The quality of film in the 1980s suffered greatly. While significant advances were made by some of the leading directors of the era (Spielberg, for example), the track record that was the 1970s was broken entirely by a period of shabby, poorly made teen comedies. Yet Ferris Bueller's Day Off stands the test of time more than any of these others, and in the end is an excellent movie.
The film centers around the title character, played by Matthew Broderick, his friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), as they attempt to play hooky from school, all the while trying to avoid their sadistic principal, played to devilish perfection by Jeffrey Jones. Broderick portrays Ferris as a likeable, smart, and witty teenager; look no further than the whole sequence in the restaurant, with Ferris convincing the maitre'd that he's "Abe Froman, sausage king of Chicago." The relative obscurity of the rest of the cast also helps the quality of the movie as viewed today. Whereas many teen stars wound up (or, for some today, wind up) with bad press for their actions, the stars of Ferris Bueller, sans Broderick, have never really done anything else to tarnish the reputation they've garnered for their work in this film.
The script, too, contributes to the longetivity of Ferris Bueller. John Hughes, already famous for The Breakfast Club, shows his ability to write natural dialogue for teenagers, and the number of quotable lines from his work only serve to perpetuate the favored reputation Ferris Bueller deserves, as any comedic classic should.
What sets Ferris Bueller's Day Off apart from most of its contemporaries is its heart and humor. The movie is not afraid to make us laugh; witness the sequences throughout, from the opening moments where Ferris constructs devices to prevent his parents from discovering he's really not sick, to the madcap dash at the end through all the backyards in his neighborhood, hoping to get home before his parents do. But Hughes isn't afraid to make some poignant observations about life in general along the way.
"Save Ferris," we hear and see a number of times throughout the film. Is this Hughes' way of telling us to live life fully and richly, with laughter and thoughtfulness, giving ourselves a vacation once in a while to get away from the mediocrity of school and work? I certainly hope it is, and I'm sure Ferris would too.