What if Ferris Bueller is a Figment of Cameron’s Imagination?
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Transcript provided by Youtube:
00:04
let’s surrender
00:10
it has been three decades since Ferris
00:13
Bueller took the day off that is if you
00:15
believe that Ferris Bueller actually
00:17
exists what if the deeply carefree
00:19
lovable Boy Wonder Ferris isn’t a real
00:22
person instead he and his extravagant
00:28
sick day about town are the fantasies of
00:30
a teen psyche going rampant from
00:32
parental neglect Ferris is a
00:34
larger-than-life hero figure formed in
00:36
the mind of the film’s most emotionally
00:38
conflicted character camera you know as
00:43
long as I’m not him everything works for
00:44
him there’s nothing he can’t handle I
00:46
can’t handle anything school parents
00:51
future
00:54
Barriss can do anything both cameron
00:56
played by alan ruck and ferris played by
00:59
matthew broderick wake up sick
01:00
the timing is convene I get dressed and
01:02
come on open that’s all in your head
01:08
come on over
01:09
Ferris phones Cameron looking for a car
01:11
Cameron has access to the means of
01:13
travel which makes the day possible
01:24
you’re not dying you just can’t think of
01:26
anything good to do
01:27
how did Ferris know what he said 20
01:30
bucks today minutes later Harris knows
01:33
Cameron is sitting in his car waiting
01:34
with her not to come over Shh granted
01:40
maybe he just really knows his friends
01:42
mannerisms or maybe he’s not real maybe
01:44
the two are so successful during their
01:46
fake phone call to principal Rooney
01:48
because they’re parts of the same brain
01:50
Ferris convinces Cameron to take his
01:53
father’s $250,000 Ferrari
01:55
Cameron rides in the back of the car
01:57
during the whole voyage like a passenger
01:59
relinquishing control a closer look
02:02
reveals the car’s license plate is
02:04
nervous Ferris is Cameron’s way of
02:06
momentarily letting go of his deep
02:08
emotional pain and worry once Ferris is
02:12
behind the wheel of the situation he’s
02:14
in control things get fun Cameron’s
02:17
sickness suddenly vanishes I feel pretty
02:20
good yeah feel really but as Cameron
02:23
later admits he’s still in control but
02:26
made you take the car this morning
02:27
could’ve stopped you even Faris’s
02:30
trademark way of talking to the camera
02:32
makes us feel like he’s our imaginary
02:34
friend guiding us with irresistible life
02:37
lessons these segments remind us of a
02:39
voice in our head or a face in the
02:41
mirror what do you do if you’re confused
02:44
and emotionally troubled teen
02:45
fantasizing about a more thrilling life
02:47
you steal a fancy sports car pick up the
02:49
beautiful girl from school go to the
02:51
city visit Wrigley eat at a fine
02:53
restaurant deceive the authorities crash
02:54
a parade sing for a crowd and do all the
02:56
wild and bold things that Cameron has
02:58
Cameron is afraid of doing you see and
03:00
do a time defying number of things in
03:02
the span of a school day cramming at
03:04
least three days worth of activity into
03:06
an afternoon I realized if we play by
03:08
the rules right now we’d be in gym Sloan
03:11
says to Ferris near the end what you are
03:13
doing when you woke up
03:14
sure he did he woke up and fantasized
03:17
about a wonderful day parking fall
03:23
Chartres parking
03:28
slow maybe someone the cameron is merely
03:30
aware of a figure he crushes on from
03:33
afar Ferris says he fears Cameron will
03:36
marry the first girl who pays attention
03:37
to him and Cameron maybe wishing that
03:40
girl was Sloan she’s beautiful and
03:42
desirable and through Ferris attainable
03:45
as Ferris anything is possible including
03:48
having the girl of his dreams I’m not
03:53
getting married give me one good reason
03:55
why not give you two good reasons why
03:58
not my mother and my father that’s why
04:00
he’s sick all the time he’s the only guy
04:02
I know who feels better when he’s sick
04:04
on top of Ferris is adventurous spirit
04:07
and luck with girls Cameron might also
04:09
fantasize about parents like Faris’s
04:11
Ferris his loving parents are exactly
04:13
the fantasy that a boy would dream up if
04:15
his own wealthy cold mother and father
04:17
showed more affection for their
04:19
expensive things than their own son just
04:21
as the exaggerated way the town rallies
04:23
around Ferris could represent Cameron’s
04:26
teenage wish to be loved on a grander
04:28
scale it could also be an extension of
04:30
his pride for his parents attention
04:36
I think I see my dad some of the bitches
04:40
down there somewhere
04:41
my old man pushes me around if Cameron
04:45
does invent an imaginary best friend to
04:47
help him escape reality Ferris also
04:49
becomes the creation that gives Cameron
04:51
the heart to stand up to his neglectful
04:53
father and his own lack of self-esteem
04:55
Cameron has more claim to being the
04:57
dramatic protagonist of the movie
04:59
because he undergoes change based on a
05:01
major revelation about his character for
05:03
Cameron the day is a milestone in his
05:05
growth from insecure adolescence to self
05:07
assured manhood I am NOT going to sit on
05:09
my ass as the events that affect me
05:13
unfold to determine the course of my
05:15
life I’m going to take a stand after
05:17
that car is wrecked he decides to face
05:19
his family reality while simultaneously
05:21
creating an implausible escape for his
05:24
fantasy persona Ferris doesn’t change at
05:27
all he remains the same fully formed
05:30
miracle of a person almost like a fairy
05:32
a Peter Pan who isn’t subject to the
05:34
same rules of gravity as the rest of us
05:36
what do you think Ferris is going to do
05:41
to be right
05:43
of course the theory the Feres doesn’t
05:45
exist requires the viewer to overlook
05:47
some things like Rooney’s phone
05:49
conversation with Faris’s mom or his
05:51
intrusion of the Bueller house and his
05:53
run-in with Jeanne those would be weird
05:55
and unnecessary things for Cameron to
05:57
fantasize but even if it’s unlikely that
05:59
Ferris is literally intended to be
06:01
imaginary reading the movie this way
06:04
underlines how the tortured Cameron
06:05
struggle is the serious beating heart of
06:07
what would otherwise be like comic
06:09
distraction tired and be afraid
06:13
through Cameron the movie touches on
06:15
deep adolescent doubt the terrifying
06:17
scope of the unknown that lies ahead of
06:20
the teenager I weep for the future real
06:23
or not for Cameron and for us all Ferris
06:26
is the magical carefree lucky charm that
06:28
we all dream of especially on those days
06:30
when we’re not feeling so hot the first
06:32
time in his life he’s going to be just
06:35
fine
06:35
being Ferris is ninth sixth day of the
06:37
semester this particular day off isn’t
06:40
that significant him its weight comes
06:42
from how it touches Cameron it’s the
06:44
best time I like
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This post was previously published on Youtube.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video