If there ever was a case of truancy, this is it.  “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, from director John Hughes (“16 Candles”, “The Breakfast Club”) and starring Matthew Broderick, is probably the best “teen” film ever made. I first watched it some 10 years ago, but looking back at it today, I think it has lost none of its charm. And though essentially a comedy, the film cleverly shows the essence of life as a teenager, a time when you’re not too old to have a day off. Broderick plays Bueller, the most popular guy in school who decides to skip school one morning and spend the day touring around Chicago with his girlfriend, and best pal Cameron. You might think this is just another routine comedy, but truth be told, it’s much more than that. Cameron is probably the character most people identify with: uptight, confused, afraid to stand up to his parents. I think eveyone has a part of Cameron in them, while no one is ever really Ferris; he’s the guy that the Camerons of the world have to put up with: he gets away with everything (even the principal can’t seem to put his hands on him), has perfect grades, perfect family, and he’s always in a good mood. The best thing about him though is that he knows all of that, and he’s taking the day off to make it up to his best friend. As he so famously puts it: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”.

With a great cast, memorable soundtrack, John Hughes’ wonderful script and direction, and impressive cinematography, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is one of the greatest movies of the 80’s. It’s almost timeless, and I honestly can’t see too many things that would have prevented this from appearing fresh, even after all these years. A caller ID maybe?

Save Ferris!

Rating: 3.5/4