Retrospective Film Review

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) • 35 Years Later

A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite what the Principal thinks of that.

When I was researching how Ferris Bueller’s Day Off had held up in the public view since the mid-1980s, I expected near-universal acclaim. After all, this story about a teenage boy cutting school for the day, is consistently included in lists of ‘Best Teen Films’, even 35 years after its release. Now that most of us are now way past the age of teenage shenanigans and nostalgia colouring our perception of the ’80s, how could we not look back fondly on this tribute to Chicago, written and directed by John Hughes?

However, the discourse seems to have taken an interesting turn about 10 years ago, on its 25th anniversary. Some critics pointed out the privilege inherent in the film, where Ferris (Matthew Broderick) — happy, popular, and pampered by his wealthy family — cuts school for fun with his pretty girlfriend (Mia Sara) and hypochondriac best friend (Alan Ruck). It was compared to other Hughes films of the era, such as…