Few teen comedies have aged as gracefully as 1986 comedy drama ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.’ Nearly 40 years after its release, the film still feels fresh, with everything from its fashion to its characters that the new generation can absolutely relate to.
But that timeless appeal wasn’t entirely intentional. Turns out, an unexpected behind-the-scenes twist ended up saving the movie from one of the most defining fashion trends of the 1980s. According to the leading man Matthew Broderick, it made all the difference.
What Saved ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ From The Mullet Era?
The production on ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ began in the autumn of 1985. Both Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck, who played Ferris Bueller and Cameron Frye respectively, had recently performed in Neil Simon’s play ‘Biloxi Blues’ on Broadway.
Thus, at the beginning of the film, they still sported short military haircuts created for their roles as soldiers during World War II. In an interview with The Guardian, Broderick shared that this coincidence became one of the key factors that helped John Hughes’ movie gain its timeless look.
“Alan and I have timeless hairdos because we’d both just been in a military play, Biloxi Blues. Given the date the film was made, had we been able to, we might’ve both had crazy mullets, in which case, it would not have become a timeless classic.”
And there was no way both the male leads could have sported another look because the whole movie captures the events of a single day, June 5 1985, to be more precise. That’s why Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane Peterson (played by Mia Sara) remain in the same outfit throughout the movie’s runtime.
Additionally, the costume team ensured the titular character’s outfit bucked the 80s trend. And that’s why we see Ferris sporting a white T-shirt, sweater vest, leather jacket, and Ray-Ban sunglasses, things that didn’t scream the loud 80s fashion.
Broderick also revealed that the costume had some hidden details that flew under the radar. “There’s details you don’t even see. “My socks had flags of all the nations on them. The rabbit’s foot in my pocket was just there.”
“John thought Ferris’ leather coat should be simple, like James Dean’s red jacket, but we went very much the other way,” he added. And that’s how the creative team kept the movie from aging. As for the character’s personality, Broderick handled it with his own spin.
Broderick Contributed To Shaping Ferris Bueller’s Image
According to Matthew Broderick, he decided to portray Ferris in a manner that would make the viewers like this naughty teenager without feeling annoyed by his tricks. “I thought Ferris shouldn’t seem to be trying too hard, that things came easy to him,” he said.
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“I wanted to be a little cool and aloof. We didn’t want him to be somebody you wanted to punch in the face. That’s always the danger with guys who get away with everything.” However, some reviews from test screenings revealed that the trick didn’t work as Broderick expected.
It came from a young woman who didn’t like Ferris. She thought the character would make her do things she wouldn’t do otherwise. As a result, the creator deleted the scene in which Ferris persuaded Sloane not to go home and keep hanging out with them.
Meanwhile, Broderick was 23, and Alan Ruck was 28 at the time of filming. They had a solid age gap from the high schoolers they were playing on screen. So, how did Ruck manage to get the part despite being years older than both Broderick and his character?
“My agent said, ‘He plays opposite Broderick every night. They look the same age,’” Ruck said, pointing to ‘Biloxi Blues.’ “I auditioned, and they thought, ‘This’ll work,’ but they didn’t offer it to me right away. Matthew’s manager kept laying the idea in John’s ear, saying, ‘Matthew would like to work with Alan.’”
It worked in Ruck’s favor. And given the friendship the two already shared before filming, their onscreen chemistry spoke for itself. “Matthew and I were already friends. We didn’t have to make that up,” Ruck said.
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