Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the last of Hughes’ peak teen movie output, first hit cinemas in 1986. By then, the filmmaker had already proved himself adept at capturing the intimate details of adolescent experience and the minor trials that have a major impact on teenagers’ formative years.
For his tale of one man’s struggle to take it easy, his scope was larger, his interest had shifted towards wish fulfilment and aspects of his style bordered on the fantastical – what better way to signal this change in intent than a show-stopping musical number? Further evidence of Hughes’ formal invention can be seen in the bold use of direct address as Ferris narrates his own exploits; the filmmaker was no longer speaking for his young audiences, he was speaking to them.