Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Okay, not going to lie to you guys, I was pretty stuck for what I was going to write about this week. This week has been a fairly busy week for me which means I haven't had the chance to watch any films or play any games or read any books or whatever. You see, I've just gone back to work at my Students Union after it being closed for a couple of weeks; I've also started this new crazy thing called going to the gym which takes up a surprising amount of time; then come Wednesday night, which is usually my designated night to choose a topic, mother nature decided to fuck me in the ass and unleash a downpour of such magnitude that it came crashing through my ceiling, much akin to the Kool Aid guy. So the next few days meant I was resigned to screaming down the phone at my property manager trying to get them to send someone out to fix my shitty roof. So when I suddenly realised that today was Friday and I hadn't written anything, I immediately grabbed my laptop to whip up a post! Alas, not a single topic came to mind. But then, like a shining beacon of light, I flicked on my television set and what should be on?! Well, you've probably already guessed given the title of this post but I shall dramatically reveal it anyway!

Ferris Beuller's Day Off

I always think he's wearing a leopard print cardigan and get
really sad when I realise that that is not the case.

I'm sure we've all see Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but if not, the plot is pretty simple. A high school slacker is determined to have a day off from school, despite of what the principal thinks. There, a guy takes the day off school. Packed full of 80's goodness, Ferris Beuller's Day Off is perfect for any occasion. Personally, I think it's great when you're sick and off school or work, somewhat ironically.

Unlike Mean Girls 2, FBDO has many quotable lines.

So imagery, much metaphor.

The cast of this movie pull off their characters fantastically and although the movie is named after the main character, I want to chat about Ferris' best bud and partner in crime, Cameron (featured above here displaying some awfully colourful language). I find Cameron absolutely hilarious and perhaps a bit more relatable than I really should. He's neurotic, anxious and is easily persuaded (read: manipulated by best friend Ferris). He's introduced to the audience as legitimately ill and feeling like he's going to die when Ferris calls him up, the little skiver, and more or less bullies him into come out. Then he proceeds to debate with himself whether or not he should go and this scene is gold. He has probably the most character development throughout the film and arguably the most interesting character arc. He has an incredibly tense relationship with his father and self esteem issues. In another scene which I really love, the gang (being Ferris, Ferris' girlfriend Sloane and Cameron) end up in an art gallery and Cameron is found staring at a piece of artwork. The closer he stares at the little boy in the picture, the less he can see of it which is a great reflection of the way that Cameron feels about himself.

"A white t-shirt and some jeans, why, what are you wearing?"

But side-kicks aside, let's get on to Ferris! My friend who was watching the film with me pointed out that she finds Ferris quite a bit of a dick - which is pretty true! He is a bit of a dick! But he's a loveable dick. He usually has his intentions in the right place, for all  he has bullied Cameron into hanging out (despite being deathly ill) and coerced him into taking his fathers beloved Ferrari out for a joy ride, he just wanted to show Cameron a good day. Although it wasn't exactly an entirely selfless act as Ferris had much less to lose than Cameron. There is something about Ferris that people seem to gravitate to. He's quick, he's witty and he's funny. He doesn't belong to one strict clique, he is neither jock nor geek nor anything to that effect. As Grace says, “Oh, well, he's very popular, Ed. The sportos, sluts, bloods, geeks, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads, they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.” He's simply cool and he is a person that I aspire to be (dick-ish-ness aside, of course). The entire school, upon hearing of Ferris' absence, leads the students to generate ever growing elaborate reasons behind his not being in school. At one point a student is seen collecting money to fund a new kidney for Ferris, coining the phrase 'Save Ferris'. Fun fact, there was a t-shirt I really wanted that had 'Save Ferris' written on it but unfortunately it was expensive and shipped from America, therefore the shipping cost was more expensive than the actual product. Curse my ever empty purse. Rhymes! His girlfriend Sloane does have her moments, but I can't really think of anything to actually say anything about her, but at least she's pretty.

The 80s, all bundled up into one handy image.

The whole host of supporting character hold up pretty nicely as well. The scenes containing the secretary Grace are all absolutely golden; the bitter dialogue of sister Jeanie, who spends the majority of the film trying spite her bother; the Wile E. Coyote-esque slapstick humour derived from the somewhat demented Principle Ed Rooney as he scrambles around the city trying to prove once and for all that Ferris is a lying skiver. Even down to the bizarre cameo from Charlie Sheen pre-tiger blood. I have read various reviews slamming Ferris Bueller's Day Off, saying that it doesn't hold up as well as other John Hughes films after the test of time has been applied; that scenes that don't directly contain Ferris himself fall flat; straight up saying that the film simply isn't funny. I suppose I can see where these opinions are stemming from, but understanding or not, I will disagree because where the humour doesn't appeal to these particular people offering their critique, it certainly does appeal to me.   

Lastly, let's be honest, unnecessary and spontaneous musical numbers are the best. Who doesn't like a little sing song along to "Twist and Shout"? If you said yourself, then you are lying. Come on. Here on The Pop Culture Cynic, we don't judge. Wait, that's a horrible lie. We judge, we mock and we pretend to know what we're talking about. But that generally only applies to, as the title suggest, Pop Culture things! So you should be safe. For now.

And on that cheery note, I shall wrap things up! Till next week o'faithful readers.