Sunday, August 17, 2014

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Director: John Hughes
Writer:    John Hughes
Cast:       Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara

A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the principal thinks of that.

I think all of us have done it: faking sickness to skip a day from school. But most of us will be happy staying in the bed but Ferris Bueller has other ideas. This is the ninth sick leave he has taken and he wants to make it count. He takes his girlfriend and his best friend to Chicago city in a Ferrari that is treasured by his friend's father. His principal is out there to bust him so that the other students don't follow his lead and Ferris' meddling elder sister (highly relatable) is also on his case. What follows is a love letter to Chicago and also a message for us all to follow in our lives from Ferris himself: 'Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!'

It is a film that gets referenced a lot in popular culture and it is another one for which I have to thank RAWK. I saw it mentioned sometime back but opted to watch John Hughes 'Breakfast Club' instead as it had better ratings. I saw it referenced again today when I was going through RAWK's funniest posts, in which this gem from the legendary 'Grifter' was there:

"Purchase Next trousers to match purple Jasper Conran shirt. Bensons in shirt pocket. Enter club. Drink Stella. Loiter on periphary of dance-floor. Dance on your own like a bevied twat to some shite Techno anthem. Spot a portly tart looking left out bacause her mates are prettier. Lie and tell her she's prettier than her mates. Buy her Breezer. Zoom by Fat Larry's band. Press erect knob into her thigh during slowy. Share kebab outside. Bum in the park. Exchange love bites if you reside in Dewsbury. Marry. Make a casette of her favourite songs as a present for her because you're a c*nt. Live a life of misery and deleting browsing history. Rent lock-up garage. Dissolve wife in steel drum of acid in garage. Appeal on TV blubbing for her to return. Apply to enter Mastermind , specialist subject the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Die." 

Even though the film is from the 80s it really felt like a 90s film with the goofy soundtrack and technical flourishes. Some people might be put off by the sudden philosophical turn that it takes with the Cameron character (Ferris' best friend) deciding to let go off his fear and take a stand against his bourgeoisie parents. I didn't mind that since the character is developed well towards it from the beginning itself. Ferris is the cool kid that we all know from the school without any care in the world. He constantly breaks the fourth wall explaining his methods to us. The end credits is also great and watch till it ends because there is a small scene after that. I really wanted the film to go on.

It is certainly one of the best comedy in the coming-of-age genre. There are plenty of memorable scenes like 'Anyone, anyone-supply side economics lecture', attendance, end credits itself etc. It will leave you smiling long after you have finished watching  it.

Rating: 4.5/5

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