For a full decade, John Hughes was the King of Hollywood. The comedy writer and director first scored with Chevy Chase in Vacation (1983), and the good times continued through 1992 (Beethoven, Home Alone 2).

Hughes never received much critical praise. He was never nominated for an Academy Award. But he laughed all the way to the bank, as his teen-oriented comedies were entertaining, and at times, even inspired.

Perhaps Hughes' most influential film is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It returned The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" to the Top 40, and it helped make stars out of Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey, Charlie Sheen, and Ben Stein. The movie also contained perhaps the best line of any Hughes film: "I weep for the future."

This line has unintended resonance because Broderick's character, Ferris Bueller, is both irresponsible and a successful con artist. While the film's very premise ensures that Ferris will never get caught, his friends and family are not as fortunate.

Ferris' single day hookey from school wrecks a beautiful and nearly priceless automobile. It causes his sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) to get arrested, and his mother to lose an important sale to the "Vermont People." Ferris' principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) is assaulted as well as mauled by a dog. And his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck), is about to be disowned by his father.

All of this seems to be a heavy price to pay for Ferris to skip school for a day. And personally, if Ben Stein was my economics teacher, I wouldn't want to miss a single lecture. Although I could be dissuaded to hang out instead with Ferris' girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara).

It is understandable why Ferris Bueller's Day Off is most enjoyed by teenagers, as is suggested by the user ratings for the film at imdb.com. Ferris doesn't even have a car, yet he completely manipulates his environment for his own amusement. This is a form of empowerment, which is in short supply for unemployed teenagers that are dependent upon the generosity of their parents.

As I am now a generation older than Ferris, I often sympathize more with Principal Rooney. He wants to demonstrate that even a popular student has to pull his own weight, although only in a movie would a principal go to such extremes.

Then again, the story is not plausible from beginning to end. The emotional highlight of the film has Ferris climbing a float and lip-syncing to a pair of songs (even at the time) over twenty years old. Prior to this film, Ferris is probably the only teenager in Chicago who had even heard Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen," which doesn't get much rotation on pop, rock, or alternative stations.

At any rate, even if he isn't arrested for trespass, it does seem odd that the girls on the float with him have apparently rehearsed their choreography with him. Admittedly, suspension of belief is a requisite for musicals. The scene also continues the theme of Ferris' ability to do whatever he wants, and get away with it.

This doesn't explain why Ferris' parents have had such tremendous success in their careers, despite being such clueless and gullible schmucks. By the way, the actors who played his parents (Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward) later wed in real life.

While Ferris Bueller's Day Off certainly has its moments, when taken as a whole it is like eating a Twinkie. It tastes sweet going down, but you feel nauseated afterward. And the same can be said for Hughes' entire body of work. True responsibility is uncinematic, and always will be, but a celebration of irresponsibility seems rather pointless. (41/100)

k@filsmgraded.com, filmsgraded.com


Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8