As Ferris Bueller says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The movie “Ferris Bueller's Day Off” follows our protagonist Ferris on a day when he decides to lie to his parents that he is sick in order to skip school. Ferris has missed many days, which means this could be his last day off for a while, so he wants to make the most of it.
After a series of activities Ferris does to try and entertain himself, he calls up his best friend Cameron Frye, who is actually sick, and convinces him to pick him up from his house. They pick up Ferris’ girlfriend, Sloane Peterson, after they call the school, and he pretends to be her father who is picking her up early. Ferris convinces Cameron to let them “borrow” his dad’s prized possession—his Ferrari—to take the trio around town and find all sorts of trouble. However, they always seem to slip away at the last moment. Ferris is very good at doing that.
Jeanie Bueller is tired of her brother always getting away with everything. Their parents almost never doubt Ferris, which drives her crazy because her brother is constantly doing questionable things. He even convinces everyone at school that he has this horrible illness, and the students begin to fundraise for his cause. It seems like everyone knows and loves Ferris Bueller.
Jeffery Jones, the Dean of Students, has his suspicions about Ferris, and he is convinced he is not sick and that he is behind Sloane leaving school early. As Ferris and his friends have multiple adventures, like eating at a restaurant as Ferris pretends to be the “Sausage King of New York” and singing in a float parade, Mr. Jones is trying to catch Ferris in his lie. After multiple close calls, Ferris returns home, and with the help of Jeanie, his parents never find out that he was gone in the first place.
This is a feel-good type of movie. It makes you feel like you can ignore everything else and let the world fade away as you watch Ferris and his crazy behavior. The movie, though fun, also dives deeper into the characters and their motives. Ferris is going to graduate soon, and he knows he will not have his best friend and girlfriend with him forever. This encourages him to strive towards making memorable moments and enjoy the time they have left together. Cameron feels neglected by his parents, especially his dad who he claims loves his Ferrari more than him.
The end of the movie results in a lot of character development. Cameron realizes he does not need to worry so much, and he can take things easier. He wants to have fun, and he wants to have a talk with his father. Jeanie realizes that Ferris taking the day off really does not affect her, and she comes around when she covers for Ferris at the end of the movie. The only person who did not fix their issues was Ferris.
Ferris Bueller is a character who is somehow able to get away with everything. Cameron never wanted to take his dads car, but Ferris convinced him. The three were being turned away from the restaurant, but Ferris convinced the host to let them enter. Ferris does what he wants, when he wants, and he faces no repercussions. He never sees the flaws to his behavior, and the movie ends with him still believing everything he does is okay.
This movie is not so serious to be analyzing these characters in such a critical light; however, Ferris can be frustrating. Imagine being someone close to Ferris. Imagine seeing him get away with everything and him just expecting you to come along for the ride. I would have much rather liked seeing Ferris be humbled and realize that not everyone is like him, and he needs to accept that the world does not revolve around him.
If I was unclear before, this is a comedy. I found the movie quite funny, and if you like dry humor, then you will too. That being said, there were times when the jokes did not work for me. About 10 minutes and 44 seconds into the movie, one of the teachers is teaching a class. He is asking the students if they know the answer to the questions he is asking, but the classroom is still quiet. It was funny the first couple of times, because honestly, that is how class feels sometimes, but the scene went on for over a minute. That might not seem long, but it was very repetitive, and the joke stopped being funny. It left me begging for the next scene to come.
I think this is a recurring issue the film faces. Another instance starting at 16 minutes and 44 seconds is when Cameron, who is very sick, unlike Ferris, spends a minute in his car going back and forth on whether or not he should pick up Ferris. This scene would have been much funnier if it was just a few seconds, and the joke hit you quick.
Although I have spent a large portion of this review talking about what I disliked, the movie is arguably amazing. That might be an exaggeration, but it really is a good movie. Ferris Bueller as a character, though flawed, is very entertaining, and the movie offers a great way to pass the time. It is truly a funny movie, and it is no wonder it is still popular decades later. The movie was released on June 11, 1986, meaning it will turn 40 years old this year. I believe this movie has entered the status of being called a classic and for good reason.
This film is nowhere near perfect, but it is well done, as seen by public opinion. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics give this movie an 83%, which is quite high. The public opinion, or Popcornmeter, is even higher at 92%. Reviews vary, but overall, it is considered to be a good film, which is also evident by the nearly eight stars out of 10 the movie received by IMDb.
No movie is perfect, but if the film can be enjoyed by audiences four decades after its release, I would say that speaks pretty highly of the quality. The film is honestly pointless, but that is what I like about it. It is fun to watch, and the characters feel realistic. If you have time, I would recommend watching it and forming your own opinion on Ferris. Most importantly, make sure to stop and look around once in a while!
