Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

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All of the main characters in the movie—Ferris, Cameron, Rooney, Jeanie—are characterized by what they do. When Jeanie's not swatting collection cups out of well-meaning classmate's hands, she's skulking around school, searching for justice… and never attending class.

Rooney's actions—from muddy shoes to dog bludgeoning to full-on trespassing in the Buellers' house—cause him near-constant humiliation and reveal his obsessions and abuses of power. Fearful, anxious Cameron spends most of the day resisting fun of any kind, too afraid to break the rules.

And then there's Ferris. More than any other character in the film, Ferris is defined by his actions, and homeboy has a busy day off. He fools his parents into thinking he's sick, manipulates his best friend into "borrowing" an expensive sports car, masterminds a scheme to get his girlfriend out of school, steals an innocent sausage king's lunch reservation, and then makes the snooty maître d' he hoodwinked feel bad about doubting him. He even commandeers a parade float and leads a thousands-strong dance party in downtown Chicago.

This is an incomplete list, but it still tells you a lot about Ferris's character. He's a topnotch manipulator. He likes to have fun; he likes to take risks; he's more than a little bit self-centered. He has some seriously good luck, and he's defined by what he does more than by what he says—or by what others say about him.

In fact, the only insight we get into Ferris's character comes when Sloane and Cameron walk along the parade route. "You know, as long as I've known him, everything works for him," Cameron says of Ferris. "There's nothing he can't handle. I can't handle anything: school, parents, the future. Ferris can do anything." And on his day off, Ferris does, and gets away with, a little bit of everything, establishing himself as a charming conman. It would be impressive if he got away with just one of the schemes he pulls on his day off. The fact that he gets away with several is just showing off.

Direct Characterization

Ferris spends a lot of time breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly. The dude just can't resist the temptation of a meaty monologue. Many of those speeches are about his pal Cameron. Ferris tells us all about how Cameron is frequently sick, how he's happier when he's sick, how his family life is messed up, how he's never been in love, and how he's afraid.

Ferris seems to enjoy playing armchair psychologist. "I'm actually amazed that I got the car out of the garage," Ferris confesses in the men's room mirror at Chez Quis. "I caught Cameron digging the ride once or twice. It's good for him. It teaches him to deal with his fear." Ferris also speculates that Cameron will marry the first woman with whom he's intimate, and she'll treat him like garbage. Thanks, Dr. Bueller.

In short, when it comes to Cameron, Ferris has a big mouth—and that's a good thing. For most of the film, Cameron isn't very forthcoming about his feelings, other than his repeated desire to go back to the suburbs. When Cameron opens up at the end of the film, after his emotional breakdown, he really opens up, but before that, if it weren't for Ferris's direct address, we'd have little insight into what makes Cameron tick and why he acts the way he does.

Family Life

The Bad Parents Hall of Shame

We may never meet Cameron's parents, but we sure do witness the effect of their parenting—or lack thereof—on Cameron. For starters, they're why he's perpetually under the weather. "His home life is really twisted," Ferris comments. "That's why he's sick all the time. It really bothers him. He's the only guy I know who feels better when he's sick. If I had to live in that house, I'd probably pray for a disease, too."

To a degree, Cameron can control his health, declaring himself sick whenever he wants. It's probably one of the only things he can control. Ferris suggests that Cameron lives under a lot of rules, and that his house is sterile and unfriendly, like a museum. "It's very beautiful and very cold," Ferris says, "and you're not allowed to touch anything. Can you appreciate what it must've been like for Cameron to be in that joint as a baby?"

You bet we can. Cameron spends the first three quarters of the film characterized by the fear bred in him by his detached parents. His dad loves his precious Ferrari more than his wife and more than Cameron. That's why Cameron's so insecure. That's why he's anxious. That's why Ferris says that Cameron needs a day off more than anybody.

Cameron Grows a Pair

Enough with the depressing stuff, let's talk about Cameron's awesome catharsis. After his emotional breakdown, Cameron finally throws the Frye family rulebook out the window. He's confident, and that confidence manifests itself in his willingness to take a stand and force his dad to deal with him and the totaled Ferrari resting in pieces beneath the garage. Whether Cameron's inert and full of fear or defiant and full of fire, it's in response to—or at the very least, influenced by—what's going on at home.

The Apple of Tom and Katie's Wool-Covered Eyes

Ferris and Jeanie are also characterized by their family life, although it's to a much smaller degree. Ferris's parents dote on him. Thinking he's sick, they treat him like a baby. Mom even comes home to check on Ferris, who, as a high school senior on the verge of graduation, is likely eighteen years old.

All of this affection and attention lavished on him, as well as the blind eyed turned toward his schemes, even if it's subconscious, contributes to Ferris's confidence. And boy, is he confident. He's so confident that the word "consequences" isn't in his dictionary. Ferris does whatever he wants, no matter whom or what gets in his way, because everything always just works out for him—and that starts at home.

Jeanie Bueller: Perpetual Second Banana

The opposite is true for Jeanie. Next to Ferris, she's chopped liver, and she has the chip on her shoulder to prove it. Her second fiddle status at home informs how she treats her classmates (mean), authority figures (mean), and admirers (mean… at least until she makes out with them).

At times it's hard to blame her for being so cantankerous. If you're Ferris Bueller's sister, little in life seems fair. Just look at what happens when she catches an intruder in her house: The police don't believe her, and they bring her into the station on charges of making a false report. You know what's worse? Her own mother doesn't even believe her. Way to go, Mom. If it weren't for wise waiting room junkies, Jeanie would have no support at all.