Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
04-30-13 | 04:59 PM
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Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
Over on IMDb someone posted what he calls the “shooting script” of Ferris Bueler’s Day Off. After reading it I would say that it reads like an intermediate draft because it differs considerably from the final film. Read the whole thing here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/...nest/210613175
But I also wanted to share a few choice excerpts and comments below. The script has a slightly more misanthropic tone with more existential comments and insights from the teens about what it’s like to be a teen alive at that time. The tone reads more serious and confessional than the tone of the final film, much more in the vein of The Breakfast Club. There is more scatological humor and drug references compared to the final film which is surprisingly chaste when one considers its year and genre. The dialogue also has some absolute gems, proving that even John Hughes’s “B-sides” are worth paying attention to.
The script starts the same. Ferris’ monologue to the camera is generally the same. This biting and funny line however didn’t’ make the final cut:
There is then a lengthy interlude within the “to camera” monologue that is very dark…and pays off at the end of the film:
Incidentally the piece of dialogue, “I once watched the guy eat a whole bowl of artificial fruit just so he could see what it was like to have his stomach pumped” sounds familiar as hell. Was it re-used in a later film?
The scene at the stock exchange is longer with a beautiful line from Ferris:
They then go to lunch. After lunch they cruise on a boat:
After parade they go to a strip club. It’s a pretty poor scene that would have sunk the movie. Ferris gets up and does an Elvis impersonation musical number. This would have been minutes after the musical parade scene. Definitely too much. But it does have a beautiful nugget of writing and a fucking funny one liner within it:
The scene right before the Ferrari destruction has a great moment of dialogue:
Jeanie saves Ferris from Mr. Roony and in a twist that ties in with the beginning of the film has this exchange with Ferris. It turns out the punk at the police station, the Charlie Sheen character, is Garth Volbeck.
Evidently Ferris’ famous “Life moves pretty fast….” line hadn’t been written yet and the script concludes with this clunky piece of wisdom:
But I also wanted to share a few choice excerpts and comments below. The script has a slightly more misanthropic tone with more existential comments and insights from the teens about what it’s like to be a teen alive at that time. The tone reads more serious and confessional than the tone of the final film, much more in the vein of The Breakfast Club. There is more scatological humor and drug references compared to the final film which is surprisingly chaste when one considers its year and genre. The dialogue also has some absolute gems, proving that even John Hughes’s “B-sides” are worth paying attention to.
The script starts the same. Ferris’ monologue to the camera is generally the same. This biting and funny line however didn’t’ make the final cut:
My mother was a hippie. But she lost it. She got old. If she listens to the White Album now? She doesn't hear music, she hears memories. Nostalgia is her favorite drug. It'll probably be mine, too. I hope not.
16 INT. BEDROOM 16 He walks across the room to his dresser. He opens his underwear drawer. There's an old model of a submarine on the top of the dresser. He picks it up.
FERRIS In eighth grade a friend of mine made a bong out of one of these. The smoke tasted like glue.
He pulls out a pair of underwear. He gets dressed as he speaks.
FERRIS His name is Garth Volbeck. He's a serious outsider. Not a bad guy, I like him. I'm probably his only friend. I do what I can for him. I mean, if I was him, I'd appreciate it. Do unto others, right? Anyway, his mother owns a gas station. His father's dead and his sister's rumored to be a prostitute, which is complete bullshit. She only puts out so people will hang out with her. It's sad but I don't hold it against her. Better to hold it against the guys who use her and don't care about her. (pause) My parents never allowed Garth over here. It was because of his family. Mainly his older brother. He's in jail. I could see them not wanting his brother here because he is a registered psycho. I wouldn't want him here. I once watched the guy eat a whole bowl of artificial fruit just so he could see what it was like to have his stomach pumped. But Garth isn't his brother. It isn't his fault that his brother's screwed-up. Alot of fights with the parents on that point. I always felt for Garth. I was sleeping at his house once and I was laying on the dark worrying that his brother was going to come in and hack me to death with an ax and I heard Garth crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Nothing". ... Nothing was wrong. There was no specific thing he was crying about. In fact, he wasn't really even aware that he was crying. He just cried himself to sleep every night. It was a habit. The guy's so conditioned to grief that if he doesn't feel it, he can't sleep. How could you possibly dump on guy who has to deal with that kinda shit? My parents acknowledge the trudge of the situation and I'm sure that deep down, they do feel for him but still the guy's banned from our house.
He looks at himself in the mirror on the back of his closet door. He doesn't like what he's wearing. He continues his speech as he disrobes.
FERRIS: Unfortunately, now my parents have a legit argument. Garth doesn't need his brother to give him a rep anymore. He's getting one on his own. He's lost. It's over for him. He's eighteen. Gone from school. Gone from life. His legacy is a gas station.
FERRIS In eighth grade a friend of mine made a bong out of one of these. The smoke tasted like glue.
He pulls out a pair of underwear. He gets dressed as he speaks.
FERRIS His name is Garth Volbeck. He's a serious outsider. Not a bad guy, I like him. I'm probably his only friend. I do what I can for him. I mean, if I was him, I'd appreciate it. Do unto others, right? Anyway, his mother owns a gas station. His father's dead and his sister's rumored to be a prostitute, which is complete bullshit. She only puts out so people will hang out with her. It's sad but I don't hold it against her. Better to hold it against the guys who use her and don't care about her. (pause) My parents never allowed Garth over here. It was because of his family. Mainly his older brother. He's in jail. I could see them not wanting his brother here because he is a registered psycho. I wouldn't want him here. I once watched the guy eat a whole bowl of artificial fruit just so he could see what it was like to have his stomach pumped. But Garth isn't his brother. It isn't his fault that his brother's screwed-up. Alot of fights with the parents on that point. I always felt for Garth. I was sleeping at his house once and I was laying on the dark worrying that his brother was going to come in and hack me to death with an ax and I heard Garth crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Nothing". ... Nothing was wrong. There was no specific thing he was crying about. In fact, he wasn't really even aware that he was crying. He just cried himself to sleep every night. It was a habit. The guy's so conditioned to grief that if he doesn't feel it, he can't sleep. How could you possibly dump on guy who has to deal with that kinda shit? My parents acknowledge the trudge of the situation and I'm sure that deep down, they do feel for him but still the guy's banned from our house.
He looks at himself in the mirror on the back of his closet door. He doesn't like what he's wearing. He continues his speech as he disrobes.
FERRIS: Unfortunately, now my parents have a legit argument. Garth doesn't need his brother to give him a rep anymore. He's getting one on his own. He's lost. It's over for him. He's eighteen. Gone from school. Gone from life. His legacy is a gas station.
The scene at the stock exchange is longer with a beautiful line from Ferris:
115 EXT. CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE 115 Giant old monolith.
116 INT. CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE. TRADING ROOM 116 Traders are frantically buying and selling commodities.
117 INT. GALLERY 117 Ferris, Cameron and Sloane are sitting in the gallery watching the proceedings.
SLOANE Do you love me?
FERRIS Do you love me?
SLOANE I asked you first.
FERRIS Yes. You?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I trash a day of education to be with you if I didn't love you?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I risk damaging a deep and wonderfully enriching relationship with my parents if I didn't love you?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I have introduced you as my wife if I didn't love you? (this is in reference to a lengthy deleted scene)
SLOANE Wait a minute. That was a lie.
FERRIS True.
Ferris puts his arm around Sloane.
FERRIS Would you want to get married? I mean if I wasn't an *beep*
SLOANE Sure.
FERRIS (serious) Today?
Sloane stares at him. Is he serious.
FERRIS I'm game.
SLOANE No way!
FERRIS I'll do it, if you will.
Cameron suddenly adds his two cents.
CAMERON You need a blood test.
Ferris looks around at him.
FERRIS Huh?
CAMERON If your blood's not compatible, you could produce a pinhead. The state requires a blood test.
FERRIS So?
CAMERON So, you can't get married today.
FERRIS Tomorrow?
CAMERON If you get a blood test today.
SLOANE I'm not getting married.
CAMERON I'm with you, babe.
FERRIS Why not?
SLOANE What do you mean, why not? Think about it.
FERRIS Besides being too young and your father hating my guts and not having any place to live and feeling awkward about being the only cheer- leader with a husband, give me a good reason why not.
CAMERON I'll give you two. My mother and father.
Ferris and Sloane look at him curiously.
CAMERON They're married and they hate each other. (to Ferris) You've seen them. Am I right?
FERRIS You're father's a toad and your Mom's always wired out, but so what? They're old. That's natural.
CAMERON It makes me puke. Seeing people treat each other like that. It's like the car. He loves the car. He hates his wife.
SLOANE My parents are divorced. So what? It's not like it doesn't happen ten thousand times a day.
CAMERON Just because it happens doesn't make it right. Are you comfortable with it?
SLOANE No. It's not something I can get comfortable with. I've tried. Are yours divorced?
CAMERON They may as well be.
SLOANE Do you think they're staying together because of you?
Cameron hasn't seen it that way. He shrugs.
SLOANE Do they like you?
It hasn't occured to Cameron that his parents might not like him. That parental love might not be a given.
CAMERON Yeah. Sure.
SLOANE Consider this...my father canned me and my brother and my Mom for a twenty five year old dipso with fake tits. He dropped us like a rock. Everything was cool at our house. I thought so. We all thought so. Then BLAM! It's over.
FERRIS (to CAMERA) This is all news to me. She keeps a pretty good secret.
SLOANE (to Cameron) It was pure selfishness. When I have a kid, I don't care how much I want something, if it's gonna screw-up the kid, forget it.
FERRIS (to CAMERA) She's not lying.
CAMERON You could change.
SLOANE Yeah. But I'm gonna try not to. I'm gonna think about it. I'm gonna try to prevent it.
FERRIS This is optomism. It's a common trait with my age group. Adults think it's cute, it's like a charming quirk that infests youth. But it's a cool thing and I think, deep down, crusty old assholes wish they had some. They wish they had her, too. (points to Sloane) Sorry. She's taken.
CAMERON I'd rather not have my family break apart, thank you.
SLOANE Well, you know what? It ain't up to you. It's out of your hands.
CAMERON So, I in other words, I should just sit back and watch it crumble?
SLOANE You're merely an inhabitant in their universe.
FERRIS Frightening choice of words.
SLOANE They call the shots. When you split from them, you call the shots.
CAMERON So, you're saying I should run away?
FERRIS No. She's saying it's time for lunch.
SLOANE What?
FERRIS Let's go feed Cameron.
116 INT. CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE. TRADING ROOM 116 Traders are frantically buying and selling commodities.
117 INT. GALLERY 117 Ferris, Cameron and Sloane are sitting in the gallery watching the proceedings.
SLOANE Do you love me?
FERRIS Do you love me?
SLOANE I asked you first.
FERRIS Yes. You?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I trash a day of education to be with you if I didn't love you?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I risk damaging a deep and wonderfully enriching relationship with my parents if I didn't love you?
SLOANE Yes.
FERRIS Would I have introduced you as my wife if I didn't love you? (this is in reference to a lengthy deleted scene)
SLOANE Wait a minute. That was a lie.
FERRIS True.
Ferris puts his arm around Sloane.
FERRIS Would you want to get married? I mean if I wasn't an *beep*
SLOANE Sure.
FERRIS (serious) Today?
Sloane stares at him. Is he serious.
FERRIS I'm game.
SLOANE No way!
FERRIS I'll do it, if you will.
Cameron suddenly adds his two cents.
CAMERON You need a blood test.
Ferris looks around at him.
FERRIS Huh?
CAMERON If your blood's not compatible, you could produce a pinhead. The state requires a blood test.
FERRIS So?
CAMERON So, you can't get married today.
FERRIS Tomorrow?
CAMERON If you get a blood test today.
SLOANE I'm not getting married.
CAMERON I'm with you, babe.
FERRIS Why not?
SLOANE What do you mean, why not? Think about it.
FERRIS Besides being too young and your father hating my guts and not having any place to live and feeling awkward about being the only cheer- leader with a husband, give me a good reason why not.
CAMERON I'll give you two. My mother and father.
Ferris and Sloane look at him curiously.
CAMERON They're married and they hate each other. (to Ferris) You've seen them. Am I right?
FERRIS You're father's a toad and your Mom's always wired out, but so what? They're old. That's natural.
CAMERON It makes me puke. Seeing people treat each other like that. It's like the car. He loves the car. He hates his wife.
SLOANE My parents are divorced. So what? It's not like it doesn't happen ten thousand times a day.
CAMERON Just because it happens doesn't make it right. Are you comfortable with it?
SLOANE No. It's not something I can get comfortable with. I've tried. Are yours divorced?
CAMERON They may as well be.
SLOANE Do you think they're staying together because of you?
Cameron hasn't seen it that way. He shrugs.
SLOANE Do they like you?
It hasn't occured to Cameron that his parents might not like him. That parental love might not be a given.
CAMERON Yeah. Sure.
SLOANE Consider this...my father canned me and my brother and my Mom for a twenty five year old dipso with fake tits. He dropped us like a rock. Everything was cool at our house. I thought so. We all thought so. Then BLAM! It's over.
FERRIS (to CAMERA) This is all news to me. She keeps a pretty good secret.
SLOANE (to Cameron) It was pure selfishness. When I have a kid, I don't care how much I want something, if it's gonna screw-up the kid, forget it.
FERRIS (to CAMERA) She's not lying.
CAMERON You could change.
SLOANE Yeah. But I'm gonna try not to. I'm gonna think about it. I'm gonna try to prevent it.
FERRIS This is optomism. It's a common trait with my age group. Adults think it's cute, it's like a charming quirk that infests youth. But it's a cool thing and I think, deep down, crusty old assholes wish they had some. They wish they had her, too. (points to Sloane) Sorry. She's taken.
CAMERON I'd rather not have my family break apart, thank you.
SLOANE Well, you know what? It ain't up to you. It's out of your hands.
CAMERON So, I in other words, I should just sit back and watch it crumble?
SLOANE You're merely an inhabitant in their universe.
FERRIS Frightening choice of words.
SLOANE They call the shots. When you split from them, you call the shots.
CAMERON So, you're saying I should run away?
FERRIS No. She's saying it's time for lunch.
SLOANE What?
FERRIS Let's go feed Cameron.
128 EXT. CHICAGO RIVER. LONG, HIGH SHOT 128 From the Merchandise Mart, looking down the fetid, green swath of water. A boat is rolling up the man-made canyon.
CAMERON (VO) Are you guys worried about nuclear war?
FERRIS (VO) Cameron, it's a beautiful day, we've won our freedom, we're traveling down one of American's most scenic polluted waterways and you have to bring up nuclear war?
SLOANE (VO) It is kind of raggy subject, Cam.
CAMERON (VO) Regardless. It's with us every day. The possiblity of global destruction.
SLOANE (VO) Don't you think it's an issue because people need something to worry about? They have to like, have some major problem that puts all their little bullshit into some kind of persepective?
CAMERON (VO) Maybe.
FERRIS They used to have Viet Nam. They used to have the oil crisis stuff and Iran. That's over and people have to have their big issue. It's not like somebody came up with the nuclear holocaust yesterday at noon, you know.
SLOANE (VO) To answer your question...No, I'm not worried about it at all.
FERRIS (VO) We don't know when the bombs going off. We do know, however, that college starts in the fall.
CAMERON (VO) (dramatic, deadly serious) Do you know what a nuclear winter is? Long beat.
SLOANE (VO) Yeah. Everybody's dead, it's real cold and the skiing's for shit.
The boat makes the turn in the river and CLEARS FRAME.
EXT. BOAT DOCK The three are sitting on the aft deck of the tour boat. Their feet are up on the railing. Very casual, very relaxed. Discussing the end of the world.
SLOANE My step-father's always going off about how when he was young he was committed to all these causes.
FERRIS He's full of *beep* All the old hippies are full of *beep*
SLOANE He says I don't care about things like he did.
FERRIS What's he care about now?
SLOANE Baldness, fatty meats and money.
FERRIS I rest my case.
CAMERON What's spooky is they still control everything. They took over when they were young and they never gave it up.
FERRIS One of the most frightening experiences of my young life has been observing my parents and our neighbors playing the Baby Boom Edition of Trivial Pursuits. It's chilling to see people crazed with the minutia of their past.
CAMERON It's human nature to like what you had better than what you have.
SLOANE Agreed.
CAMERON (VO) Are you guys worried about nuclear war?
FERRIS (VO) Cameron, it's a beautiful day, we've won our freedom, we're traveling down one of American's most scenic polluted waterways and you have to bring up nuclear war?
SLOANE (VO) It is kind of raggy subject, Cam.
CAMERON (VO) Regardless. It's with us every day. The possiblity of global destruction.
SLOANE (VO) Don't you think it's an issue because people need something to worry about? They have to like, have some major problem that puts all their little bullshit into some kind of persepective?
CAMERON (VO) Maybe.
FERRIS They used to have Viet Nam. They used to have the oil crisis stuff and Iran. That's over and people have to have their big issue. It's not like somebody came up with the nuclear holocaust yesterday at noon, you know.
SLOANE (VO) To answer your question...No, I'm not worried about it at all.
FERRIS (VO) We don't know when the bombs going off. We do know, however, that college starts in the fall.
CAMERON (VO) (dramatic, deadly serious) Do you know what a nuclear winter is? Long beat.
SLOANE (VO) Yeah. Everybody's dead, it's real cold and the skiing's for shit.
The boat makes the turn in the river and CLEARS FRAME.
EXT. BOAT DOCK The three are sitting on the aft deck of the tour boat. Their feet are up on the railing. Very casual, very relaxed. Discussing the end of the world.
SLOANE My step-father's always going off about how when he was young he was committed to all these causes.
FERRIS He's full of *beep* All the old hippies are full of *beep*
SLOANE He says I don't care about things like he did.
FERRIS What's he care about now?
SLOANE Baldness, fatty meats and money.
FERRIS I rest my case.
CAMERON What's spooky is they still control everything. They took over when they were young and they never gave it up.
FERRIS One of the most frightening experiences of my young life has been observing my parents and our neighbors playing the Baby Boom Edition of Trivial Pursuits. It's chilling to see people crazed with the minutia of their past.
CAMERON It's human nature to like what you had better than what you have.
SLOANE Agreed.
146 CU. LARGE BREASTS 146 Tassled pasties twirl like airplane propellers.
CU. CAMERON, FERRIS AND SLOANE They're sitting in a booth in the garish, nearly deserted strip joint. Cameron's mouth is open in amazement. Sloane is embarrassed and revolted.
CAMERON How does she do that? One goes one way, one goes the other.
FERRIS She's probably schizophrenic.
SLOANE Ferris, this is nauseating me. Really. I'm losing respect for you by the bucket.
FERRIS You don't think it's amazing that we got in?
SLOANE Who wants to get in?
FERRIS Cameron looks like a toddler, for Christ's sake. I'm talking about a major achievement in false identification.
SLOANE I'm not interested in watching someone jiggle their mammary glands.
FERRIS Point well taken. But consider why she does it. Why she does it and you don't.
SLOANE I'm not a tramp.
FERRIS Maybe her life fell apart. Maybe she lost somebody. A lover. A boyfriend. A parent. A child... (to CAMERA) This kind of thing makes me a little depressed. You may think because I'm the age I am that I'm a sex maniac. That sex is all I think about. But that's not true. I'm a romantic. I think alot of people my age are. We think about love and matters of the heart. And SAT scores and acne aside, we worry about loneliness. It's a terrible thing. And we feel it. I feel it.
CU. CAMERON, FERRIS AND SLOANE They're sitting in a booth in the garish, nearly deserted strip joint. Cameron's mouth is open in amazement. Sloane is embarrassed and revolted.
CAMERON How does she do that? One goes one way, one goes the other.
FERRIS She's probably schizophrenic.
SLOANE Ferris, this is nauseating me. Really. I'm losing respect for you by the bucket.
FERRIS You don't think it's amazing that we got in?
SLOANE Who wants to get in?
FERRIS Cameron looks like a toddler, for Christ's sake. I'm talking about a major achievement in false identification.
SLOANE I'm not interested in watching someone jiggle their mammary glands.
FERRIS Point well taken. But consider why she does it. Why she does it and you don't.
SLOANE I'm not a tramp.
FERRIS Maybe her life fell apart. Maybe she lost somebody. A lover. A boyfriend. A parent. A child... (to CAMERA) This kind of thing makes me a little depressed. You may think because I'm the age I am that I'm a sex maniac. That sex is all I think about. But that's not true. I'm a romantic. I think alot of people my age are. We think about love and matters of the heart. And SAT scores and acne aside, we worry about loneliness. It's a terrible thing. And we feel it. I feel it.
187 CU. FERRARI TIRE 187 It's spinning rapidly. CY. ACCELERATOR A brick's resting on the accelerator, holding it down.
INT. CAMERON'S GARAGE Ferris, Cameron and Sloane are sitting in the garage. The Ferrari is jacked up. The wheels are turning. The engine's racing.
CAMERON The whole time I was just thinking things over. I was like, meditating. I was thinking about the future. And I realized it doesn't make any difference if the present goes to shit
FERRIS I have a agree with you there.
SLOANE Really.
CAMERON I've been thinking all day that if you could only have the use of one word, what would it be?
FERRIS Sloane is naked before your eyes and you're thinking about words?
SLOANE God bless you, Cameron.
CAMERON Thank you, Sloane.
CAMERON If you guys only had one word, what would it be?
FERRIS I can't believe you'd think up something like with a naked girl in a jacuzzi right in front of you.
SLOANE Come on, Ferris, answer his question.
FERRIS Bathroom.
SLOANE I'd say...
She thinks.
FERRIS Cash.
CAMERON It's the only word you could ever use.
FERRIS Hello.
SLOANE Love.
FERRIS And what if you loathe somebody? Are you going to say "love" every time you see them?
SLOANE It's better than "hello".
FERRIS Hellos' generic.
SLOANE You wanna be generic?
CAMERON It's “help”.
Cameron smiles at his wisdom. Ferris and Sloane think about it. It's a good choice. Cameron gets up and walks to the Ferrari.
CAMERON The word is help.
Cameron peeks in the window.
CU. ODOMETER Nothing's happening.
INT. GARAGE Cameron pulls his head out of the car.
CAMERON Ferris? It's not working.
INT. CAMERON'S GARAGE Ferris, Cameron and Sloane are sitting in the garage. The Ferrari is jacked up. The wheels are turning. The engine's racing.
CAMERON The whole time I was just thinking things over. I was like, meditating. I was thinking about the future. And I realized it doesn't make any difference if the present goes to shit
FERRIS I have a agree with you there.
SLOANE Really.
CAMERON I've been thinking all day that if you could only have the use of one word, what would it be?
FERRIS Sloane is naked before your eyes and you're thinking about words?
SLOANE God bless you, Cameron.
CAMERON Thank you, Sloane.
CAMERON If you guys only had one word, what would it be?
FERRIS I can't believe you'd think up something like with a naked girl in a jacuzzi right in front of you.
SLOANE Come on, Ferris, answer his question.
FERRIS Bathroom.
SLOANE I'd say...
She thinks.
FERRIS Cash.
CAMERON It's the only word you could ever use.
FERRIS Hello.
SLOANE Love.
FERRIS And what if you loathe somebody? Are you going to say "love" every time you see them?
SLOANE It's better than "hello".
FERRIS Hellos' generic.
SLOANE You wanna be generic?
CAMERON It's “help”.
Cameron smiles at his wisdom. Ferris and Sloane think about it. It's a good choice. Cameron gets up and walks to the Ferrari.
CAMERON The word is help.
Cameron peeks in the window.
CU. ODOMETER Nothing's happening.
INT. GARAGE Cameron pulls his head out of the car.
CAMERON Ferris? It's not working.
JOYCE (OC) Ferris!
Ferris continues up the stairs. He affects a sickly voice.
FERRIS Upstairs, Mom!
204 INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING 204 Ferris and Jeanie stop.
JEANIE Do you know a guy named Garth Volbeck?
FERRIS Vaguely.
JEANIE Is he cool?
FERRIS He's cool. But stay away from his brother.
Ferris continues up the stairs. He affects a sickly voice.
FERRIS Upstairs, Mom!
204 INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING 204 Ferris and Jeanie stop.
JEANIE Do you know a guy named Garth Volbeck?
FERRIS Vaguely.
JEANIE Is he cool?
FERRIS He's cool. But stay away from his brother.
FERRIS (happy sigh) Yeah, life is a carousel. A great big crazy ball of pure living, breathing joy and delight. He rolls over on his back and puts his hands behind his head.
FERRIS You gotta get one.
He smiles.
MUSIC UP
BIG END TITLES
THE END
FERRIS You gotta get one.
He smiles.
MUSIC UP
BIG END TITLES
THE END
Last edited by Mabuse; 06-20-13 at 02:00 PM.
04-30-13 | 05:30 PM
#4
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
It's been awhile but I sort of recall they did go over some of this info. on a 2 hour Ferris Beuller doc. on Biography.
04-30-13 | 05:30 PM
#5
Thread Starter
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From: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
You can read the whole thing without my thoughts at the link. So stop yer bitchin'
04-30-13 | 05:34 PM
#6
DVD Talk Legend
04-30-13 | 05:48 PM
#7
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
I heard there was a part in the original script where Cameron sees Sloane naked at the pool...
04-30-13 | 06:37 PM
#8
Banned
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
04-30-13 | 10:07 PM
#9
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04-30-13 | 11:09 PM
#10
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
I have the novelization- a lot of the deeper stuff was left in.
05-01-13 | 08:27 AM
#11
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08-26-15 | 12:05 PM
#12
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From: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
I watched the film last night for the first time in years and for the first time since reading and posting that script two years ago. I've got a few notes and questions:
1. The Garth Volbeck subplot/character thing is present in one other moment of the film. When Rooney's car gets towed the tow truck says "Volbeck Towing".
2. Watching it again after reading the script I really feel like the scenes with the kids were eviscerated. So much was cut! I think I'd rather these scenes be a little longer and have less Ed Rooney falling in the mud and the other Home Alone-esque elements.
3. Was running a car in reverse EVER a way to roll back millage? I suspect it wasn't. Was it some kind of urban legend that proliferated back then?
4. There is a strange barbershop quartet music cue that plays when Jennifer Grey introduces herself to Charlie Sheen. It's like "Shawnaaaa--Sheenaaa" and matches her name and dialogue from the film. There is a very similarly done moment in Sixteen Candles when Anthony Michael Hall wakes up in the church parking lot near the end of the movie. The vocalists even repeat Anthony Michael Hall's line "Clean close shave". Strange that Hughes would do this twice. Seems like a lot of trouble to get some small vocal group to come in and record this stuff just for the film and lay it over the film. Unique touch. Did he do this in any other films?
1. The Garth Volbeck subplot/character thing is present in one other moment of the film. When Rooney's car gets towed the tow truck says "Volbeck Towing".
2. Watching it again after reading the script I really feel like the scenes with the kids were eviscerated. So much was cut! I think I'd rather these scenes be a little longer and have less Ed Rooney falling in the mud and the other Home Alone-esque elements.
3. Was running a car in reverse EVER a way to roll back millage? I suspect it wasn't. Was it some kind of urban legend that proliferated back then?
4. There is a strange barbershop quartet music cue that plays when Jennifer Grey introduces herself to Charlie Sheen. It's like "Shawnaaaa--Sheenaaa" and matches her name and dialogue from the film. There is a very similarly done moment in Sixteen Candles when Anthony Michael Hall wakes up in the church parking lot near the end of the movie. The vocalists even repeat Anthony Michael Hall's line "Clean close shave". Strange that Hughes would do this twice. Seems like a lot of trouble to get some small vocal group to come in and record this stuff just for the film and lay it over the film. Unique touch. Did he do this in any other films?
08-26-15 | 12:18 PM
#13
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
08-27-15 | 03:16 PM
#14
08-27-15 | 03:49 PM
#15
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
4. There is a strange barbershop quartet music cue that plays when Jennifer Grey introduces herself to Charlie Sheen. It's like "Shawnaaaa--Sheenaaa" and matches her name and dialogue from the film. There is a very similarly done moment in Sixteen Candles when Anthony Michael Hall wakes up in the church parking lot near the end of the movie. The vocalists even repeat Anthony Michael Hall's line "Clean close shave". Strange that Hughes would do this twice. Seems like a lot of trouble to get some small vocal group to come in and record this stuff just for the film and lay it over the film. Unique touch. Did he do this in any other films?
08-28-15 | 07:40 AM
#16
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From: The Pacific Northwest
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
Normally I'm a big fan of depth in literature and films, but in the case of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I think I actually prefer the lighter, breezier version that made it to the screen. I wouldn't have objected to the inclusion of a Mia Sara nude pool scene, however.
08-28-15 | 07:46 AM
#17
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
I haven't watch the film on DVD in forever because it's always on TV. That scene is NOT in the actual film? Because there is a follow up scene too where Cameron has smirk on his face and Sloane brings it up. Interesting...
08-28-15 | 01:23 PM
#18
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
This script makes Ferris sound more like Holden Caulfield. I wonder if that's what John Hughes was going for.
08-31-15 | 01:17 PM
#19
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
On older cars you can do this. It was a sneaky practice of rolling back the odometer on older cars. You could hook it up to a drill and spin it back also.
08-31-15 | 08:07 PM
#20
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Early draft of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and my lengthy exerpts and thoughts
His family would let him use their car on the condition that he wouldn't leave town. He would pick me and a couple others up, drive to the city, and he would jack the cup in a parking lot and run it in reverse to take the miles off.
