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Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Matthew Broderick stars in John Hughes' portrayal of one wily teenager's epic day off high school during which he sweet talks and swindles his way around Chicago
Back in 1986 Mathew Broderick was still dizzy from the success of the medieval fantasy Ladyhawke. Here he pursues an equally timeless fantasy - trashing the work ethic. Ferris (Broderick) his girlfriend Sloane (Sara) and their mate Cameron (Ruck) bunk off school and hit downtown Chicago for a day of full-on fun. They commandeer Cameron's Dad's Ferrari, climb the Sears Tower, crash a restaurant and, in one of the most memorable sequences in any Hughes film, Ferris leads a German marching band through a version of 'Twist 'N' Shout', pursued by the villain of the piece, the high school dean (Jones). With the advantage of hindsight, parts of the film look like epic advertisements to 1980s consumerism. But as the kids skive for their right to party it emerges that Ferris's plan is to help Cameron achieve a sense of perspective on his fraught relationship with his father, and that rather than advocating fun without responsibility, Hughes is decrying responsibility without fun. Spoilsport! Verdict There are some great comic set pieces with a seize-the-day vibe for teens. Broderick is amiably charismatic and high school dean Jones almost matches him in comic skill. |
