Ferris Buellerâs Day Off
To some film enthusiasts, there is no activity that they enjoy more than to basically deconstruct a major (fictional) lead character in a popular or revered movie and try to cast other aspirations on exactly who or what that character really is or is meant to represent. In that regard, there are probably few lead characters whom can be interpreted in so many different ways as the one in John Hughes seminal 1986 teen comedy, a film which in and of itself has been labeled as being everything from a masterpiece to an overrated piece of nothing and everything else in between. Ferris Bueller is fascinating probably because heâs an enigma who really shouldnât be as he takes on the unique position of engaging in a first person dialogue with the camera (and the viewer) from the very first scene, essentially making us the co conspirators of the little scheme that he has planned for that day. But itâs also obvious from that same first scene that Bueller is truly a master at the art of manipulation, completely playing off of his weak minded and way too trusting parents and proceeding to do the same to nearly everyone else throughout the rest of the film (including his own friends) for the singleminded purpose of imposing his own will on them and always getting his way with the question of whether or not his actual intentions are good really being a moot point. A few things are readily clear from the getgo: Ferris was clearly born with a silver spoon in his mouth, living a dream life in a beautiful house within a peaceful suburban neighborhood just outside of Chicago. His parents are so obviously clueless and unaware of his conniving nature that they really do come off as being a couple of idiots who are legitimately painful to watch at times. He apparently has a reputation at his high school for being âconnectedâ in every possible way which results in him being VERY popular, although itâs a bit hazy as to just what his actual purpose is outside of the idea that he seems to advise other teens on just what it is they need to do in order to âbeat the systemâ, a quality that resulted in many considering the character to be the ultimate âsubversive elementâ in our society, but seeing that such a big part of his game seems to be in manipulating everyone and everything around him in order to get what he wants (except in convincing his parents to buy him a car which is something he laments about often), we start to wonder if we the viewers whom he has taken into his confidence are really just that or if heâs also conning us as well. One thing that is for sure though is the picture perfect casting of Matthew Broderick as Ferris, perfectly embodying the image of the spoiled, entitled All American Teenage White Boy Prince while still managing to bring plenty of charm to the performance as opposed to the smarmy stereotype that would trap a lesser actor and thus keeping us invested in him throughout the movie. Having laid the groundwork and foundation to seemingly convince the entire town that he is deathly sick, he then calls up his wimpy best friend Cameron as played by Alan Ruck (a guy whom it is implied is out of school sick more often than Ferris is except that nobody really cares) and badgers him constantly to not only get out of bed, but to come pick him up, give him the keys to his fatherâs priceless Limited Edition Ferrari and stage an elaborate plan to spring Ferrisâ girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara, an actress who is so beautiful and poised that she would have been the best thing about the movie even without any dialogue) out of school so that she can come along too. Standing in the way are the only two people who donât buy into ANY of Ferrisâ bullshit: His jealous, insecure sister (Jennifer Grey, still a year away from her Dirty Dancing glory) and the high schoolâs Dean Of Students, Edward Rooney (Jeffrey Jones in the comic high point of his character acting career), a guy seemingly so obsessed with busting Ferris Bueller that it has practically become his lifeâs work (although the way that Bueller snatches Sloane right out from under his very nose with him standing right there and not recognizing him immediately is obviously the filmâs hardest to swallow and worst scene) not just because he knows that itâs his job to nail students like that but also because he is all too fully aware of the widespread influence that Bueller himself holds over the school and that bringing him down a notch so that the other students can see the example that is made of him will thus bring them more under control. Jones nearly steals the movie as a result with his Rooney leaving the school grounds to scour the city for his prey before having an extremely bad experience at the Bueller household when he breaks into their home to prove that heâs not there and finally subjected to the worst humiliation of all when he is forced to degrade himself by catching a ride on his own school bus, sitting amongst the other kids, a hated figure of authority crammed in amongst those who hate him and evoking thoughts of what if Hitler was forced to ride on the train to Auschwitz. Meanwhile, the other three take an elaborate field trip around the city of Chicago, visiting The Sears Tower, the stock exchange, a fancy restaurant (the same one visited by The Blues Brothers to retrieve Mr. Fabulous), an art museum, a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, and finally a parade where the fearless and self confident Bueller sneaks aboard a float and performs a lip sync performance of Wayne Newtonâs Danke Schoen and The Beatlesâ Twist And Shout. Throughout all of their adventures, four things remain consistent: 1) They are always looking over their shoulders out of fear of getting caught (especially by Ferrisâ Dad). 2) Ferris (occasionally) continues his patter directly to the viewer unbeknownst to anybody else. 3) Sloane always looks gorgeous, elegant, and composed, and 4) Ruckâs Cameron does so much constant whining during his screen time that it really makes one almost borderline nauseated. It really is something to see, an unlikably nerdy character who really is unlikable (with the stark ironic contrast of him being best friends with a guy whom everyone loves), a guy for whom his âfunnyâ moments that are supposed to show that he has a sense of humor are really not that funny at all (except for his hilarious phony phone call to Rooney early in the film), and whose bitching and moaning about his (wealthy, privileged) life escalates into such a crescendo of overkill by the end that he actually manages to make a bad situation for himself even worse (apparently he doesnât get along with his Dad. Awwww..) leaving his own future uncertain even as it is stated that Bueller went to all of this trouble as a sort of âfavorâ to him in order to teach him how to enjoy life. That being said, for all of the negative qualities that one could bring up about the Bueller character, the remarkable thing is in the way that he is so self assured and maintains such a control over his own existence that he can virtually guarantee that he will live this life of his for the singular enjoyment of every moment that he can, a quality that has inspired co star Ben Stein (who himself became an iconic cinematic figure for his very brief role as a high school economics teacher) to remark that he found the finished film to be the âmost life affirmingâ which he has ever seen and even compared Broderick to a young Jimmy Stewart. Certainly Hughes gets in some satiric potshots at the drudgery of high school, portraying students in the classrooms as being driven into a near catatonic state by the droning lectures about boring shit which only the teachers themselves seem to care about. We also get treated to a smattering of cameos that keeps the movie and its very rapid fire pacing quite entertaining, including Edie McClurg as Rooneyâs dipsey doodle secretary (who nonetheless seems to know the students much better than Rooney does), Richard Edson as a shady garage attendant, a very young Kristy Swanson as a helpful student and best of all Charlie Sheen embodying all of the wildest aspects of his real life reputation into a two minute role as a delinquent boy in the police station who manages to charm Buellerâs uptight, bitchy sister when she also winds up there. All in all, we DO get a classic 80s comedy here with a lead character who remains enigmatic to this very day even as heâs the one who literally welcomes us into his worldâŚ
8/10