Year:
1986
Studio:
Paramount Pictures
Feature:
4/5
DVD:
3/5
Another movie that
I first saw Freshman year in college (1989-1990). This is a really cool
movie about a senior in high school. Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)
is bright and gregarious, a friend to all and able to outwit everybody.
As the name of the movie suggests, Ferris takes a day off from school,
convincing his parents that he's sick. He talks his best friend Cameron
(Alan Ruck) in joining him and together they spring his girlfriend
Sloane (Mia Sara) from class.
The three go and do everything there is to do in Chicago, or at least
do a lot. Go to a skyscraper, a Cubs game, visit the museum,
participate in the German Day parade, eat at a fancy restaurant, and
probably one or two other things I missed. I missed this in the movie
but Writer/Director John Hughes says in the commentary that one reason
for this one-day vacation is that Ferris wants to help Cameron get over
some of his hangups.
Anyway, it's not all fun and games because Ferris has two people after
him. The first is the high school principal, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones).
Rooney knows deep down that Bueller is making a fool of him and he's
determined to unmask the kid. Bueller is his freaking white whale.
Meanwhile Ferris' sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey before the operation),
is sick and tired of Ferris getting away with everything so she's going
home to catch him in the act.
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This is the greatest Skip Day movie
ever. I used to only skip on my birthday and I'd drag my friends and
we'd go to CSUS and play games at the Student Union. Then senior I
stopped caring about school. Probably still didn't skip more than ten
days but compared to before I was a lunatic. We'd go to the movies or
the mall or just to different places. Nothing ever as extravagant as
this movie but skipping school is a time-honored tradition.
This movie is a comedy though not a relatively subtle comedy which I
like better than the over-the-top funny that most comedic movies try to
be. I love the song routines at the parade. Sure it's lip syncing but
Danke Schoen is nice and Twist and Shout is energetic. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a
classic.
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