# RESOLVED: Ferris Bueller's Day Off is the greatest movie ever made

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 6, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196 "2013-09-06T19:03:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/81 "2013-11-15T04:35:45Z")

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Yes and no. Ryan Reynolds sucks, period. Chase was great in Caddyshack, which was a very funny movie. As opposed to FBDO, which wasn’t.

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**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/82 "2013-11-15T13:53:55Z")

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> [@Isamu](#):
>
> I never guessed so many people disliked FBDO.
> 
> Maybe the Ferris character itself is polarizing? That smarmy, slick, manipulator. Did the people who disliked Ferris also dislike Ryan Reynolds in Van Wilder or Chevy Chase in Caddyshack?

I have no problem with the Ferris Bueller character in concept. I have a problem with the movie a) not being funny and b) rhapsodized as some collective tween experience by my age cohort.

To a degree my dislike is magnified (though not created) by annoyance at it being way overpraised. Similar to how my otherwise mild dislike of The Breakfast Club and Chicago gets forced into “they’re awful” mode just in an attempt to be heard against the tide of undeserved adoration.

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**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/83 "2013-11-15T14:15:21Z")

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I loathed FBDO as a teenager when it came out. I still don’t find it particularly funny, although I hate it less. I’ve always hated movies about people who break reasonable rules and get away with it, and movies that disparage positions of authority that are usually held by reasonable and intelligent people.

FBDO for a long time was in my list of top 5 overrated movies evar. The other ones I remember are Top Gun, Dirty Dancing and ET. (I can appreciate ET now but at the time I hated it because I had read the novelization first, which seemed so much better).

As someone upthread pointed out, _Back to the Future_ which came out around the same time was much better.

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**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/84 "2013-11-15T16:46:57Z")

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No, it’s one of the dumbest movies ever made.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/85 "2013-11-16T14:25:44Z")

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> [@LinusK](#):
>
> Yeah. Ferris is basically a psychopath. He lies to his parent (who obviously love him) manipulates his best friend, and then when he trashes said friend’s father’s most prized possession, he shrugs and walks off. Best part: he actually says he’s doing him a favor, because now he’ll finally have to confront his father love for him (or some such bullshit.)
> 
> It’s true he’s charming. They say psychopaths usually are.

He actually tries to get Cameron to let him take the blame. He says Cameron’s father hates him anyway. Cam decides to have the confrontation. Granted, Ferris agrees.

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**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/86 "2013-11-16T15:01:19Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> I think you’re thinking about it too much.

> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#):
>
> They’re both works of literature that have been discussed and dissected and analyzed ad nauseum. Sheesh, lighten up, Francis. I’ve never seen someone put so much time and effort to something they find so indifferent.

Aren’t we here to share our thoughts about things? Why would I be interested in reading comments that haven’t been thought about much? I think Stranger on a Train’s comments are by far the most interesting ones in the thread, and I like the movie.

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**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/87 "2013-11-16T15:22:50Z")

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Well, this thread was meant as a parody of another thread. The OP thought people would be replying with pithy quotes and video snippets.

FBDO never aspired to be anything more then a good bit of entertainment, not the end all, all time cinematic masterpiece. I mean Bueller was fine for a time, but then he got topped by Parker Lewis (who I’m convinced was related to Huey Lewis)

But now the thread is being taken too serious. That’s because you all are [a bunch of nerds.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZEdDMQZaCU)

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**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-ferris-buellers-day-off-is-the-greatest-movie-ever-made/668196/88 "2013-11-16T16:05:22Z")

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I’ve never seen _FBDO_ (or even _Caddyshack_), but nothing here is compelling me to see it.

> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#):
>
> Movies I actually loathe, such as Goddard’s _Contempt_ or Haneke’s _Caché_, fall into an entirely different category.

What didn’t you like about _Caché_? I found the sense of unease throughout enjoyable. Did I miss some unrealistic behavior?

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