Heres another movie that almost everyone has seen that I have finally gotten around to. Not to repeat myself, but I honestly dont see why this is so popular. I can certainly see people enjoying it, but how it has survived twenty years to now be remembered as a classic is beyond me. Its certainly better than John Hughes usual 80s youth films, though, and has some funny moments.
You probably know the story, but in brief, Ferris Bueller (Mathew Broderick) is a high school senior in a Chicago suburb who plays hooky for a day with his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). They are pursued by Vice Principal Rooney (Jeffery Jones), who suspects that something is up, and threatened by Ferriss sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) who is tired of playing second fiddle to Ferris all the time.
Any film that becomes a classic with the public has to on some level tap into some kind of basic social condition, but I cant figure out for the life of me what it is with this movie. Is it just because high school students who saw it in 86 fantasized about taking a day off? To me, the most moving part of the film involved Jeanies plight. For some reason, she is unloved by her parents and understandably frustrated, I found it interesting that Ferris gets whatever he wants, all the time. In fact, I did not like Ferris as much as the movie wants me to. (Spoiler) The last shot before the credits roll is a long smile by Ferris into the camera. To me, it seemed like smirk of a snotty teenager as opposed to someone with real zest for life- I even found myself wishing that he had been caught. He has great people and technical skills, but no discipline, interests or dedication, perhaps the only field he could really excel in is politics.
The funniest scene in the movie is also the most famous- Ben Stien taking roll as a hilariously boring economics teacher. The rest of the movie is intermediately so, with a few highlights (such as Emilio Estevez as a drug user). In a way, a movie this famous recommends itself- its one of those movies that is so popular that almost everyone gets around to seeing it, like Star Wars or Spinal Tap. But there is not much here that is special, just pleasantly competent.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)