Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the worst film ever made

FILM Chud Features Archive
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This film is about a character who never takes nor is forced to take responsibility for his actions. It is about a character who gets away with things he knows he shouldn’t but does them anyway, and we are supposed to applaud him for his cunning and ingenuity in doing these things. In fact we are supposed to root for a character who has no discernable morality, except one of imposed sense of entitlement that makes every character who stands in his way of having a good time an asshole, an effete, or a poor person. And we are supposed to forgive his lying, betrayals, and all other sorts of bad behavior because he is likable. He has a smile. And the film seems to support his behavior by suggesting that the nicest character who is opposed to him should ignore the fact that he gets away with it because it shouldn’t be her concern. And the audience is supposed to be envious. The audience is supposed to want to do what he does, and get away with things the way he does?

This film is celebrated as a classic, but (in essence) it supports all the things that have come to be harmful to the world, because it suggests “victimless crimes” are okay because no one gets hurt. FERRIS BUELLER should have been president of Enron. Bueller is not one pulling one over on “the man.” He is a member of the bourgeois, or at least the upper middle class. Obviously. He is a child of privilege who has more than most, wants more than most, and feels he deserves more than most.

Discuss, or defend.

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I’ve never particularly cared for this movie, but I think it’s far from the worst ever made.

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ferris bueller is a terrorist.

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Sorry, this movie should not be seen by squares.

Incidentally, I like to imagine Election as the sequel to this movie, as it shows what happens in adulthood to those smarmy punks who could get away with anything in high school.

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte This film is about a character who never takes nor is forced to take responsibility for his actions. It is about a character who gets away with things he knows he shouldn’t but does them anyway, and we are supposed to applaud him for his cunning and ingenuity in doing these things. In fact we are supposed to root for a character who has no discernable morality, except one of imposed sense of entitlement that makes every character who stands in his way of having a good time an asshole, an effete, or a poor person. And we are supposed to forgive his lying, betrayals, and all other sorts of bad behavior because he is likable. He has a smile. And the film seems to support his behavior by suggesting that the nicest character who is opposed to him should ignore the fact that he gets away with it because it shouldn’t be her concern. And the audience is supposed to be envious. The audience is supposed to want to do what he does, and get away with things the way he does? This film is celebrated as a classic, but (in essence) it supports all the things that have come to be harmful to the world, because it suggests “victimless crimes” are okay because no one gets hurt. FERRIS BUELLER should have been president of Enron. Bueller is not one pulling one over on “the man.” He is a member of the bourgeois, or at least the upper middle class. Obviously. He is a child of privilege who has more than most, wants more than most, and feels he deserves more than most. Discuss, or defend.

This argument should be applied to shit like Bad Boys II not Ferris Beuller. Beuller’s made with the intent to make something completely ludicrous, featuring Ferris doing things that we all I’m sure wish we could do at times. The movie is an excercise in excess but not in a harmful or mean-spirited way.

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i’m guessing you’re over the age of 18, this movie shouldnt be viewed by anyone who isnt in a high school state of mind. It’s a great movie, just not for serious ahem tight-assed viewers. It’s harmless fun and when the hell do ppl in movies ever take responsabilities for their actions???

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I think all your points are well made except that it’s the worst film ever made. I know it’s hyperbole (because I know you’re smart enough to know better), but still.

But to discuss your points, I definitely think it comes from some sort of yuppie-80s ideal of getting whatever you want. Then again, the cunning trickster is not a new character by any means. We certainly don’t want Rooney to win because instead of running the school, he has some sort of weird, personal vendetta and it seems more like a power trip of catching Ferris than actually teaching him a lesson.

Yes, it’s a victimless crime, but your comparison to Ferris running Enron doesn’t make sense in that the happiness of Ken Lay and those in charge came at the expense of thousands of workers. Ferris, honestly, doesn’t hurt anyone. Yes, he inadverdently gets Cameron’s car destroyed, but when he offers to take the blame, Cameron does the bravest thing in the film and stand up to a man that’s treated him like crap all his life.

It seems like Ferris does have a sense of morality in that he’s trying to live life to the fullest and that he’s not finding that in the classroom and with Ben Stiller as a teacher, I imagine none of us would. Instead, he leads a parade, eats in a fancy restraunt and hits an art museum.

While Ferris certainly is privilged, I think his sense to break out of a linear path defined by society should be applauded rather than condemned. He beat the system and no one got hurt except the man who represents the system but in a very self-centered way. Good for him.

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I’ll dance. I putforth my best insult.

Your Mom.]

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Far from the worst movie ever made. Light-years from it. It’s no classic, but it does have a handful of redeeming features. I don’t own it, but if I did I wouldn’t be ashamed to admit it.

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Guys, Dre obviously put some thought and time into his post. If you’re not going to reply with the same amount of effort, don’t post.

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I did. He gives several problems that he sees with the film’s moral position… mostly, that the story implies the beautiful and the bold are entitled to screw over the rest of us. That may be true, or it may not. However, that is not the entirety of the film. There are, as I said, other redeeming features.

Further, I think it is strange and uninformed to suggest that 1) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is the only film that promotes the idea that beauty and moxy = entitlement, and 2) that promoting that message is the worst possible thing a film can do. If you can’t defend both points 1 and 2, you can’t say this is the ‘worst film ever’.

EDIT: In other words, Matt, I mostly agree with your first post. I just didn’t type it all out.

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It’s got Mia Sara, she’s pretty hot.

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Yeah, Mia’s hot, Matthew’s funny, and Jeffery Jones is a pedophile.

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Are the worst films in the world the ones that are inept, or the ones that foster inane and wrong ideologies and support morally bankrupt characters who were supposed to applaud in their actions? Which is, for me why films like Pretty Woman, Forrest Gump and this are inherently evil and awful. They’re ideologically evil.

The idea of excusing a film with no sense of morality becuase it’s fun is ludicrous, though I’d be lying if I didn’t expect that response. When I saw Catwoman a woman said you should turn your brain off watching films like it. I don’t turn my brain off, ever. I recommend most people do the same. That’s not to say I can’t enjoy a film that isn’t Bergman, I just don’t enjoy being offended by awfulness for the sake of itself.

And an undeserved sense of entitlement is, arguably, what leads people to take advantage of others for purpose of monetary gain. Bueller is a sociopath. Though he isn’t to the level of Enron yet, it would be the next step as the son who gets in through his college connections, and has no sense of empathy except for people who are willing to get ahead.

I do agree that Election plays as a semi-sequel, and I like that about Election.

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Matt Goldberg:" Guys, Dre obviously put some thought and time into his post. If you’re not going to reply with the same amount of effort, don’t post"

OK, I can understand that feeling. Here we go.

Andre Dellamorte: "This film is about a character who never takes nor is forced to take responsibility for his actions "

I thought it was a film about some kid taking a day off?

Andre Dellamorte: “It is about a character who gets away with things he knows he shouldn’t but does them anyway”

Haven’t met many teenagers, have you? It’s a real life thing. The average person as a teeneger loved getting away with things they shouldn’t. It’s a good plot device.

Andre Dellamorte: “…except one of imposed sense of entitlement that makes every character who stands in his way of having a good time an asshole, an effete, or a poor person.”

Such language… Oh, was he trying to say that the Ferris Beuller character was of poor moral judgement?

Andre Dellamorte: “And we are supposed to forgive his lying, betrayals, and all other sorts of bad behavior because he is likable”

Well, I never really watched the movie as an in depth study of moral decay and life as you apparently did, but yes, I guess you are correct. A little extreme, but correct according to the letter of your law.

Andre Dellamorte: “And the audience is supposed to be envious. The audience is supposed to want to do what he does, and get away with things the way he does?”

Yep, we call that an escape from reality. I’d love to be one of the two guys driving the ferrari around like a bat out of hell. That looked fun.

Andre Dellamorte: “This film is celebrated as a classic, but (in essence) it supports all the things that have come to be harmful to the world, because it suggests “victimless crimes” are okay because no one gets hurt.”

My goodness. It is celebrated as a classic because most peopel who watch it relax thier spincter muscles and get a laugh or two out of it. If watching this movie made you want to go out and commit some crime, you should stay away from any movie not rated G and check yourself into the psychiatric ward!

Andre Dellamorte: “FERRIS BUELLER should have been president of Enron”

Wow. I feel the hate. IF ferris bueller were a real person and not a fictional character, he would have probably made a great CEO. If you mean that he would be crooked and steal large amounts of money from innocent peopel, remember that the character did have a conscience. Borrowing a ferrari to loosen up your best friend is a far cry from embezzlement.

Andre Dellamorte: "He is a member of the bourgeois, or at least the upper middle class. Obviously. He is a child of privilege who has more than most, wants more than most, and feels he deserves more than most. "

Umm.. when i was little, we still had the ‘communist threat’. You sound like some of the more radical red flag wavers there were back then. Again, we are talking about a FICTIONAL CHARACTER here. I think yo uare taking this movie (and possibly life as a whole) way too seriously.

Rottenjesus: "There’s a reason that the film is lauded as an 80s classic, it’s FUN.

Apparently your sense of fun died a long time ago."

Amen, brother.

Well, I can see this turning into a hostile thread.

Joey.

P.S. Andre tries to come off sounding like a holier than thou activist, anyone notice his sig and tag line? Yeah, the pillar of a moral society he is!

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Bueller was truant to school one day and ran around Chicago being a charming jerk. We’ve all done worse things. It’s not like he’s a murderer, rapist or child molestor. I appreciate your thesis and your points are absolutely valid, but calling it the “Worst film ever made” because he doesn’t set a sterling example through his actions seems a little overboard to me. It’s been awhile since I saw the film, but I remember it as nothing more than breezy, typical 80’s fare…I don’t recall any nefarious subtext. Sure, the film glorifies a character that is essentially a dickhead, but so do many other beloved movies.

Additionally, I regard a “bad film” as a film that is technically inept. I think you can make a great film about abhorrent subject matter. With a film that espouses nasty morals, you can choose to reject the message and appreciate the craft of the film. THE BIRTH OF A NATION immediately comes to mind. I consider it a great film. However, if a film is a mess technically, I don’t think that you can choose to reject that insomuch as you can ignore narrative aspects. Bad craftsmanship is too apparent and overrides pretty much every other aspect of a film, IMO.

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Pardon my French, but Andre is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you’d have a diamond.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it.” That was my yearbook high school graduation quote.

Oh, and what Matt said (except it was Ben Stein, not Ben Stiller).

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By this logic, Walter Mitty is a dangerously delusional psychopath who should be locked away.

Besides, what about the scene where Cameron wrecks his dad’s car and Ferris steps up and says, “I’ll take the heat for this, you don’t need this kind of trouble”? Or the scene at the end where he tells his parents he wants to go to school tomorrow? You can’t have those scenes in this film and paint Ferris as a completely irresponsible jerk.

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I’ve never sat down and watched this, even though it seems to be on some cable channel every week. Broderick annoys me.