Ferris Bueller was my hero during high school, as he was for many others especially during the 80s era in which the film is so obviously set. I was never that rebellious during my high school years, and how could I have been when my dad was the school truancy officer? I could only ever dream of coming close to what Ferris does by wagging a day of school, borrowing his best friends ferrari, screwing over the villainous Mr. Rooney and somehow not getting caught. Ferris Bueller was an icon for his generation becuase he did what everyone wanted to do but knew they never could, and damn did he do it in style.
I found the film very entertaining from the first time I saw it and although many of the clever jokes would have gone over my head when I was 14 years old, the fun nature of the film sucked me right in. It's fair to say that Matthew Broderick was typecast following this film but there's no denying that Ferris Bueller will always be his most memorable role. The cheeky manner in which he delivers Ferris' monologues to camera are wonderfully handled and this playful manner is carried through the entire film ensuring that it becomes utterly impossible not to love Ferris.
It must be said that Ferris Bueller is also greatly enhanced by the skillful direction of John Hughes, a legend of this genre during the 80s, who never came close to matching the dizzying heights of this mini teen masterpiece. Hughes showcases a precise use of the camera and a wonderfully written script with extremely well defined, memoralbe characters. This lifts the quality of the film to a level above all other teen comedies and whilst you won't see it in many other top tens, I consistently watch it and find it to be supremely enjoyable on each viewing. Make no mistake, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a perfect film, both of its genre and in general...
Here's a scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off...
