THE REWATCHABLES · April 21, 2020
A 1986 comedy / romance / teen directed by John Hughes, covered in the complete Rewatchables archive.
ON THIS EPISODE
FROM THE CONVERSATION
WHY IT WORKS
WHAT DID NOT WORK
SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO
Ferris performs his sickness routine for the camera and the parents, setting up the movie's comic style.
About 24 minCameron argues with himself before going along, then punches the car in frustration.
About 24 minFerris picks Sloan up in the Ferrari while Rooney is nearby and misses the obvious deception.
About 32 minFerris talks his way into the restaurant by pretending to be Abe Froman, the sausage king of Chicago.
About 32 minThe parking attendants take the Ferrari for a joyride while the Star Wars music plays, creating a huge comic payoff.
About 32 minThe movie pauses for an emotional, music-driven art museum sequence that works better than expected.
About 32 minCameron's rage culminates in the car's destruction, which the hosts debate as justified or reckless.
About 40 minFerris jumps into the parade and lip-syncs, producing a euphoric crowd-pleasing sequence.
About 40 minFerris races home to beat his family, with quick jokes involving his parents and sister.
About 48 minWHERE THEY DISAGREED
Chris RyanFerris is the protagonist, but Cameron explains why the movie keeps rewarding rewatching.
Sean FennesseyFerris is the hero, but viewers relate more to Cameron.
Bill SimmonsFerris drives the movie, though Cameron has become more interesting over time.
Bill SimmonsNo; the city logistics, parade, restaurant, and game make the timeline impossible.
Chris RyanNo; parade traffic and travel times are absurd.
Sean FennesseyNo; the whole thing feels like a fantasy or dream.
Bill SimmonsMixed; he understands the anger but thinks the act is extreme and maybe unjustified.
Chris RyanNo; Cameron is a wounded teenager, not a homicidal maniac.
Bill SimmonsThe first 40 minutes are stronger and funnier.
Chris RyanAgrees the first half is slightly better, though the whole film works.
Calls it one of the best comedies of the 1980s and one of the most rewatchable and timeless movies ever.
Opening minutesArgues Ferris is the star but Cameron is what viewers identify with and what makes the movie richer on rewatch.
Opening minutesSays the movie is definitely Ferris's, but he loves it more for Cameron each time he watches it.
Opening minutesTreats the opening as one of the most iconic setups in comedy because it instantly tells you the movie's tone.
About 24 minSays Hughes is excellent at social observation, relationships, and creating believable friendship dynamics.
About 8 minPicks the Ferrari driving scene with the guys' ecstatic faces as one of the funniest moments in the movie.
About 32 minArgues the museum scene should fail but works because of the music and Cameron's emotional turn.
About 32 minEnjoys the scene cinematically but questions Cameron's morality and sees his rage as extreme.
About 40 minLikes the end-of-day sprint and the quick interactions with the two sunbathing girls and his family.
About 48 minSays the film captures Chicago and suburban life, especially the first warm day of the year.
About 16 minArgues the movie may have the best use of pop music in film because the songs feel inseparable from the scenes.
About 48 minSays Broderick's career never again matched this level of magnetism and that this role set him apart.
About 8 minEven though it is absurd and corny, he still gets goosebumps from the parade sequence.
About 40 minSees Jeannie as a strong comic character and an effective counterweight to Ferris's games.
About 48 minTreats Ferris's monologue and advice to the audience as an iconic comedic device that sells the movie immediately.
About 24 minDescribes the movie as almost a philosophy movie or fantasy about freedom and selfhood.
About 24 minThe hosts argue Ferris has become a cultural attitude and symbol of freedom more than a realistic teenager.
Opening minutesCameron is framed as the character viewers identify with most, and as the movie's deepest source of feeling.
Opening minutesHughes is praised for understanding friendship, parents and children, teachers and students, and the dynamics of power.
About 8 minThe movie functions as a suburban escape fantasy, combining city adventure, good weather, sports, and freedom from school.
About 16 minThe movie grossed about $70 million on a $6 million budget.
About 40 minRoger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and called it warmhearted and innocent.
About 40 minGene Siskel disliked the movie, partly over Chicago-related grievances.
About 40 minA deleted scene involved Ferris cashing in a bond and making it seem like he was stealing from his father.
About 1:04Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey were engaged before the movie's release.
About 1:04The parade performance used Kenny Ortega's choreography.
About 1:04Ben Stein's lecture was partly improvised, and student laughter helped keep the scene as filmed.
About 1:04The Ferrari used in the film was a replica, and Ferrari later sued the replica maker.
About 1:04The same restaurant, Chez Louis, appears in The Blues Brothers and St. Elmo's Fire.
About 1:04The film's ending bus scene was originally cut from the movie and placed over the credits.
About 1:04Used as a Hughes comparison point, especially for Cameron's character lineage and school dynamics.
Opening minutesReferenced in the 'Cameron's imagination' internet theory analogy.
Opening minutesUsed to compare Ferris/Cameron to MJ/Pippen and Jerry Krause/Rooney.
Opening minutesCited as another major Matthew Broderick hit.
Opening minutesUsed to show Broderick's later persona shifting toward insecure men.
About 8 minMentioned as part of Broderick's strong later career.
About 8 minAnother example of Broderick's strong later supporting work.
About 8 minUsed as a metaphor for Siskel doubling down on a contrarian criticism.
About 40 minCited as a later Hughes work that extends his cultural reach.
About 8 minUsed in the restaurant trivia note about Chez Louis appearing in multiple 80s films.
About 1:04Another film using Chez Louis in a famous 80s scene.
About 1:04Used as an example of the impersonation-and-phone comedy device.
About 32 minAnother impersonation comedy comparison.
About 32 minCited as the TV adaptation-like alternative that felt closer to Ferris Bueller than the actual show.
About 1:04Referenced as another classic one-day or youth-fantasy film in discussion of college and timeline vibes.
About 1:12Ferris and Cameron use a fake identity on the phone to scare or confuse adults, with Bill repeatedly quoting the exchange.
About 32 minCameron argues with himself and then goes along, which becomes a recurring joke and character insight.
About 24 minThe hosts note how widely the deadpan teacher and his repeated line were quoted after the movie.
About 24 minThe hosts joke that Cameron's father is an awful parent and use that to explain the Ferrari destruction.
About 40 minBill repeatedly challenges the logistics of cramming Chicago into one school day.
About 32 min“Life moves pretty fast.”About 24 min
“Bueller? Bueller?”About 24 min
“You're an asshole!”About 32 min
“You're not dying.”About 24 min
“He's a righteous dude.”About 24 min
MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Three movies to watch before Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and three to watch next.
ON THE MIC
Bill SimmonsThe Rewatchables
Chris RyanThe Rewatchables
Sean FennesseyThe RewatchablesREWATCH FAVS
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