Ferris Bueller's Day Off

BUELLER...? BUELLER...? BUELLER...?

I have reviewed some terrible films, some intelligent films, and some very heavy-going films. Now I have a chance to review a type of film that was very popular in the 1980s - the intelligently stupid comedy. Possibly the greatest of which is 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'.



The film inspired so many teenagers, perhaps not in a very productive way, but it spoke to people.

In the film, we see Matt Broderick playing Ferris, a typical school-hating teenager with ideas somewhat above his station. He decides that on as beautiful a day as the one in the film, school is the last place one should be. Convincing his best friend to help him, and getting his girlfriend out of school by telling the principal that his girlfriend's grandmother has died, they go on an adventure...as long as they are home by 6pm.

The genius of this film is that it doesn't try to be genius. It doesn't try to have some deep meaning like every films seems to have to have, it just shows us exactly what we have always wanted.

As a species, we hate work, and love reasons not to go, and Ferris takes it further than we ever have done. He has the most amazing day one could imagine.
In a day, Ferris -

+ Goes for a very expensive meal, and manages to get it for free.

+ Goes to a baseball game and catches the winning ball.

+ Sings and dances on a parade float, causing the entire city to break into dance.

+ Drives a very rare Ferrari around all day, but unfortunately launches it out of a window, falling around 100ft to the ground.

He is allowed to live a life that others can only dream about, and because it is impossible to hate him, the audience immediately connects with him. We see ourselves having the nerves to do what he does, and it makes us happy.

Ferris is inside all of us, and we need to let him out.


VERDICT - A TRUE 80s GREAT