Review of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) by Filipeneto — 16 Jan 2022

This movie is a light and fun comedy that takes us back to school days. After all, who hasn't wanted to take a day off and simply enjoy their youth? I think all teens have felt this urge, and often have, or played sick for one more day to themselves. What, surely, will never have happened is something as complex and sophisticated as what Ferris Bueller decided to do.

The film is fun and uses a tasteful comedy style, without good resources, able to delight the whole family. John Hughes assures a firm and intelligent direction, who guides the film with skill, combining a creative and intelligent story with a very well written and thought out sense of humor.

The still young and inexperienced Matthew Broderick does a good job as the protagonist, and is already showing signs of the talent he will develop in mature works. He knew how to give his character a strong charisma, combined with a rebelliousness and stubbornness typical of a teenager who has been pampered too much. Mia Sara did an equally competent job, even though she's a more cliché character: she's the pretty, popular girlfriend, who's obviously also one of the school's cheerleaders. We find characters like her in virtually every teen comedy! Personally, I didn't like Alan Ruck very much. The actor is good and does what he can, but the character is irritating with all his spoiled rich boy whining. However, it's not just Broderick that makes the movie worthwhile: Jeffrey Jones' incredible work also deserves applause. He gave life to the school principal, who wants to prove that Ferris Bueller is deliberately skipping classes, and at the expense of that, he goes through a series of hilarious situations where, of course, he suffers hard. It's an impressive work by this actor, which makes us laugh until we cry.

Technically, it's a film that doesn't have any major demerits, but it also has little that stands out: it has good cinematography, an excellent soundtrack and a series of witty and well-written dialogues, but everything else is within the standard you would expect from a 80s comedy.