ferris bueller’s day off

Ferris Bueller’s

Day OffBy Alina Haq

Ed Rooney’s phone call

• Ferris's ultimate enemy, is Ed Rooney, Dean of Students. His mission is to maintain dominance over his students, but Ferris damages that dominance, defying Rooney's authority by cutting school and showing the other students how easy it is to out-maneuver Rooney.

• Rooney gets a phone call supposedly from a parent. Rooney, knowing it's really a teenager, insults him. Then Ferris tricks Rooney into believing it really is an adult on the line, and Rooney falls over himself apologizing.

• In real life, most teenagers know they are owed an apology from the adult world, but seldom get one. Ferris Bueller, by hook or by crook, gets that apology. How could young audiences not cheer him on?


• The teachers are portrayed as gullible and relatively easy to get round. e.g, when Cameron phones the school saying Sloane’s grandmother has died, to get her out of class. And then again when Ferris goes to pick her up at the school. The only fight going on in this particular film is the one between the teachers and students, whereas in real schools the tension comes very much from between the students.

• Rooney is the stereotypical teenagers villain. He's the principal at the school and his all time goal is to catch Ferris out.. Comparing reality and the film, Rooney is a very exaggerated type of principal, he’s portrayed as a bit mad, but also very stupid, in that he doesn’t even notice Ferris as he picks Sloane up at the school. We also know he’s the villain because in the end, even though he thinks he is going to be successful in beating the hero - the audience also think this at one point, Ferris believes it too– at the last minute he fails. In most films, the villain never wins, the hero is always victorious.


• The close-up of Ed Rooney displaying his villainous expression makes the scene

comical as he thinks he has sussed out that it is Ferris on the phone rather than a

parent ringing about his child to attend a funeral.


• The diegetic sound of the person on the other end of the phone is over the top

making the audience question if it really is Ferris or another person talking to

Rooney as the identity is not yet revealed.

• The diegetic sound of Rooney’s nonchalant tone exemplifies the comedy as he goes on to say

“dig up your daughter” which is an absurd thing to say to a parent as a principal

• The mise-en-scene of his suit and office makes him look official which contrapanels to what

he is saying. His legs crossed heightens his relaxed mood and slight arrogance of thinking he

has beaten Ferris once and for all

• The mise-en-scene of the woman’s big hair and chirpy mood adds to the comedy


• The shallow depth of field of Ferris fixing his hair when he is straight out lying to the

teacher reverses the roles of the teacher outsmarting the student, making them look

foolish. It doesn’t bother Ferris he is used to getting away with everything


• The close-up conveys the horrified expression of the assistant thinking the principal is

speaking to a parent proving Ferris had won again

• Theme: teacher vs. students

• The close-up conveys the horrified expression of the principal, mouth hanging open in

awe – realisation.

• Slow paced to build up tension

• Inter-diegetic sound of crash to exemplify the mistake he think he made – comical

• Contrast to calm and arrogant to frightened and worried

• Too shocked to say anything


• Extreme close – up highlights mystery to who he was talking to before


• Wide shot: Fooled by a kid, over-the-top faces and voice – mocking the way adults

speak adds to comedy

• Mise-en-scene: normal, suburban kitchen


• Wide shot: Both adults are getting extremely frantic adds to comedy because they were

right all along but know they think they were wrong

• Becomes fast paced to display panic


• Inter-diegetic music of James bond, evoking Ferris has successfully completed another

“mission” once again, fooled the teachers

ferris bueller’s day off

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