History YMMV / FerrisBuellersDayOff

* AwardSnub: Steve Almond is on record as saying Creator/AlanRuck not only deserved to be nominated, but win the Academy Award for his performance. Sadly, no such recognition occurred.

** How many tropers have had a class where the teacher ''didn't'' say "Bueller? Bueller?" at least once during attendance? Ben Stein has said he wants it on his tombstone.

--> '''Druggie''': You oughta spend a little more time worryin' 'bout yourself, and a little less time worryin' 'bout what your brother does...

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While probably unnecessary given that we know Cameron will stand up for himself, it is something of a shame that we don't get to see his dad's reaction to the wrecked Ferrari (though as a lot of FanFics have shown, given what we know about Mr. Frye the results would likely have been very unpleasant to watch).
* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Ferris' leopard pattern vest he wears throughout the film places it firmly in the eighties. EightiesHair, suspenders and Sloane's fringed jacket add to it. Cameron, with his hockey jersey that wouldn't be out of place in the 2020's, is the only aversion.

* ValuesResonance: Since TheNewTens, and especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the American education system is increasingly seen as an institution that does not actually engage with students or stoke their interests. Ferris' hooky can be seen as the act of a kid who is exasperated with a school, considering he complains about the curriculum in one of his monologues. When you see Rooney's uncomfortably obsessive behavior and the boring economics teacher, it is much easier to see Ferris' point. It also helps that Ferris shows hints of being BrilliantButLazy and otherwise is discouraged from putting in the effort.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Ferris' older sister Jeannie is clearly meant to be portrayed as an antagonistic force whom the audience should root against, but she has a lot of great reasons to despise her younger brother. For starters, she happens to know about Ferris' antics and [[BigSisterInstinct it's literally her job to keep an eye on Ferris.]] [[WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb Candace Flynn and her would get along fabulously.]] She's also TheUnFavourite among her parents, disliked among her community as an "angsty teenager", and has to deal with the fact that her brother is [[HundredPercentHeroismRating beloved by his entire town]]. That's not just ParentalFavoritism, [[HeroWithBadPublicity it's basically her being the town menace that everybody hates.]] Talk about a rough life! Plus as charming a memorable as Ferris is, it doesn't hide the fact that he's kind of a douchebag. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnAaSk5KQsU The Take does an entire video about it.]]

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Ferris' leopard pattern vest he wears throughout the film places it firmly in the eighties. EightiesHair and suspenders add to it.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: While probably unnecessary given that we know Cameron will stand up for himself, it is something of a shame that we don't get to see his dad's reaction to the wrecked Ferrari.

** TheStinger was just a silly non-sequitur at the time, but is now utterly hilarious in these days of huge movie franchises featuring teasers for the next film after the credits.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Ferris and Cameron need to turn back the odometer on Cameron's dad's 1961 Ferrari, but can't because it has an anti-rollback mechanism. Anti-rollback odometers were mandated in the 1970s; all vehicles built before that had odometers that would roll backward if driven in reverse. (It's not out of left-field that Cameron's dad installed an anti-rollback mechanism if that's possible, however, since Cameron bitterly says his dad never trusts him.)

* FunnyAneurysmMoment:
** Several scenes became much less funny after Creator/JeffreyJones' 2003 arrest for possession of child pornography and soliciting a 14 year old. These include the scene in which Jeanie mistakes Ed Rooney for a prowler and the part where he comes up behind who he thinks is Ferris (but is actually a short-haired girl) and says "Your ass is mine!"
** The entire Rooney subplot (in which he roams the streets of Chicago hunting down Ferris to demonstrate he's skipping school, including breaking into his home) is funny on-screen for many people... except for one family in the Midwest that got a pretty big scare in TheNineties when the principal of the school their son went to broke into their home (by climbing into their son's room through the window) to personally make sure that he was actually sick after they called in earlier in the day to say that he wouldn't be able to go.

* HarsherInHindsight: Jeffrey Jones playing a high school principal essentially stalking an underaged student is a lot less funny in light of Jones being convicted in 2003 for attempting to solicit nude photos from an underaged boy.

** Jeannie's quest to catch Ferris. Her complaining about how unfair it is that Ferris gets away with whatever he wants while she gets punished is proven true when she is hauled down to the police station for supposedly "making a phony phone call" about a very real intruder and getting in trouble with their parents, while Ferris gets away with having a whole fun day out with his friends.

* MemeticMutation: How many tropers have had a class where the teacher ''didn't'' say "Bueller? Bueller?" at least once during attendance? Ben Stein has said he wants it on his tombstone. "Oh Yeah" gained popularity online as music to play during a creepy sexual situation.

* ValuesResonance: Since the 2010s, and especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the American education system is increasingly seen as an institution that does not actually engage with students or stoke their interests. Ferris' hooky can be seen as the act of a kid who is exasperated with a school, considering he complains about the curriculum in one of his monologues. When you see Rooney's uncomfortably obsessive behavior and the boring economics teacher, it is much easier to see Ferris' point. It also helps that Ferris shows hints of being BrilliantButLazy and otherwise is discouraged from putting in the effort.
* WhatAnIdiot:
** Rooney never considers talking to Ferris Bueller's sister about her suspicions about Ferris playing hooky. If he had done that, he would at least have an ally in addition to his secretary Grace and someone who knows the kids' modus operandi. In fact, when Jeannie tries to go see him, she is rude to Grace and skipping class, but wanted to tell Rooney that she thinks her little brother isn't really sick and is goofing off. The way it works out, Jeannie kicks Rooney in the jaw on pure instinct.
** The police, when thinking Jeannie made a phony prank call, didn't realize that someone had left their wallet in the house. It would have vindicated Jeannie and gotten Rooney in serious trouble. The fact that Jeannie finds it and '''returns''' it to Rooney shows that she is well-aware of this fact.

* ValuesResonance: Since the 2010s, and especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the American education system is increasingly seen as an institution that does not actually engage with students or stoke their interests. Ferris' hooky can be seen as the act of a kid who is exasperated with a school, considering he complains about the curriculum in one of his monologues. When you see Rooney's uncomfortably obsessive behavior and the boring economics teacher, it is much easier to see Ferris' point. It also helps that Ferris shows hints of being BrillaintButLazy and otherwise is discouraged from putting in the effort.

* RonTheDeathEater: It's become somewhat popular to view Ferris as a sociopathic ManipulativeBastard rather than an irreverent, fun-loving and somewhat irresponsible teen. Supporters of this view point to his charm, his ability to con and manipulate his way into getting the things he wants, and being apathetic toward the possibility of consequences for him or his companions. However, one has to ignore Ferris's confrontation with Cameron (in which he offers to take the heat for the wrecked Ferrari) and his genuine interest in helping Cameron come out of his shell, to maintain this interpretation.

* ValuesResonance: Since the 2010s, and especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the American education system is increasingly seen as an institution that does not actually engage with students or stoke their interests. Ferris' hooky can be seen as the act of a kid who is exasperated with a school, considering he complains about the curriculum in one of his monologues. When you see Rooney's uncomfortably obsessive behavior and the boring economics teacher, it is much easier to see Ferris' point. It also helps that Ferris show hints of being BrillaintButLazy, and otherwise is discouraged from putting in the effort.

* ValuesResonance: Since the 2010s, and especially since the coronavirus pandemic, the American education system is increasingly seen as an institution that does not actually engage with students or stoke their interests. Ferris' hooky can be seen as the act of a kid who is exasperated with a school, considering he complains about the curriculum in one of his monologues. When you see Rooney's uncomfortably obsessive behavior and the boring economics teacher, it is much easier to see Ferris' point.

** This film, along with ''Film/TheSecretOfMySuccess'', made the avant garde Swiss band Yello a household name with its iconic use of "Oh Yeah" in the Ferrari's introduction.

* SignatureScene: Ferris singing "Twist and shout" on the parade float.

** Creator/RichardEdson as the parking garage attendant who takes Cameron's father's beloved convertible for a spin.

* RonTheDeathEater: It's become somewhat popular to view Ferris as a sociopathic ManipulativeBastard rather than an irreverent, fun-loving and somewhat irresponsible teen. Supporters of this view point to his charm, his ability to con and manipulate his way into getting the things he wants, and being apathetic toward the possibility of consequences for him or his companions. However, one has to [[CompletelyMissingThePoint ignore Ferris's confrontation with Cameron (in which he offers to take the heat for the wrecked Ferrari) and his genuine interest in helping Cameron come out of his shell]], to maintain this interpretation.

** From Jeannie's point-of-view, she came home during her senior lunch break, and while her little brother is missing, someone is in the house. when she tries to surprise the person, it turns out to be an "intruder". Jeannie in the heat of the moment understandably screams, kicks him in the jaw several times, and runs to hide in her room while calling the police. To top it all off, the cops don't ''believe her''. She later finds out that it was Rooney, after locating his wallet, and is understandably furious that he got her in trouble.