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Many film actors have iconic roles which the public will forever associate them with. Sean Connery as James Bond, Gene Hackman as Popeye Doyle and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter are a few notable examples amongst the vast array of classic characters film has bestowed upon us. Matthew Broderick's Ferris Bueller is another such illustration of a career-defining portrayal and the Broadway expert justifies his reputation admirably as the high school skiver who decides to take a day off from the monotony of academia. After recruiting his girlfriend and his best pal on a bright spring day, the resulting journey is a great commentary on how the average middle-class, suburban, white youth coped with Reagan-era America. Writer (the script was written in six days!) and director John Hughes punches right to the core of the human spirit - to be free and escape the ramifications, and for this main reason the teenage comedy classic has had an enduring quality for so long. Hollywood has always had numerous adventure yarns exploring the fantastical voyages of discovery people fantasise about but Bueller's escapades occur on his Windy City doorstep. For instance, the average seventeen-year-old schoolboy would not even be able to imagine tackling a snooty waiter in a high-brow restaurant with smart witticisms, let alone pretend to be "Abe Frohman: The Sausage King of Chicago" and have the cheek to steal his table, but Hughes makes the stretched reality work in a charming way that people can still familiarise themselves with today. In addition to successfully defying the structure of the education system, the enormous success of the film is also the result of excellent casting, repeatable one-liners, an actual quasi-tour of Chicago's beautiful cityscape, and a certain Ferrari 250 GT California.
Some people dislike the protagonist because of his obnoxious attitude and excessive self-confidence but Bueller should not be read in this way. Broderick simply embodies the rebellious senior to an outstanding degree as he epitomises an avoidance of authority each of us only dream of in his battle with the hilarious Principal Rooney (played uproariously by Jeffrey Jones), he liberates his friend Cameron (a neurotic Alan Ruck), showcases his classy girlfriend Sloane (a pretty Mia Sara), and plays out a neat Marmite relationship with his sister (Jennifer Grey) stemming from the fact that "she got a car while I only got a computer!". Add some oblivious parents, two 'adventurous' car park employees, Grace the school secretary, and a tedious teacher who utters the immortal lines "Bueller... Bueller..." whilst taking the attendance register and it is easy to see how John Hughes has constructed an outstanding and long-lasting rollercoaster of relevant humour.
The extras
This new and weirdly titled Paramount Special Edition is passable in regards to the new featurettes but why have they dropped the good John Hughes commentary from the standard release? Despite no commentary, the five new featurettes are all good. "Getting the Class Together" is the half hour highlight reuniting the entire cast except for Mia Sara. Lyman Ward (Ferris's dad) has aged worryingly, Cindy Pickett (Ferris's mother) seemingly has nice taste in music with her Pink Floyd t-shirt, and Jennifer Grey looks stunning post-nosejob. "The Making Of Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is a standard fifteen minute look at the production of the film featuring an Alan Ruck explained segment on how they filmed the Ferrari sequences. "Who is Ferris Bueller?" and "Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes" are approximately ten minutes respectively of unearthed anecdotes and backstage clips about the character, but "The World According to Ben Stein" steals the show. Stein plays the economics professor who takes the register, and here he looks back at his career in an amusing way. The former speech writer for President Nixon has apparently been recognised by Kurt Cobain and George Bush before and the famous duo have even done impersonations of his classic "Bueller… Bueller…" line. A photo album rounds off an average package for a Special Edition release, and with no commentary, deleted scenes or longer production documentary it inevitably spoils expectation, even if the featurettes are watchable enough.
The summary
A genuine laugh-a-minute original adolescent comedy suitable for the current crop or the older generations who mastered the art of loafing off school. A sweet and capricious 1980s thrill ride with a modern Tom Sawyeresque protagonist.
