La Folle Journée de Ferris Bueller

Before all the slapstick, before re-writing "Home Alone" umpteen times and before selling his soul to "Disney Pictures Inc.", John Hughes was believed to be THE scribe for teen angst.

He wrote eloquently of it in "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink". And with "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", he creates a person and a time in life that just about anyone who's ever been a teenager can relate to.

Who hasn't known someone like Ferris Bueller (Broderick)? Someone who always has a plan, someone who made loafing off an art form, someone who could fall in a barrel of you-know-what and come out smelling like a rose?

All he wants to do is take a day off from school and enjoy the day in Chicago - simple enough, but he must also try and convince his best friend Cameron (Ruck) and his best girl (Sara) to join him and, in the process, learn to enjoy what life has to offer.

Naturally, there is a tyrannical school dean (Jones) who is determined to catch Ferris in the act of hookey and Ferris' own sister (Grey, pre-nose job) who has it in for her brother, the "trouser-snake".

There are funny situations throughout the movie, and the characters are ones that grow on you, especially Ruck's worry-wart portrayal of Cameron Frye, constantly fretting about his dystalic, cursing his father and nearly drowning in a pool, all in the name of friendship.

Sara has less to do, but she plays the object of desire well, and Ferris' passion for her is understandable. At least he thinks about the right things, like what their lives would be like after high school.

All the way from beginning to end, this movie is a great trip in search of fun, relaxation, not taking life too seriously and how to sing Wayne Newton songs in the middle of a parade.

You want to catch vintage John Hughes and classic '80s teendom at its best? Seize this "Day"!

Ten stars for "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

Matthew Broderick looked so brilliant in those days. While this film single handedly made him Ferris Bueller forever, at least this is a film that can be seen all throughout the years without dating too badly. Sure, the music and props will signify a time of discontent and bad hairdos, but the idealistic look of a man simply wanting to ditch school has never been made more daringly and charmingly.

Everything about this film was gold, from the postmodern "conversations" with the audience to the little back stories which seem to shape the overall canvas of the film. While Alan Ruck was way too old to play in this movie, at least he proved to be a great opposite to the cool and nonchalant Ferris. Gross-out comedies may now be the norm, at least we can look back to this film and enjoy a good, genuine laugh.

I rewatched FBDO (sorry, had to) for the first time in many years. I was not even 10 when it came out, and it is not until now that I have appreciated it a level beyond the basic comedy. It has comedy for sure, of all kinds. Slapstick, absurdity, farce, comedy-of-errors, comedy-of-manners, puns, shock, swearing, satire, parody, and on and on.

But is so much more than an outstanding comedy. It has real philosophy that is not sophomoric (they're seniors and juniors...haha). This comes in Ferris's asides, but also in what the characters say when they are not joking.

It has some complete non-sequiturs and montages that really make you ponder the characters and that capture what it is like to be young in a way that you almost never see, e.g., them looking down from the Sears Tower, the scene at the art musuem, etc.

Why? Well, real teenagers can almost never make enduring art, so they have a hard time capturing what its like to be young in any way beyond the surface. You have to know what it fleeting about youth to capture it and you only know that once you're not young any more. A 17 year old writing this movie couldn't capture youth because youth are just to callow and to inexperienced with life. But adults, even when they try to write about youth, often infuse that feeling with too much importance that isn't present when you're young. It gets too nostalgic, or treacly, or whatever.

But with FBDO, John Hughes just takes your mind back to what it was like to be about to graduate high school.

Yes, these are all privileged white kids. Yes, the whole move is extra white and extra privileged. Minorities are relegated to some really insulting stereotypical parts. So in that regard, it has not aged well at all.

BUT! This movie still captures late adolescence perfectly. That feeling of knowing your childhood is about to disappear and missing it already, but being excited about your unknown future that seems to stretch out forever ahead of you. And scared at the same time.

It just leaves you feeling warm and reminiscent and happy to be an adult, but really glad you were a kid.

I also like that Ferris, for all his likability, is a flawed character. He is a narcissist. But he's 17 (maybe 18). He hurts Cameron's feelings over and over in a way that is close to bullying or gaslighting. But protagonists shouldn't be perfect. And Ferris's flaws illustrate those of the other characters in a way that is very illuminating.

All these characters have a depth that is so lacking (except maybe the dad). Certainly Sloane and Cameron and Ferris are totally three dimensional. But even his sister, and mom are shown as real people too.

But then you have totally INSANE absurd non-sequiturs thrown in. The principal is an absolute cartoon. So is his secretary. The BONKERS way everyone in town is pulling for Ferris. I mean, they paint a WATERTOWER in like an hour?!?! The parking lot joyride. Abe Froman!? The whole parade sequence?! It is just crazy how all that happens and the movie still feels "real."

An absolute joy to watch. I haven't seen a comedy this deep in years. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, another John Hughes movie is probably similar in that regard. They do not make them like this much any more. Even 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, for all their dealing with "big issues" seem to be inhabited by cardboard cutouts (the stoner, the hectoring girlfriend/wife) compared to this film.

Watch it every couple years. You won't regret it.

I remember watching this movie, and while I loved the first 2 acts, both full of endless laughter, I couldn't help but think that Ferris Bueller was something of a narcissist. He does many seemingly selfish things; lying to his parents, humiliating his principal, and putting his 'best friend' in danger, all so he can have 7 carefree hours off of school. It is not until the 3rd act that he becomes a 3-dimensional character, and we begin to understand him and realize he is not the sociopath we might have assumed he is. While it seems he does all the things he does for his own pleasure, it becomes clear in the last 20 minutes he was really doing it for his friend. At the beginning of the movie, Cameron is timid, constantly worried, and unsure of himself. We learn his parents argue, and his dad neglects him, and would rather work on his Ferrari instead of spending time with his son. Throughout the movie, Ferris tries to boost his friend's self-esteem, and by the end, he has succeeded. His friend is a completely different person, and most of the major characters are, notably his sister. However, Ferris doesn't seem to change at all. He helps his friends become better people, but in doing so, he isn't changing at all.

On my IMDb "Top 10 Greatest Comedy Films" list.

No other "Coming Of Age" teen film since has been able to knock Ferris Bueller off its post-American Graffiti "COA" throne. Like the 1961 Ferrari GT 250 SWB California portrayed in this film (more than one used in production, and all were well-made knock-offs as no one was going to risk knocking around an ultra-rare $25M collectable), there is simply no substitute (George Lucas' American Graffiti' still reins as the all-time #1 COA film, but that came 10 years earlier, and is in a class by itself, although this film is also deserving of being considered an "important and significant film").

This was John Hughes' 4th directed movie, during his most prodigious period from 1984 to 1990, that also included 'The Breakfast Club' and 'Home Alone'.

Hughes tried to portray teens realistically and gave them relevance in his films - he was empathetic to the challenges of adolescence, and consciously avoided Hollywood's often shallow characterizations of the teen high school years.

The Library of Congress selected the film in 2014 to be preserved in the National Film Registry, honoring FBDO for its cultural significance.