Obviously, that's total sarcasm. We talk about movies. Maybe we'll talk about North Korea and nuclear weapons if I ever decide to talk about The Interview, but that's highly unlikely because I would be in way over my head. All jokes aside, MOVIE TALK is where I watch a movie, usually one I have never seen before, discuss the facets of it that I find interesting, and recommend it if I feel it deserves one. However, this week, we're doing the 80s classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, because it got added to Netflix not too long ago so I'm going to savor it being on Netflix until they take it off. This is gonna have some spoilers, I guess, so read with caution.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off was directed by John Hughes, who is most known for teen comedy movies like The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. I've seen all three of those aforementioned movies (as well as bits and parts of Pretty in Pink), and Ferris Bueller's Day Off is easily my favorite of them. There's just something so fun and inviting about this movie. And I was actually home sick the first time I watched it, so I guess it has that going for it, too.
The basic premise of this movie is that Ferris Bueller is a high school student who pretends to be sick so he can go adventuring around Chicago with his best friend, Cameron, and his girlfriend, Sloane. Rumors spread and eventually, Ferris's school and the entire city of Chicago are under the belief that Ferris is dying. Although he has the school administration and his jealous little sister, Jeanie, on his case, Ferris manages to have a day off for the record books.
One of my favorite things about this movie is the fourth wall-breaking Ferris does. After convincing his parents that he is sick enough to stay home and the parents leave, he immediately starts talking to the camera, expressing shock that his parents fell for it and explaining how you, the viewer, can fake an illness like he did. I think the fourth wall-breaking is done really well and is one of the funniest parts of the movie. Another funny thing is the contrast between the normal school day, where everyone is bored out of their minds, and the cuts to Ferris, who is living it up at home, lounging in his yard, badly playing clarinet, and drawing pictures on his computer.
I'm not gonna say Ferris is a great person. He makes up a story about Sloane's grandmother dying as an excuse for her to get out at school and join his adventure. He doesn't listen to Cameron when his best friend tells him not to take his dad's Ferrari out for a drive. His entire character arc is based off of lying. However, being a good person and a good character are not the same thing, and Ferris is a great protagonist. He's played by Matthew Broderick, who plays him with so much charisma you can't help but want to root for him throughout the whole movie. He also has some really witty dialogue, courtesy of Hughes, who wrote the screenplay in addition to directing and producing it. Another character I loved was Cameron, who is a foil and voice of reason to Ferris. While Ferris wants to take risks, Cameron is the one who tries to convince him that his ideas are crazy and wrong. Ferris doesn't ever listen, but damn if Cameron doesn't try.
This movie has plenty of iconic scenes. You first have the roll call where the teacher calls for "Bueller? Bueller?" in that memorable nasally drone. Another iconic quote is when Ferris saves Cameron from drowning and Cameron says, "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero." You have Ferris and Cameron checking out the Ferrari as "Oh Yeah" by Yello (that song that, um...goes "oh yeah") plays. Quite possibly the most famous scene is when Ferris crashes the parade and sings (or rather lip-syncs) "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles. I feel like the whole movie is pretty embedded in pop culture, but that scene in particular is really famous. It's just filled with joy, one of the best scenes of the movie.
So what Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane do on their day off? First, they go to a fancy restaurant- there's identity theft involved, of course. I really like the part when Ferris is monologuing and fourth wall-breaking in the restaurant's bathroom as an old man sits in the bathroom, unbothered. He then realizes that his own father is at this same restaurant, catches a taxi, and just narrowly escapes the restaurant before his father can see him.
They also go to a Cubs game and actually get some screen time on TV. It's funny, because Mr. Rooney, the dean of students, who hates Ferris and wants to get him in trouble, is at a bar looking for Ferris. The TV is on at the bar and you can see Ferris on the TV, but Rooney just so happens to not be watching at that moment. Rooney is the antagonist of the movie, but his constant endeavors to try to punish Ferris are another entertaining element. I especially like when he tries to break into the Bueller's home, eventually going in through the dog door and getting chased by their angry Rottweiler.
This movie serves as a love letter of sorts to the city of Chicago. Hughes said, "I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could. Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit." The trio goes to famous Chicago landmarks like the Willis Tower (well, it was the Sears Tower back then), Wrigley Field, and the Art Institute of Chicago. I went to Chicago over a decade ago, but other than a few passing-through drives, I haven't actually gotten to experience the city since then. This movie makes me want to go and see all the sights in the movie. I hope to go back soon.
Ferris's younger sister, Jeanie, and her character, is another really interesting one. She hates Ferris, jealous of the fact that he manages to get away with everything. When she goes home to assure that he is ditching, she finds Rooney in her house and freaks out because he's an intruder. She's just under a lot of stress and I can relate in some ways to feeling like the overshadowed sibling. Despite her stressing, Jeanie still manages to be pretty sly and sarcastic.
After the parade, they get the Ferrari back after they paid some guys to watch it. Cameron is horrified because the odometer won't hide the fact that they took out the car. He has a bit of a breakdown and ends up destroying the car. Cameron is furious with his father for valuing his car more than his own son, so he takes out his anger on his father's most prized possesion. The characters are also seniors and also talk about what they're going to do after high school, expressing stress and fear that they'll never see each other again. As a senior myself, I can relate. This movie is mostly a lighthearted, fun teen comedy, but I do like how it delves into the more serious themes, what with the themes of parental neglect and fear of the future.
At the end of the movie, Ferris runs home to try to beat his parents and Jeanie home. He makes it home, but not before Rooney can try to get him in trouble. However, Jeanie comes to bail him out. It's nice to see her have a change of heart after the events of the movie. I guess it just goes to say that no matter how mad our siblings get at us, they'll always have our backs. Ferris's parents find their son back in bed as if nothing ever happened, and you're left speechless at how he managed to pull off such a stunt.
This movie is one of my favorites because it's just so much fun to watch. It's not anything super deep or thought-provoking, but it's a thoroughly entertaining movie. I think it's extremely clever and smart, and you're left constantly wanting to know what will happen next. I've only seen it twice, but I can tell it's a movie I'll be able to watch over and over again. I said in the last MOVIE TALK that I likely wouldn't give any movie I was watching for the first time a 10/10, because my favorite movies are always the ones that hold up upon repeated viewings. However, this isn't my first time watching this movie, so I'm gonna give Ferris Bueller's Day Off a 10/10. If you've never seen it before, I really think it's a must-watch, especially if you like 80s movies and/or teen movies.
Next week, it's time for another round of Kpop Crash Course, the series where I attempt to delve into a musical genre I only partially know. As for the next MOVIE TALK, I don't know when it will be up, nor do I know what movie it will be on. I'd like to keep this going once a month, so it will be up sometime in March. But for next week, we've got kpop, and then I'm gonna talk about Pokemon again because the Saturday after next is March 7th, my birthday, and I can't imagine a better way to celebrate then to talk about something I love so much. I'm Stellar, and I'll see you all again next Saturday, February 29th.
Stellar
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