Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

I would venture to say, that many filmmakers out there, hope to see their work reach iconic status when they set out to make a particular motion picture. Which is an ambitious but understandable goal. After all, who wouldn’t want their movie to be a beloved piece of art, one that people fawn over on a regular basis and look back upon with nothing but joy in their heart. And ironically enough, there is a tangible checklist that filmmakers can go through in order to create a movie that people remember. For it needs to feature a unique and powerful story, one that people have never seen before, and it should also captivate our imagination and offer up some dynamic characters that stand out from the rest.

If anything, that short checklist is why we are seeing films that push the envelope like never before in this day and age as various writers and directors work to meet that criteria and enjoy silver screen immortality. But the only problem with this push to be remembered, is the sheer fact that there is a little more that goes into making a film, iconic, then just checking off boxes that a marketing company has deemed to be ‘the answer’. Which means that in order to truly become legendary, the story in question has to resonate with the audience on a personal level. It has to give us something to outright relate to, be it a memory or a feeling, and that’s why some of these big budget attempts at motion picture history do well at the box office but are quickly forgotten, because they simply don’t have the heart required to become a genuine classic. But if there’s one movie that filmmakers who wish to achieve that iconic status should look at to use a blueprint for their future works, it should be the one that managed to accomplish everything we’ve discussed so far; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Yeah, this is a great flick and one that you’ll definitely watch if it is on the air, but is it really ‘iconic’? Well the answer to that question is yes, for several reasons. First and foremost, it really does offer up a unique plot and something we really hadn’t ever seen before when it came out; an accurate look at the day in the life of an American teenager. Granted, there are plenty of 80s flicks that cover this topic, but not like this. For this movie really encapsulates the wonder of those final days of high school. Where we were ready to take on the world and leave the institution behind and we wanted nothing more than to just get a taste of adulthood on our own, and that’s precisely what Ferris does in this motion picture and it’s wonderful to re-live those magnificent memories vicariously through Ferris.

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Plus, this is a story that truly does feature some incredibly dynamic and realistic characters. After all, we either were Ferris in high school or knew a guy or a gal like him, that person that everyone loved and admired and always had the perfect idea in mind for any situation and the relatability factor people wise, doesn’t end with Ferris. Because Cameron and Sloan are another pair of characters that feel painfully familiar from our high school days, since we knew that kid like Cameron who was always on edge or the cool gal like Sloan who always went with the flow and having characters like them present, and to a lesser extent, jerks like Rooney, really does help to create a functional world that we can get lost within. Yet at the same time, while this trip down memory lane runs the risk of bringing about bad memories, the story’s desire to focus upon the joy of those days is really its greatest accomplishment.
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Because as I made mention of a moment ago, iconic films need to evoke an emotional response and being able to look fondly upon the past is a wonderful way to do that. Yet at the same time, this movie also deserves serious kudos for being able to look at the flip side of that era in our lives as well. For Camerons’s difficult plight with his father and even Jeanie’s struggle to be noticed by her parents resonates with the audience in surprisingly positive fashion. Because in many ways, those issues suddenly pale in comparison to the things we deal with as adults, and seeing these internal battles almost makes the viewer swell with pride over how far they’ve come in conquering some of those issues from their past.

But while these are some powerful storytelling elements in their own right, what truly makes this movie worth our while, is that it is a lot of fun. Because we do get to go on a grand adventure with Ferris and his buddies and the comedy that results from their shenanigans is simply top notch. In fact, the jokes here are some of John Hughes’ finest for certain and even after all these years, their timing and their delivery work in flawless fashion on screen and well, all of these elements truly do make this movie an instant classic. For it really is timeless in nature, since it does capture the plight of the American teenager, and it is filled to the brim with beautiful moments and incredible performances and if by some off chance you haven’t seen this one yet, please do. Because this film really is quite the pleasant delight, and it really does have the ability to resurrect the finest memories in our mind from an era in time that is long gone.  

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