re: So I caught Ferris Bueller last night and something bothered me… (overanalyze thread?)

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I’ve heard the opposite. Ferris is Cameron’s alter ego.

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Actually, I was kidding about some write up about it I read years ago, that I thought was interesting. It might have been the other way around, Ferris was what Cameron wanted to do but couldn't. I guess it could go both ways. Granted the Ferrari makes it seem like Ferris is the alter-ego, as Cameron knew better than to touch that car, yet he does it. I need to re watch but does Cameron ever directly interact with any characters meaningfully other than Ferris and Sloan, and random characters in downtown Chicago?

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Any (useful or relevant) thoughts?

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Yes

It’s a movie

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I always wondered why Rooney doesn't bring it up that Cameron is out of school too.

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I assume because Cameron hasn’t been absent nine….times. He was all over Ferris because clearly this is some bullshite Ferris could pull and be full of shite. It is a little weird that a principal is so concerned with a student’s health (real or not) that he’d go to such lengths as breaking into his home. But at least he was into something in his doubt of Ferris’s story.

Cam, on the other hand, is likely a great student and there is no need to worry about him lying about being sick to miss a day.

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Because he didn't get busted. That was the point of taking the car. He was POSING as her dad.

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Exactly. He was posing as her dad to not get busted. And the very first thing he does is stick his tongue down her throat. That's the entire point of what I said. So not only did you miss what I said and not understand it, but you've now moved onto trying to explain something that a) doesn't need explaining, and b) you're completely wrong about anyway. And what's better is that you then move to this stupidity:

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You sound very blonde.

Are you blonde?

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...when you're the one sounding like the "blonde" idiot here.

Nice work.

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I think he parlayed Cam's mistake into taking the Ferrari. My assumption is that he was planning on them picking her up in Cam's car, but once Cam stumbled on the phone, the adjustment was to talk him into taking the car of someone who isn't in high school (as so eloquently explained by the idiot above your post).

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I think you underestimate Ferris Bueller.

Ferris knew about the Ferrari.

Ferris knew this would be his last absence without barfing up a lung, so he had to make this one the best ever.

Ferris is detail oriented and seemingly plans everything, from changing his absences on the school computer, to putting a mannequin in his bed to fool his parents, to recording a response to his home's doorbell. Ferris takes care of details.

Ferris is a master manipulator. He easily manipulates his parents, maître d’s, and the school staff including Mr. Rooney. He easily manipulates his peers: the sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads. They all adore him; they think he's a righteous dude. Ferris also easily manipulates Cameron.

And yet, it appears that the detail-oriented, manipulative Ferris did not give detailed instructions to Cameron when he asked him to call Rooney.

Cameron Prank Call to Principal Scene – Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

In that scene, Cam is doing great as Mr. Peterson on the phony phone call with Mr. Rooney, particularly after Ferris also calls Rooney, and Rooney completely panics.

Then Ferris enters the room with Cam, Cam starts to get nervous, tells Ferris he is scared, and while Ferris could have taken control of the situation and given Cam some direction, Ferris leaves Cam on his own.

Cam tells Rooney he wants Sloane outside of the school by herself. Ferris freaks and says it's too suspicious.

Is it really that suspicious? Rooney is in total panic about insulting "Mr. Peterson." He would have acquiesced to anything "Mr. Peterson" suggested. Yet Ferris freaks. Why?

Cam immediately gives Ferris a second chance to take control of the situation and provide directions, but Ferris again refuses to do so. He again leaves Cam on his own.

Remember, Cam has already admitted to Ferris that he is nervous about the phone call. Ferris has already admitted that he knows Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal stuck up his arse, in two weeks you'd have a diamond.

So, it's beyond odd that a detail-oriented manipulator would leave an overtly nervous and tightly-wound kid in charge of a critical communication . . . unless he wanted Cameron to "fail."

Cameron tells Rooney he wants him outside with Sloane when he picks her up. Ferris freaks again. This time, it’s a legitimate problem, but it is a mistake Ferris was hoping Cameron would make.

There aren't many directions “Mr. Peterson” can give to Mr. Rooney about whether Sloane should be accompanied or alone when Mr. Peterson picks her up: (A) Sloane could be alone; (B) Sloane could be with Mr. Rooney; or (C) Sloane could be with a third person, but Mr. Peterson would not know the names of any other staff at the school. So, really, (A) and (B) are the only reasonable choices.

So, again, while one might expect Ferris to be upset with Cam for suggesting that Rooney should accompany Sloane when they pick her up, why does Ferris get so upset with Cameron after he suggests that Sloane should be alone. How many possible suggestions could Cameron make? Accordingly, Ferris was only pretending to be upset when Cameron suggests that Sloan be alone. Ferris wanted Cameron to screw up.

Ferris was going to manipulate Cameron's conversation with Mr. Rooney until Cameron made a mistake requiring the use of the Ferrari. Ferris easily convinces Cameron that his screw up can only be fixed by using the Ferrari.

So why did Ferris kiss Sloane when he picked her up? Because he was not afraid of Mr. Rooney. Ferris got Cameron to have the phone conversation with Mr. Rooney as a ruse to obtain use of the Ferrari. He wasn't worried about getting busted by Mr. Rooney. Until the very end of the movie, Ferris was never terribly worried about getting busted by Mr. Rooney because: (A) you can never go too far, (B) if he was going to get busted, it was not going to be by a guy like that.

Hey Cocomo hey,

How about a little something, you know, for the effort, y'know?