I don’t know how many times I saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Enough times, at least, for me to know the dialogue pretty well. I must have been around eight, nine or ten when I saw it the first time.I never liked school, not even primary school. It was only at university that I felt for the first time the freedom to think. I never felt that school (in the form of primary and secondary education) allowed me to be a free agent with own opinions and unique ideas. Instead, I always felt fettered by the school system. And like Ferris, I also thought of many ways to skip school.
Although I was never as popular as Ferris, I could associate with him. In a strange way, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off made me feel normal. I think I resonated with Ferris' rebellious streak. It's not merely an unfounded teenage rebelliousness; rather, it is a creative rebellion against a creativity-stifling system.
Another probable reason for my enjoyment of the movie is it postmodern narration employed, with the character Ferris speaking directly to the viewer. I think my little Generation X brain, hardly a decade old, was just buzzing with resonance. Back then I didn't know anything about narrative layers or postmodern motiffs, but I did know that this is freaken' cool!
A further reason might be my association with the character Camron and his issues with his father.
In my opinion, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of the few teenage comedies worth watching. It doesn't rely wholly on vulgarity and sex. The mere fact that Matthew Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe should tell us something.
4 comments:
That movie is a classic. I agree that most teen comedies aren't worth watching. I would say the same about a lot of college ones too. I have liked "Dead Man on Campus" and "Revenge of the Nerds".
Schools don't foster creativity enough. Schools cater to the left-brained students more than right-brained ones.
I have been reading Einstein by Walter Isaacson (a good read) and I love Einstein's quote: "To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself".
Both the right and left brained people are creative, yet the right-brained ones may have a more visual learning style and often think more abstractly than the rest.
All I can say is that school sucked!
For me, I just never fit in. I went to many schools and I was always on the fringes. I was considered a nerd/geek. I am proud of that now.
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