“The script reaches a good balance between believable events and ordinary teenage concerns, and remarkable and excitingly unique occurrences…” Extracts from a script report by our trainee Daniela Piper-Vegh, based on a reading of the script FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF: CLICK HERE to read the script.
TITLE: FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF LOCALE: Urban City
AUTHOR: John Hughes SETTING: Chicago
GENRE: PRIMARY: Comedy
SECONDARY: Teen Drama
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
FERRIS BUELLER (M/ approx. 18) Charismatic teen who skillfully manages to control his environment, in order to entertain himself.
CAMERON FRYE (M/ approx. 18) Uptight best friend, who helps Ferris.
SLOANE PETERSON (F/ approx. 17) Ferris’ beautiful and smart girlfriend.
DEAN ROONEY (M/ approx. 40s) Tries but fails to bust Ferris for his schemes.
JEANIE BUELLER (F/ approx. 18) Ferris’ jealous and resentful sister.
LOGLINE: A charming and charismatic teen devises the perfect sick day.
SYNOPSIS
FERRIS BUELLER convinces his parents that he is sick, and they let him stay home from school. Ferris is of course faking, and he sprouts into action as soon as his parents leave. Ferris has planned the perfect day off. He changes the school’s computer records, to show that he has only been absent twice rather than nine times. The Dean ROONEY doesn’t want Ferris’ popularity to influence the other pupils, and so he plans to catch Ferris in his lie. Ferris masterfully manipulates his parents with both flattery and charm. Ferris convinces his friend CAMERON to come and pick him up, despite the fact that Cameron is actually sick. Ferris excuses his girlfriend SLOANE from school, on account of a fake dead grandmother. Ferris convinces Cameron to pick up Sloane in his father’s prized possession, his Ferrari. Ferris creates an elaborate contraption with a dummy in his bed, complete with snoring, in order to fool his mother when she comes to check up on him.
Even Ferris’ sister JEANIE is fed up with his antics, and wants to make sure he gets caught. Jeanie is angry that Ferris is so popular and she is not. Ferris and his friends go to a baseball game and Ferris catches a foul ball. Ferris rides on a float in a huge parade, singing ‘Twist and Shout’ to the crowd. Rooney goes to Ferris’ house to try and catch him in his lie. Ferris’ father TOM appears in a cab next to Ferris, and Ferris is almost caught. Rooney and Jeanie both infiltrate the family home at the same time, they meet, and then Jeanie reports Rooney as an intruder. Jeanie is picked up by the police for making a phony phone call. Cameron’s Dad’s car gets slightly damaged, causing Cameron to lose control. Cameron finally has a breakthrough, deciding to take a stand against everything in his life. Cameron wrecks his Dad’s precious car, and is remarkably calm. Ferris’ parents see Rooney and thank him, thinking that he has helped Ferris get home from the hospital. Ferris gets away with his plan.
COMMENTS:
The story has a simple, yet engaging plot. The story caters mostly for a teen audience, allowing them to connect with a charismatic main character, who has incredible luck. Ferris Bueller represents the kind of incredibly popular and savvy high school kid that everyone dreams of being. He has plenty of friends, a girlfriend, a sense of adventure, and seems to be completely in control of his life. Ferris manages to get away with remarkable things, by being charming and bright. The script is very funny, at the same time as being emotionally engaging. The dialogue is witty and intelligent, the action imaginative, and the teenage characters wise beyond their years. Each of the main characters also go through important emotional development, in particular with Cameron learning to take control of his own life. The script reaches a good balance between believable events and ordinary teenage concerns, and remarkable and excitingly unique occurrences. Having Ferris sing and perform on a huge float in front of a great crowd is a particular highlight. There is plenty of conflict throughout the script, ranging from situational, emotional and even inter-personal. There is tension throughout the script, with both Jeanie and Rooney trying to catch Ferris in his lie. The Ferrari also adds extra tension, as there is an ongoing threat of it getting damaged. Even though it might seem predictable that the car will get damaged, Cameron’s emotional development by the time the car is wrecked, gives this plot point an unexpected feeling.
The script has a small cast, making it easy for the audience to follow what is going on. The main teenage roles would also be attractive to emerging talent. The script does however, include a few important scenes that would be difficult and expensive to shoot, potentially raising the budget. The comedy, romance and feel-good elements, as well as the relatable concept would make the script very commercial with a teen audience.
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