Culture

Classic Film

I once asked my family if I could skip school and stay at home; unfortunately, they said no. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off always makes me wonder if my hypothetical day off would have been as cool as his. Probably not. I mean, I asked if I could stay at home. Sooo not “choice” of me.

Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) decides that it’s too beautiful of a Chicago day to be spent taking a test on European Socialism. He manages to convince his parents, as well as the whole town, that he’s ill, despite the disbelief of his sister and the Dean of Students, Edward Rooney. Ferris then forces his best friend, Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), to help get his girlfriend, Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara), out of class. Cameron hesitantly agrees and impersonates Sloane’s father, informing Rooney that her grandmother has died. Plot twist: she’s been alive this whole time!

What ensues will make you laugh and feel as though you’re in Chicago with the trio as they eat pancreas, visit an art museum, and sing on a parade float. Did I also mention that they drive around in a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder convertible? In some ways, the moral of the film is, if you’re going to skip school, do it with style. Don’t fall into the trap of, you know, suggesting to your family that you should skip school and stay at home all day.

While some reviewers panned the film for being too self-indulgent and disliked the protagonist’s “rebel without a cause” personality, this film is a classic. It’s a fountain of unforgettable, impressive quotes, and the parade float scene remains etched in time. Matthew Broderick perfectly describes the film as a “lightning flash of your life” and I personally think this film should be appreciated for what it is: a moment of youthful freedom shared with your very best friends. As Ferris Bueller says, “life moves pretty fast; if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” and that is valuable advice we should all remember.