The first thing I would like to say regarding this film is that when you watch it you cannot believe that it was released 22 years ago back in 1986! It didn't appear to me to be anywhere near that old.

The film centres around the main character Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) who is a regular truant from school, much to the annoyance of the dean of students Mr Edward Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) who is eager to pin something on Ferris for the number of years in which Ferris has made his life hell. Ferris has already skipped school 8 times in one year and is planning to make his ninth the best yet. It reminded me of the many times that I tried to convince my parents that I was too ill to go to school when a lad, but I obviously wasn't the master that Ferris was at this and never achieved the feat.

Plot Summary:
He manages to convince his parents that he is far too ill to go to school, using pre-recorded coughing and sneezing sounds to fool them and producing an enormously high reading when he takes his temperature, again a fraud. Once he has done this he hoes about planning how to spend his day off. He contacts his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), who ironically is genuinely ill and can barely pull himself out of bed and somehow convinces him into taking his dads Ferrari out for the day - they think they will be able to wipe any miles they clock up during the day by returning home in the car in reverse gear, very odd! Then comes one of the funniest parts of the film, pretending to be his girlfriends father Ferris contacts Mr Edward Rooney and orders that Sloane (Ferris's girlfriend - Mia Sara) be released from school immediately due to a family problem. He arrives in the Ferrari and in peculiar dress and greets Mr Rooney who knows that something isn't quite right. Things go to plan and Sloane gets into the car but Ferris drops a clanger when he kisses her in front of Mr Rooney - obviously he thinks this is rather strange and begins to realise what Ferris has done.

The threesome spend the rest of the day cruising around Chicago in Cameron's dads Ferrari and even stop to see a baseball game. Ferris again almost gives the game away when he catches a ball which is hit into the crowd; Rooney is watching the game but turns around at the crucial moment. Another of Ferris's achievements comes when he manages to board a float during the Von Steuben day parade; miming the Beatles 'Twist & Shout' and dancing like a lunatic.

After seeing many sights and managing to avoid being seen by his father (a bit of an on-running theme throughout the film) Ferris and co return to Cameron's house to put back the Ferrari which they have 'borrowed' for the day. Cameron is a bit of a hypochondriac, something which Ferris finds very entertaining, managing to wind his friend up at every conceivable opportunity. He is very concerned about the number of miles they have clocked up whilst using the car so orders Ferris to sort the problem. In typical Ferris style he jacks the car up and runs it in reverse, trying to erase any miles he has put on the clock; naturally he soon realises his master plan is floored much to the annoyance of Cameron who is going bananas at the thought of his father finding out. Cameron works himself into such a rage that he begins to take his aggression out on the car, kicking it over and over again. It is at this point that I should tell you the car is seen as Cameron's father as more of a collectors item than a car to run about in so is oddly housed indoors for him to admire. Once Cameron calms down he rests his foot on the front bumper, forgetting that the front tyres have been lifted from the ground and the engine is still running in reverse - the car falls from the ramps lifting it and on touching the ground begins to fly backwards at speed, smashing the glass window at the rear of the house and falling about 30ft into the back garden! What a nightmare!

The film ends with Ferris rushing home to avoid his parents who are due home from work at anytime and Mr Rooney who has caught the school bus home in his eagerness to catch Bueller. He makes it back and tricks everybody that he is fast asleep and too ill to even get out of bed. Classic film and a must see for anybody.

My thoughts:
This film is fantastic - the storyline is really good, even if at times a little predictable. As I said at the start it is hard to believe that it was released in 1986, if it was released today I think it would go down a storm. Matthew Broderick's acting as Ferris Bueller is quite remarkable and he fits the character so well. His battle with Mr Rooney is very funny and had me laughing out loud at times. My favourite parts of the film have to be when he picks Sloane up from school and when the car flies through the window - Cameron's face is an absolute picture! Definitely a film to buy on DVD in my opinion, you won't be disappointed.

Main Cast Members:
Matthew Broderick - Ferris Bueller
Mia Sara - Sloane Patterson
Alan Ruck - Cameron Frye
Jeffrey Jones - Edward Rooney

Runtime - 102 minutes
Certificate - 15

- written, directed and produced by John Hughes

Thanks for reading.