought and not pretend a fluffy movie is anything more than what it is.

Drew
7/25/2015 09:07:46 am

Furthermore, FBDO does not pretend Carpe Diem is an original thought and doing so would be pretentious. The very least thing FBDO is is pretentious.

It, however, emphasizes how people should do that. Look at all the things that can happen in a day. There is a lot to do in Chicago and he highlights it.

Drew
7/25/2015 09:11:46 am

A fluffy movie? Please. Blue is the Warmest Color is the prime example of a fluffy movie where viewers "pretend...it is anything more than what it is." Whereas FBDO, is an iconic and fun film.

Jon
7/25/2015 09:16:13 am

Ferris's grand motto is so central to the film's philosophy that they have him say it directly to the camera, twice. The bearer of this philosophy also causes the only good things in the movie to happen, from Cameron on down to the parking attendants. It is absolutely pretending that Ferris's motto is something profound.

Jon
7/25/2015 09:18:50 am

A fluffy movie would be defined as aiming low and succeeding, a movie that doesn't have a lot on its mind, a movie that is simply as you described it; fun. Doesn't mean it's bad, just small.

Drew
7/25/2015 09:34:39 am

With that very definition, every movie we will see is fluff.

Also, carpe diem is profound. It is not original, which FBDO never pretended but illustrated what one can do in one day. That slogan is absolutely profound but you never argued that. You stated that it is "not a unique thought or sentiment, and FBDO pretends it is." I agree that is nothing new but we part ways when your notion that FBDO pretends it is.

Shane
8/10/2015 04:38:22 am

I believe Sloan has more depth than Ferris. She's the one who connects with Cameron. She's normal, like us. Ferris is an unreliable narrator and we see her through his eyes most of the time. But Hughes gives us a glimpse of Sloan when Ferris isn't looking.

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Phil
7/24/2015 03:39:23 am

And then we have Cameron, Ferris’ best friend. Cameron is the polar opposite to Ferris in every way imaginable. He has no confidence, he worries about how today will affect tomorrow, he’s morose… in short, he’s everything a handful of us probably WERE in high school. I enjoyed Hughes’ not-so-subtle use of the score and setting during the first phone conversation with Cameron and Ferris. Cameron is inside, covered up, on a grey phone in a grey room with grey bedding while The Cure plays in the background. Ferris is outside, drinking from a pineapple, wearing colorful attire as a hula theme underscores the scene. We immediately know were getting polar opposites. Cameron does have his flashes of mischief, mostly prodded on by Ferris (more on that later). Alan Ruck brings Cameron to life, as he gives a good performance playing the pitiful sidekick.

Our third main character is Jeannie, Ferris’ sister. While were talking about opposites, it’s tough to get more opposite than the relationship Jeannie and Cameron have to Ferris. Jeannie spends the vast majority of the movie as a cantankerous shrew, shitting on everything with even a whiff of her brother’s stink that can be found on the situation. Jeannie has some fun scenes with Principal Rooney, who is a solid 80’s cartoon antagonist and nothing more. (Did anyone else get the impression Rooney’s antics trying to get into the Bueller house would later inspire Home Alone?) Jeannie isn’t a necessarily an interesting character, but she gets a couple fun scenes, and she’s important to the story in that she is a direct foil to Cameron.

So, ultimately, whose movie is this? In short, it’s Cameron’s story, but Ferris is the most important character. Ultimately, Cameron is the only character to experience any meaningful growth – he starts as one person and ends up as another thanks to actions that have transpired. He also has the more interesting development in general, as he gradually goes along with more and more of Ferris’ antics and goes from wishing he was Ferris to learning that there is nothing necessarily special about Ferris other than how he carries himself. By the end of the movie, Cameron is pulling the greatest prank of them all. Ruck has the best piece of acting in the final Cameron scene, learning from the day that he can no longer be a coward and must have that chat with his dad about who he is. That said, Ferris is ultimately the catalyst of this transformation. I love the line at the end from Sloan when she says “you knew what you were doing today all along, didn’t you?” Even though Ferris doesn’t necessarily have any sort of meaningful growth as a character, he is pulling the strings, acting as the cause to the effect on everyone involved in the story. Cameron never grows into this person without Ferris because he never could do it on his own.

This can be said for Jeannie as well. Both Cameron and Jeannie are envious for Ferris because they wish they were him. Envy for a person can manifest in one of two ways: hero worship or hate-filled jealousy. Cameron worships Ferris, thankful to be within his bubble. Jeannie hates Ferris, angered by his popularity and how he gets away with whatever he wants with their parents. By the end of the movie, both have ultimately learned that there is nothing special about Ferris other than his self-assuredness and his outlook on life that you have to seize the moment. Not surprisingly, both learn this in the exact opposite way. Cameron has a great day and comes to the conclusion internally. Jeannie has a horrible day and must learn this thanks to a discussion with a drug-addled Charlie Sheen. They both learn ultimately that there is no point in envying someone like Ferris Bueller, because we all have it in ourselves to become him.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a simple story with a great message. It is absolutely not a perfect movie… I’m not even sure it’s more than a good movie. Regardless, it’s chock full of quotable scenes, solid slapstick & embarrassing gags, and, like any John Hughes high school movie, leaves us with a good lesson. Life does move pretty fast after all.

+ Ferris is one of the best high school characters out there
+ Numerous memorable lines and gags
+ Good message brings everything together
+ Cameron/Jeannie stories
- Broderick does not bring a lot to the role as Ferris
- Some stuff is just downright silly

Grade: A-

Reply
Drew
7/24/2015 03:46:02 am

Nice but I answered some of your questions in my review. You pre-writer, you!

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Phil
7/24/2015 03:47:33 am

I actually did tweak a couple things, but I completely missed your Home Alone reference. I did ignore your comment about who the main character is, b/c that was a debate I wanted to have.

Phil
7/24/2015 03:51:36 am

Regardless of pre-writing or not, good pick Drew. That was a fun review to write.

Drew
7/24/2015 05:01:25 am

Thank you, Phil. I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.

Sean
7/24/2015 06:56:05 am

For 24 hours while Mindy was about 6 months pregnant, Kellen's name was going to be Cameron. I was giddy thinking of how often I was going to get to sing...

"Let My Cameron go!"

I knew learning this information would lead to Mindy vetoing the name and my fun would end. Ultimately she changed her mind the very next day without knowing my plot.


Just because Cameron is the person who experiences growth doesn't make him the main character. Ferris is still the protagonist, Cameron's growth is the plot device and the underlying reason Ferris took his day off. I would say, without Cameron Ferris would be several % points less likable despite his self-confidence and charisma that Phil mentions even if envy is the reason that holds his likability down. The man who has everything needs grounding to be relatable and likable and Cameron is that for Ferris.

Great quotes, memorable scenes throughout. My favorite for a laugh every time is when Rooney asks who is winning the game that he was just told the score is 0-0 and is told The Bears. Ferris' run home set to The English Beat's "March of the Swivelheads" is great fun. I'd be ok with a remake if for nothing else than a single shot reenactment, they could get the guy who does the Ok Go videos to direct.

I'll leave it at the grade I had on the spreadsheet A-.

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Lane
7/24/2015 07:15:30 am

“Ferris Bueller” has become one of those “where were you when you first watched…” types of movies. For me, “where I was” was, ironically, home sick. My mom went to the local drug store and rented it on VHS, along with some other more forgettable titles for me to watch while she went to work. Like Ferris, I was probably faking my illness (I hated middle school). Unlike Ferris, I didn’t have the cajones to go and do anything fun. The movie was the only reward.

FBDO is one of those movies I thought was awesome since that morning. Ferris is the kid that we all want to be – bold; universally liked; able to pull strings in places he has no business pulling strings; getting the girl without overwhelming machismo; getting a computer instead of a car for Christmas, and that not seeming so bad.

It’s been at least a decade, however, since I last saw FBDO, and so my goal in viewing it this time wasn’t to enshrine the film in a mausoleum of youth, but instead to view it with the eyes of one of those feckless adults that populate the greater Chicago suburbs of Ferris’s world. It’s hard to believe that’s where I am in life now, and it just speaks to the film’s greatest strength, in my opinion. Ferris is a character we still want to be.

The first thing that hit me, about half way through, is that while the movie rests in greatness in my memory, it’s only a good movie, not a great one. There are, to be sure, some great scenes. The parade scene remains iconic for good reason, and the “chase” scene at the end, when Ferris runs through the neighborhood, still had me on the edge of my seat even though I know exactly what is going to happen. I was really impressed with how skillfully Hughes directed that particular scene, and how surprising it was, even still, when Rooney’s foot comes smashing down on the doorstep and Ferris’s whole day is almost ruined. It’s textbook chase cinema and that particular part gets an A+ from me.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see how well the acting holds up after two decades. Jeffrey Jones as Ed Rooney is a legendary Hollywood comedic villain. And Edie McClurg and Ben Stein steal the scenes they are in and make you wish they were in more. Stein’s performance especially struck me with how brief it is (maybe only a minute and a half of screen time) and yet his mark on the film with the “Bueller…Bueller” line is a part of American cinema history. It’s a minute and a half that launched a man from political speechwriter to entertainment icon. That’s the power of Ferris Bueller summed up in one man’s career.

Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck have skills for physical comedy that I didn’t fully appreciate when I watched this as a kid. From the wink of Ferris’s eye when he’s playing sick for the parents, to a little pirouette on the streets of Chicago after parking the Ferrari, Broderick brings more to the role than might first meet the eye. Ruck’s facial expressions through the movie move from catatonic panic to Three Stooges hucksterism. And the Mr. Peterson impression made me laugh out loud again.

The one disappointing performance was Mia Sara as Sloane and I blame the writing for that. Jeannie is much better written, and Hughes’ success writing female characters in “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club” makes me know he could have done better. Sloane was a barely one-dimensional character and I was surprised with how little dialogue she actually had in the movie. I wondered why Ferris even needed a girlfriend. The whole marriage proposal thing seemed disingenuous and preachy. I would have preferred a Ferris that was more of a player – one of my favorite moments is during the chase scene at the end when he runs through the sunbathing beauties, only to interrupt the chase in order to introduce himself to them. That seemed like a more consistent Ferris than the whipped version that was basically pity dating poor Sloane. Both deserved better. There’s so much more I could say, but…

…to the real question of this discussion: why is FBDO considered great by so many. To Drew’s point, I think it’s because the 80’s kids of Generation X might be the one generation that lacked a real counter cultural anti-hero, and so when one comes along – whether it’s literature or film – culture latches onto it. The 40’s and 50’s had the Beats, the Baby Boomers had the flower children and hippies, that late Generation X and early Millenials (this is where I put myself as well) had Kurt Cobain, but who did the 80’s have? Punk might qualify, but it was too niche with too much of a violent undertone. No, culture latched onto to those that subverted the suburbs and rejected the straight and narrow, and there weren&rsqu

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Phil
7/24/2015 07:26:58 am

Who did the 80's have? C'mon - Guns N Roses counts here. NWA definitely counts here. The 80's had plenty of anit-heroes.

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Lane
7/24/2015 10:08:08 am

Yeah, I'm not saying there weren't any anti-heroes in the 80's, just that all of them (with the exception of NWA, maybe) got to that point through the commoditization of their personas. Up until the 80's that wasn't really the process.

Drew
7/24/2015 07:30:09 am

It also had the hair bands and this awesome video.

https://youtu.be/i3MXiTeH_Pg

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Phil
7/24/2015 07:39:12 am

We all know damn well THIS is the best video of the 80's...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LatorN4P9aA

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Sean
7/24/2015 07:40:17 am

*cough cough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

Phil
7/24/2015 07:44:44 am

You ruin everything Riley

Lane
7/24/2015 07:16:45 am

(cont) weren’t many of those.

And the other reason, I think, Ferris is considered great is because he only did it for a day. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” is that cathartic carnivalesque moment – like Mardi Gras or a black out drunk Friday night – that allows us to touch the edge of chaos without falling in. We know that Ferris is going to go to college and eventually will end up in advertising, like his dad, but for a moment…just a day…he shows us what it means to reject all of that silliness. When he tells Sloane and Cameron to peer off the side of the Sears Tower, it’s not just a fun tourist thing to do; he’s inviting them (and us) to stand on the edge and consider what it means to jump.

Good things:
- the parade and chase scenes
- three great comedic performances from Broderick, Ruck, and Jones with fantastic supporting performances
- idealism
Could be better:
- Character chemistry
- The female lead
- The notion that two 18 year olds would think you could drive a car backwards and take miles off…come on

Grade: B+

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Phil
7/24/2015 07:29:18 am

You think Ferris ends up in advertising? I'd think with his computer and all the skills he's put into faking sick, he'd somehow end up in computer science or electrical engineering.

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Sean
7/24/2015 07:32:48 am

As long as Sloane ends up in porn who cares amirite?

Phil
7/24/2015 07:40:03 am

What would that be called? "Sloane Peterson's Day Getting Off?"

Drew
7/24/2015 08:01:36 am

That literally made me laugh out loud.

Bobby
7/26/2015 07:52:04 am

I don't know much about cars under the hood and this comes from a very quick and not thorough search, but I think it's semi common for people to think older cars can have their odometer turned back by driving in reverse... and with some old mechanical odometers apparently did work that way!
(http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/odometer1.htm)

So I guess it depends on the mechanical odometer... and Ferrari, from what I saw on my quick look around, didn't allow for it.

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Like Bot
7/24/2015 03:02:45 pm

If watch that

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Jon
7/25/2015 07:38:45 am

Remember when we did Major League several months ago and I had no prior relationship to it whereas it served as a treasured memory for many of you? Well, prepare to rehash that whole argument because Ferris Bueller's Day Off occupies that exact same space. Not only had I not seen FBDO before, but this is also my first John Hughes-directed movie. In one of the few instances where I'll agree with Drew throughout this discussion, Hughes is indeed a cultural icon, a man that many feel perfectly captured something about their adolescence. My admittedly uninformed impression slotted him as an over-earnest, if occasionally perceptive, emotional huckster, handy with a soundtrack and lousy with a monologue. FBDO largely conforms to that expectation. With its punishingly unlikable protagonists, FBDO exists in a magical land of make believe where everyone's an idiot or a douche and obnoxious behavior is lauded as saint-like. Once again, I don't get the praise for an 80's comedy.

A big problem that quickly emerges is the writing around Ferris. Where some might see a rebellious truth-teller, I'm left with a hedonistic narcissist, a kid so entitled that he can be angry at his parents for buying him a computer instead of a car. He tosses off the lazy student's generic complaint of 'Why should I learn about X when it doesn't apply directly to me' and the audience is clearly supposed to nod in agreement. Introduced making over-the-top schmoopie noises to his parents, I almost immediately dislike him, and the expository fourth-wall breaks seal it. Ferris thinks he's smarter than everyone, and can therefore do whatever he likes. This wouldn't be so annoying if the movie wasn't so completely on his side. Ferris getting some comueuppance would go a long ways to undermining his gross sense of entitlement, but that's not this movie.

The only person that can leaven or balance Ferris's unlikability is Cameron, except Cameron sucks. Alan Ruck plays him as a ball of tics and facial contortions, not unlike Tim Roth's abominable performance in most of Four Rooms. I hate his face, I hate his mannerisms, I hate his whininess, I hate that a 30 year old man is wildly miscast as a teenager. I don't have a great deal of sympathy for him because Ruck plays him as an unrecognizable person. Ferris tries to hand-wave this away with tales of his awful parents, but Cameron's problems would be far better communicated if his father actually had screentime and I could judge for myself. As is, Cameron is ruined for me almost from his first frame, a self-pitying downer that I have a hard time believing Ferris would actually spend any time with.

The movie can still be saved at this point by the exploits of the titular day off, but what do they actually do? They go to the Sears Tower, they eat a fancy lunch, go to a baseball game and a museum, and take in a parade. So, they're tourists. I always thought this movie was supposed to be some advertisement for how great Chicago is. The takeaway is that Chicago has tall buildings, art, and professional sports, really differentiating it from other big cities. I assumed there would be some local flavor, or that Ferris would know some cool, out-of-the-way places, but instead, they just go to the most predictable locations. Then, there's the parade, a harbinger of contrived flash mobs if ever there was one. This scene is clearly supposed to communicate the spontaneity of the moment, as an already-good thing (parade) turns into a great thing (impromptu dance party). I never bought it for a second. Leaving out Ferris again making something all about himself, it all feels extremely manufactured, especially the dance troupe that comes out of nowhere and is seemingly unrelated to the actual parade. This was the day that is supposed to bring Cameron out of his lifelong funk? Why couldn't they have done this on literally any weekend? Would the city of Chicago disrespect its German-American heritage by throwing its parade on a workday? What did the Germans ever do to anyone to warrant such a slap in the face?

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Jon
7/25/2015 07:40:24 am

So I'm alternating between disliking and not caring about the main characters, and I'm unimpressed by their choice of activities. Is this movie salvageable? As a matter of fact, it is, though not by Sloane Peterson, who is a Cool Girl of the first degree and therefore a complete non-entity. Hughes is pretty good behind the camera, certainly better than I expected considering his reputation is as a writer first. Hughes has a lot going on outside of the main plot and it's in those side avenues that I found enjoyment. Edie McClurg steals this movie in three or four scenes. She singlehandedly lifts FBDO into the C's. As Jeanie Bueller, Jennifer Grey is probably the most interesting character, a daughter who feels like her brother is their parents' clear favorite and is forever agitated by it. I was most interested in how her arc would be resolved, though the movie ultimately let me down here, too. After the indignity of being mansplained to by Charlie Sheen of all people, her mom is angry at her for calling the police on a home invader, thus interrupting Mom from making a sale, the proceeds of which she was going to use to buy her favorite child a car. Jeanie's right to be pissed. The 'day off' of the two parking attendants would almost certainly have been a better movie, and the snippets we get of it are more viscerally fun than anything in the main plot. The soundtrack is admittedly great, with Day Bow Bow (thank you, Mac and Charlie) and the end chase music standing out as pretty inspired choices.

Songs and supporting characters are just not enough to make me really appreciate this movie. I don't like the main cast, I don't buy the world (one of my notes reads 'fine, he's magic'), and I find the 'lessons' the banal equivalent of a cat poster. It takes no profundity or courage for an attractive, well-off, loved, popular son of the Chicago suburbs to say that life should be lived. FBDO creates this fantasy world and then scolds the viewer for not living in it. Ferris might skate through life with no effort, but the movie about him could've used a lot more. The Simpsons episode that spoofed this movie (The Boy Who Knew Too Much) is exponentially superior. C-

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Jon
7/25/2015 08:12:02 am

For anyone that thinks Ferris Bueller is Broderick's greatest achievement, they need to watch Election immediately. That is actually a nice corrective to FBDO, as Broderick is cast as a teacher trying to ruin a teenage girl, and can be interpreted as the hero if the viewer's not viewing hard enough.

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Drew
7/25/2015 08:12:47 am

I saw it. Not that great.

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Sean
7/25/2015 03:09:15 pm

Election is fabulous

Drew
7/26/2015 05:51:16 am

What's so fabulous when a high school teacher fantasizes about having sex with a high school student? It is gross.

Sean
7/26/2015 03:52:50 pm

Movies can have components that you may find gross and still be fantastic

Shane
7/25/2015 08:31:52 am

I just watched that two weeks ago. Pretty damn good. Is Chris Klein the only good guy?

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Jon
7/25/2015 08:58:24 am

Chris Klein's the good guy like Ferris Bueller's the good guy. They're both effortlessly popular, have no real problems, and are told they're awesome despite all evidence to the contrary. I love that movie for a lot of reasons, but a big one is that the good guy is actually the hardest person to like in all-time great character Tracy Flick.

Sean
7/25/2015 03:11:06 pm

Just because he's effortlessly popular doesn't mean he can't be a good guy. He's genuinely nice. Tracey Flick is an obnoxious overachiever and not evil but is certainly supremely annoying.

Shane
8/10/2015 04:39:50 am

Agree with Sean. Klein's character was super nice and supportive of everyone. And he's pretty good at football. Why wouldn't he be liked?

Of course he moves on to a big school and is just a normal fraternity bro. Makes total sense.

Bryan
7/25/2015 08:45:16 am

I'll sneak my review in here while everyone dumps on Jon. Knowing me, I’m sure many can guess I despise the parent characters - they’re beyond dumb and in some point of real vs. suspending any sense of belief. Seriously, you didn’t notice the manikin arm? My three year old would have spotted that. The parking lot scene was mostly a waste of time as well. While I’m knocking the movie - the speed of government in action during Ferris Bueller is 100x faster than anything I’ve witnessed.

I can’t remember the scene, but my laugh out loud count is at 1. However, this isn’t a rolling laughter movie - 1 isn’t necessarily a knock on the movie. Overall, the movie is fun. Ferris, Cameron, and co. are engaging. Sometimes lovable, sometimes loathable. My guess for one’s choice for best character depends on with whom they can relate. Cameron as the third wheel trying to find his lot in life was the most relatable for me. I think he steals the show. Yes this movie has staying power, but unlike some great comedies it’s not equal or greater the second time through. The secretary and Mr. Rooney bring some actual comedy chops compared to Ferris’ constant upbeat antics. Jeannie (sister) is probably the most realistic character. I’d rank her as my second favorite character.

I’m dropping from an A- to a B upon my second viewing.

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Sean
7/25/2015 03:13:49 pm

Bryan has probably provided the most objective review of the round. The A's myself included clearly show the nostalgia and Kissels bashing reads as though he was watching for reasons why it doesn't deserve that nostalgia instead of the other way

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Jon
7/25/2015 03:48:36 pm

I didn't read anyone's review til after I watched the movie. I watched the movie with an open mind, but I'll admit that I wrote my review with the shock of 4 consecutive raves ringing in my ears.

Bryan
7/25/2015 04:20:55 pm

You rave?

Jon
7/25/2015 04:22:15 pm

Rave as in positive review. Also, yes.

Bobby
7/26/2015 08:46:48 am

When I heard that this was going to be Drew's pick on the podcast... I pondered on vetoting it... because I didn't want to ruin what I remember the movie being. But, I also wanted Kissel to watch it... and I suppose it's good to look at movies again well down the road.

First off... I was happy to find that I still really enjoy the movie. It's still amusing throughout, albeit without a lot of real laughs. We have to remember that the movie is 30 years old.. so while lines like "he's so tight if you put a lump of coal up his ass..." aren't all that funny today, Ferris' lines carried a bit more comedic weight back then. Pretty much everything with Rooney involved was fun to watch, and sames goes for Jeanie. The music throughout the movie was spot on, and definitely went along with the feel for each scene and the film as a whole. The parade scene is still awesome, even if fantastically over the top... but that's the point, and that's the movie. I don't think Ferris Bueller's Day Off was intended to be watched with a firm grasp on reality. It's a dream day and everything is exaggerated... including, and especially, Ferris. As others have mentioned, it is a sort of predecessor to Home Alone and is in the same sort of exaggerated light.

I think it's definitely fair to knock the film for how flawlessly arrogant and unfailing Ferris is. I don't think that in itself is a huge fault, but when a character likes him is presented in such a positive manner and essentially forced upon the audience as the one to root for, it does slip a bit. Personally, I'm all for Jeanie and Rooney this time around. And, as the rest of you, I'm with Cameron... and I think he's most interesting character who sees the most development... even if it is a shame it essentially comes through a shitty friend who gets too much credit for everything. Watching him kick and wreck the car feels damn good, though.

Now, while Broderick did well with what he was asked to do with Ferris, I definitely give the nods to Jennifer Grey and Jeffrey Jones as the best performances in the film. Alan Ruck and Mia Sara were fine as well, and also favorable characters. Charlie Sheen and Ben Stein are quality additions, and even get quick bits from Kristy Swanson and Louie Anderson. Neat.

Like Bryan, the parents annoyed me quite a bit. They're beyond stupid, even in the over the top world we're given. The mannequin arm bugged me, as well... even if she doesn't notice that it's a plastic arm, she should at least see that it's not even a white arm, right? And that's a pretty weak reaction when your teenage daughter is making out with the random drug addict at the police station. As mentioned, Ferris is a bit too much and too right about everything for his own damn good.. and for the sake of the movie's. If Rooney and/or Jeanie were at least a little more threatening to Ferris' day off it would have lifted the film... but I get that this isn't what Hughes was going for.

So yeah... I still really like the film, but there were definitely some issues that I think keep it out of the A range (which is what I had initially given it). Still, it's a fun movie that mostly holds up and definitely provides a good bit of nostalgia in a rewatch. B+

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Cooker
7/27/2015 04:34:30 pm

I’m glad someone else recognized the spoof from the Simpsons. Well played.
Ferris Bueller is one of those films that I missed out on during my younger years. I knew of it, I had seen bits and pieces of it, but didn’t watch it all the way through ‘til I was in my 30s. Hell, it was probably just a year or two ago, but I did rewatch it and my given grade of B won’t change.
In a sense, pop culture slightly ruined this film for me. References to this movie are everywhere. I can name three moments that Family Guy alone spoofed: the end sequence when Ferris is running home, Cameron staring at the painting at the museum and the background singers saying Shauna. That’s it, keep singing it.
Like any movie it had its pluses and minuses. I enjoyed all the phony telephone call trickery scenes, the dialogues between Rooney and his secretary, and the look on the Bueller’s dog’s face when Rooney looked through the dog door. Classic.
The parade scene with Ferris singing stalled the movie for me. It felt like an intermission. Cameron destroying the car, although a great acted scene just really felt out of place for me compared to the tone of a majority of the film. There was also a scene during the end credits of Rooney getting on a school bus that I don’t remember seeing before. It was meh.
Upon further research, I learned that the band Save Ferris was revived in 2013 after a ten year absence.
And I gotta say it at some point, Go, Red Wings!

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Shane
8/10/2015 04:42:49 am

Classic comedy
Unreliable Ferris
Still holds up well

Jon, you're an idiot. Ferris's telling of the story shouldn't be trusted. He pumps up himself. Reminds me of Jay Beckham a bit.

A-

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