|
Ferris
Bueller's Day Off (DVD) Review
By Britt Gillette
One of a handful of films which epitomizes the
1980s decade, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off captured the imagination of
high school kids all across America as they dreamt of mimicking the
title character’s ability to manipulate the authority figures in his
life. Written and directed by John Hughes, the brains behind The
Breakfast Club (1985) and numerous other 1980’s cult classics, Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off launched Matthew Broderick’s acting career into
another dimension. In fact, Broderick garnered a Golden Globe
nomination for his outstanding performance. It’s a nomination more
than worthy of mention, because it’s the strength of the Ferris
Bueller character that made this film such a smash hit.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off follows a day in the
life of high school senior Ferris Bueller. Nearing graduation, he’s
intent on living his life to the fullest (although preferably outside
the confines of school). So Ferris takes a planned day of vacation
with his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and after a little coaxing, his
best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) joins them. Against Cameron’s better
judgment, the three drive his father’s prized Ferrari into the windy
city of Chicago for a day of fine dining, baseball, museums, and
spontaneous fun. Meanwhile, Ferris may have successfully fooled his
parents into believing he’s deathly ill, but high school principal Ed
Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) and Ferris’s jealous sister Jeanie (Jennifer
Grey) are not so easy. Intent on shattering his golden boy image, each
one is hot on his trail, anxious to expose his web of deceit once and
for all.
With a number of hilarious scenes, such as
Cameron’s feeble attempt to reverse the mileage on his father’s
Ferrari, the film earns its reputation as an elite classic of the
80’s, on par with hits like Back To The Future (1985), The Breakfast
Club (1985), and Weird Science (1985). The film does have its
off-the-wall moments, such as when Ferris takes over a parade and
starts singing while thousands of spectators engage in synchronized
dancing. You wouldn’t see such a sequence in a contemporary film, and
like similar scenes from The Blues Brothers, it tends to date the
film. But the strength of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is not its timeless
humor, but the likeability of Ferris Bueller himself. Ferris is a cool
guy. He doesn’t put anyone down, but only looks for the best in
people. More importantly, he manipulates his parents into thinking
he’s the perfect embodiment of innocence while he skips school and
goes joyriding! Every child of the 80’s wanted to be Ferris Bueller,
and the wide appeal of his life philosophy is timeless, which is why
the film continues to enjoy success with each new generation.
Further solidifying the movie’s status as a
landmark of its decade is the soundtrack, which is certainly one of
the more diverse and interesting of its time. Where else can you find
The Beatles, Wayne Newton, the theme to Star Wars, and the 80’s
classic ‘Oh Yeah’ by Yello all wrapped up into one movie which moves
seamlessly from one scene to the next? Throw in a few future Hollywood
stars in Kristy Swanson, Ben Stein, and Charlie Sheen (who stayed
awake for over two days so he could achieve the desired drugged out
expression for his character), and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off transforms
into the quintessential cult classic. Even after two decades, this
film is just as entertaining as when it first premiered.
|
