We were at Blockbuster the other day looking for a movie for the kids. Andy spotted "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," which we both remembered loving, but we were surprised to see that it carried a PG-13 rating. We thought back 20+ years: nope, no sex; nope, no violence; nope, nothing objectionable at all aside from a kid skipping school. I asked the Blockbuster employee, who assured me that ratings were just "different" in those days. So we got home and popped it in the ol' DVD player. Well, it's still as funny and clever as ever, but Oh! My! The language! Every single bad word is in this one. That's the sort of thing they'd never do today: make a movie that requires a higher rating solely because of gratuitous swear words. But what a great, fun movie. The kids loved it. (And why is it that this is the first PG-13 Steph is allowed to see, and we let Pete and Julie watch it at the same time? What's wrong with this picture??)
After my first week at Wesleyan (which has a famously splendid film department), I learned that one must sit through every last rolling credit at a movie. Somewhere, someone is cheering for the sound technician or the costume designer or the gaffer. Well, "Ferris" was the first movie that I can recall being rewarded for sitting through all that. Remember when all the credits are done and he comes out in his robe and say, "You're still here? It's over! Go home!"
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of my kids favorite movies - along with Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles.
Posted by: Deb C | August 20, 2007 at 10:50 PM
Ooh, can we watch that this Saturday night? Much as I love "Iron Giant", one can only see it so many times.
Posted by: Brooke | August 21, 2007 at 01:40 PM
I always watch all the credits for that very reason: there are often little surprises in there that you'd otherwise miss.
Posted by: Janeen | August 21, 2007 at 09:07 PM
We had the same experience with the language in the "Bad News Bears" -- the Tatum O'Neal version -- and it was only rated PG. I'm sure my kids would get a real kick out of Ferris Bueller . . .
Posted by: Janice | August 22, 2007 at 08:23 AM
It's funny how selective our memories are about those movies. My husband thought it would be fun to watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High with my 11 year old son...I told him NO!!! And even Bad News Bears, which I remember as somewhat innocuous, if kind of racy language wise.
Posted by: Di | August 23, 2007 at 08:48 AM
Oh, that one is loaded with INAPPROPRIATE stuff, including the masturbation scene and loads of pot-smoking. Really, really funny movie, though.
Posted by: Karen | August 23, 2007 at 09:41 AM