Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Review of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), directed by John Hughes
Apparently this movie has a cult status in American culture, and has even been registered on the National Film Registry by Library of Congress, but I had never heard of it until I started watching that one YouTuber, BestDressed/Ashley Rous.
And I can see why it has cult status, especially as it’s embodying the very spirit of youthfulness in its characters, especially in Ferris’ character, and how adults are suspicious of the hooligans that exist in society, specifically within high school. There’s some questionable actions taken from the adults, too, however, which exemplifies how this nature isn’t just among the youths. This is indeed a movie that defines a generation, of the kids who grew up and came-of-age in the 1980s.
Well, I’ve said quite a bit already, so let’s dive into this review.
Content
For me, even though most of this movie is pretty hilarious, I found the breaking of the fourth wall to be the best part. I recently saw this in the 2020 Netflix movie Enola Holmes, but it was done in a way that I think wasn’t as good as in Ferris Bueller. Ferris breaks the fourth wall to explain his thought process as well as tips for how to get out of certain situations, like going to school.
I think for a young viewer around Ferris’ age, they would really love to see this because they’ll feel like that the character is actually relating to their situation and talking to them. And, to be frank, who hasn’t pretended to be sick to go to school? It’s a relatable phenomenon for most viewers in the United States. Though this performance of pretending to be ill, according to
This movie does comedy so well, but it is also a love letter to Chicago. The director mentioned that he wanted to make it like a love letter, and this particularly shows when we get to the scenes where the teens, who are quote-on-quote sick and cannot go to school, end up going into the city. We get all these beautiful shots of the architecture and significant places in the city, which, for someone like me who has never been to Chicago, adds to this ambiance of freedom and youth.
We often associate cities with new opportunities, which draws in the appeal of, say, New York City, for young people. It’s essentially a jungle gym for young people, and the thrill of it is added when you’re skipping school.
And then there’s the principal, who is the one here who has the real issues. As a parent call comes in (even though it is fake, it’s just not who he thinks it is) about a dying grandmother, he mockingly accuses them of being Ferris and then asks for the body to be brought into the school to be proven that the grandmother is dead for Sloane to get out of school.
Sloane is Ferris’ girlfriend who is younger than him. But to get out of the con, Ferris calls the front office, where the principal, now horrified, realizes he’s messed up. So what does he do next? He breaks into the Bueller house, where Ferris’ sister catches him and calls the cops.
What adds to the element of comedy is that what Ferris does on his day off is absolutely ridiculous. The town believes he is dying and he is the talk of the school. A group of people in costumes even come to the house to sing about his illness and getting better.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, Ferris is singing on a parade float going through the city, infiltrates an elementary school field trip, and is going to fancy restaurants. He’s basically having the time of his life out in public when all of these people are outlandishly thinking he’s on his deathbed and has some incurable illness.
Overall Thoughts
It’s a straightforward film with nothing special about the actual cinematic quality. But it’s the spirit of the characters, well-played by each and every actor, that makes this movie special. Ferris Bueller is a cult classic for a reason.
Bueller himself even defies our expectations of what a kid would do when they skip school. We imagine brain-rotting things like video games and television, but instead he’s living the classy life with art and fine dining. Who would’ve thought a kid would do that when they skip school? I could rewatch this movie a couple of times and still be entertained. Watch if it you haven’t gotten the chance already.
