Is It Worth the Watch?

I hadn’t seen it since I sat in a theatre in 1986, so I figured why not? Rewatching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I was surprised I found it less laugh-out-loud funny than I remembered, but much more charming and even endearing.

Most of the charm is supplied by Matthew Broderick, who is outstanding in the titular role of an irresponsible high school student playing hooky while dragging his friends into outrageous, not to mention improbable, situations. This movie knows what its demographic is looking for, and that it’s every teenager’s wet dream to be this cool, this witty and this able to mock authority so effortlessly. In fact, it’s still kind of my wet dream right now.

Jeffrey Jones is unforgettably inapt as the luckless High School Principle trying to track down his truant student, and Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, and Jennifer Grey as Ferris’ unfortunate tag-along squad are terrific.

John Hughes’ script and direction are stylish and original. And the film’s setting (and shooting location) Chicago has never looked better.

Is It Worth The Watch? It definitely is, but be ready to grin more than guffaw.

1986

103 minutes

Starring – Matthew Broderick, Jeffery Jones, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck, Jennifer Grey

Director- John Hughes

Screenplay – John Hughes