"Anyone….anyone….anyone…."
Who among my generation (said "X") hears that refrain without laughing? Or at least smirking?
No one, I'll wager. Although I pity Matthew Broderick, who at over 40 years old — and despite many successful comedic and dramatic roles on Broadway, in film, and television — cannot ever, ever escape the typecasting of Ferris Bueller. If I ever have the honor of meeting him, I promise I won't even MENTION Ferris…more than once.
The plot is pretty simple: the high school rascal Ferris Bueller decides to take a day off. Hi-jinks ensue as he ropes in his best friend (the uber-repressed Cameron) and his girlfriend (typical 80's PYT — yawn) to go into Chicago for a day of adventure. Meanwhile his evil principal, representing every small-minded beaurocrat you've had the displeasure to work with, tries to snitch him out; and Ferris' sister (Jenifer Grey at her snarling, bitchy best…wait, you didn't know she does "snarling and bitchy"? Well well well….) rebels against pretty much everything. (Look for the cameo by Charley Sheen, his screen debut, which set millions of hearts a flutter.)
Bueller is like Auntie Mame: he makes no apologies for who he is, enjoys life to the fullest, and always gets his way in the end. Another role model, yes? Aside from the fact that the movie is a lot of fun, it is a great call to action: life may suck, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have fun. Another Buddhist movie! I seem to collect them.
At IMDB: Ferris Bueller's Day Off
