From Pretty in Pink to The Breakfast Club, John Hughes is the man behind many of the most beloved entries in the high school comedy subgenre. Arguably his most iconic entry in the high school movie pantheon is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a cinematic ode to “carpe diem” about a popular senior ditching school to spend the day in Chicago with his friends.
Although many comedies of the 1980s have aged horribly, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remains a timeless gem to this day. Multiple elements still hold up all these years later, such as the pitch-perfect performances, the sharp script, and its rewatchability.
Every Joke Lands
A comedy that only has a couple of jokes that land will only withstand one or two viewings, but when every joke lands, the movie never gets old. That’s the case with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, whose every hilarious scene leads into another hilarious scene.
From Ferris’ droning teacher saying, “Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...” to Ferris telling the camera, “Here’s where Cameron goes berserk,” every gag in Ferris Bueller still lands.
Matthew Broderick’s Lead Performance Is Ridiculously Charming
Ferris Bueller is a fantastic character, but the casting could’ve easily gone wrong. It couldn’t have been easy to find an actor charming enough to convincingly have an entire high school obsessed with them.
But Matthew Broderick ended up being the perfect choice. He’s more than charismatic enough to sell Ferris’ suave attitude. His performance is just as much of a joy to watch today as it was back in 1986.
The Tone Is Wonderfully Escapist
Stealing a Ferrari and driving to Chicago is a lot more grounded than blowing up the Death Star or going back in time, but Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is just as wonderfully escapist as Star Wars and Back to the Future.
Audiences can ignore their problem for a couple of hours and enjoy the laidback, carefree joys of a teenager having the day off.
It Has A Nice Lean Runtime
The most rewatchable movies tend to have a nice, lean runtime, especially comedies. Judd Apatow’s Funny People is an agreeable movie, but it’s almost as long as Pulp Fiction. None of John Hughes’ movies have this problem.
In the writing, shooting, and editing of all his movies, Hughes identified the fat and got rid of it. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off clocks in at 103 minutes and it doesn’t waste a second of it.
Tak Fujimoto’s Cinematography Beautifully Captures Chicago
While it technically falls into John Hughes’ library of high school movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off spends a lot more time in Chicago than it does in high school. Hughes made the movie as a love letter to the city.
Cinematographer Tak Fujimoto captures the city beautifully, incorporating a bunch of different landmarks, like Wrigley Field, the Sears Tower, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
The Post-Credits Scene Is Hilarious
In Marvel movies and all the blockbusters trying to emulate them, post-credits scenes are used to set up spin-offs and sequels. But before they were used for corporate synergy, they could be used to tag a joke on the end of the movie.
In the hysterical post-credits scene of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, a confused Ferris appears in his bathrobe to tell the remaining audience members to go home because the movie’s over.
Jeanie’s Bitterness Is Painfully Relatable
Everybody would like to think they’re Ferris, but the most relatable character in this movie is his bitter sister Jeanie. We’ve all felt overshadowed by someone cooler and more charming.
One year before taking center stage in Dirty Dancing, Jennifer Grey gave a hilarious performance as Jeanie trying to catch out her truant brother.
The Fourth-Wall-Breaking Was Ahead Of Its Time
Thanks to the success of the Deadpool movies, breaking the fourth wall has become commonplace. Outside of the Monty Python canon, fourth-wall-breaking wasn’t really being done when John Hughes helmed Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Ferris’ intimate relationship with the audience makes the movie a more engaging viewing experience, and its use of the device was arguably ahead of its time.
The Message Of Ferris’ “Life Moves Pretty Fast” Monologue Is Timeless
Ferris delivers the most iconic line near the end of the movie: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
The take-home message from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is to live in the present and enjoy every moment. This philosophy is still just as relevant today as it was in 1986. It might even be more relevant now, as people are getting more and more distracted by social media.
It’ll Withstand Countless Viewings
Most movies will hold up to about two or three viewings before they begin to grow stale or boring or predictable. But there are some movies so terrible that they won’t hold up to a single full viewing and there are also a handful of near-perfect movies that don’t have this problem at all and can be viewed again and again.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off falls into the latter category. Ferris’ adventures through Chicago can be enjoyed over and over and over. There are so many great gags in the movie that it never gets old.