Ferris feigns illness to get out of school for a day. He looks outside, sees it's a beautiful day and gets his perpetually ill friend Cameron to pick him up to spend the day in downtown Chicago. They pick up Ferris' girlfriend Sloane at school with the old dead grandmother excuse. Mind you, Principal Ed Rooney, who is the archetypal nasty Principal, knows that Ferris is skipping school for fun, not illness, and is determined as heck to catch him out, put a black mark against his name and deter any more potential Ferris Buellers. Bueller is always one step ahead of him, but can he go the whole day without being caught? Yet another film by John Hughes that involves teenage shenanigans and the 'Brat Pack', Ferris Bueller's Day Off is probably the best movie Hughes ever made. It is immensely hard not to like this film, it is funny, features a great main character in Ferris, and it has a terrific baddie in Principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones). Much of the mirth derived in this film is through watching Ferris (Matthew Broderick) evade capture time and time again. He is supported by an excellent cast in the shape of Cameron (Alan Ruck) and Sloane (Mia Sara) who are swept up in Ferris' antics. Good regard must as be extended to Jennifer Grey - Ferris' self pitying sister Jeanie who comes good at the end.. Throughout the film, school is portrayed as deathly boring - with a boot camp style gym class and a really tedious economics class. Ferris frequently talks to the viewers (breaking the fourth wall) and there is a lot of very quotable dialogue for all the hipsters. Highly regarded by critics as a terrific portrayal of freedom and enjoyment of life, Ferris Bueller has a very high watchability factor in that repeat viewings enhance the movie for the viewer. It is just one of those films you can watch over and over again. A brilliant teen comedy with oodles of class. Which is your favourite Brat Pack movie? Share your thoughts in the comments thread below.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
