Has it really been three decades since we first joined Ferris Bueller on his ridiculously entertaining, school-skipping adventure in downtown Chicago? My, how time flies. For those of you who grew up on Matthew Broderick’s charismatic, bigger-than-life, infectiously likable bad boy, we have great news for you: Paramount Pictures, Turner Classic Movies, and Fathom Events is bringing “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” back to theaters nationwide on May 15 and May 18.
The great John Hughes wrote and directed this colorful tale of a suave, untouchable high school student who, alongside girlfriend Sloan Peterson (Mia Sara) and bestie Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), would skip school one last time in an effort to create a final, long-lasting memory that they could — hopefully — carry with them throughout the rest of their lives.
With an elaborate plan that would involve fooling his clueless parents (played by Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward), showing up his meddling sister (played by Jennifer Grey), and outwitting snarky principal Rooney (played by a righteously hilarious Jeffrey Jones), Ferris would emerge as the sort of mythical teenager that so many of us could only dream of becoming. He’s reckless and even a bit selfish, but break-out star Broderick would bring a swagger and undeniable charm to the role that would prove to be positively irresistible.
Beyond the wonderfully engaging performances from Broderick, Sara, Ruck, Jones, and scene stealer Edie McClurg (so funny as Rooney’s goofy secretary, Grace), it should also be noted that “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” has a lot to say about what it’s like to be a teenager, particularly during a decade long since vanished. But then, it should come as absolutely no surprise that this outstanding filmmaker is able to lace his pitch-perfect comedy with thoughtfulness and a deep-rooted sense of truth (particularly where Frye is concerned.) Hughes is, after all, the same extraordinarily sensitive and comically gifted storyteller who unleashed “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “Pretty in Pink” upon the world.
For my money, “The Breakfast Club” remains the pinnacle of Hughes’ illustrious career, but “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” sits alongside “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” as his straight up funniest film. Seriously! With lines like “Well, with your bad knee Ed, you shouldn’t throw anybody,” this is one of the most quotable movies of the ’80s!
This special limited run of the beloved 1986 gem is being presented in honor of the film’s 30th anniversary, and there’s no better way to experience it than in a theater full of rambunctious Ferris fans. For the few of you who haven’t seen it, now’s your chance to see it the way it was meant to be seen. For the legions of Bueller disciples who have seen it (that goes for sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, and dickheads), now’s your chance to relive your former glory in style and prepare to “twist and show” in the aisles of your local multiplex. And by all means, if you happen to have work or school when “Ferris” is showing, my advice to you is to take a sick day.
Check local listings to see if “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” will be playing in your neck of the woods, or visit Fathom Events here. For those of you who reside in Southern Utah, you’ll be happy to know that this ’80s classic will be playing at the Pineview Stadium 10.
You’re still here? The article’s over. Go home … go.
