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"Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
There's no denying that writer-director John Hughes was at his creative peak in the mid-'80s. And perhaps no film represents that better than the 1986 comedy "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," starring Matthew Broderick as a teenager who took his two best friends, played by Alan Ruck and Mia Sara, on a wild adventure when they all decided to skip school. Jennifer Grey took a stellar turn as Ferris's frustrated sister, Jeanie. ... more 

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off"

There's no denying that writer-director John Hughes was at his creative peak in the mid-'80s. And perhaps no film represents that better than the 1986 comedy "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," starring Matthew Broderick as a teenager who took his two best friends, played by Alan Ruck and Mia Sara, on a wild adventure when they all decided to skip school. Jennifer Grey took a stellar turn as Ferris's frustrated sister, Jeanie. The film won over fans of all ages, including the New York Times's Nina Darnton, who gave the young star a special nod, acknowledging that "a voice of freedom in the darkness is Ferris Bueller, played with impish charm by Matthew Broderick. Mr. Broderick is self-confident and easygoing."

In a nod to the feature film, the 1990 TV series started with Charlie Schlatter, who played Ferris, ripping up a poster from the big-screen version. While addressing the camera, TV Ferris said, "Matthew Broderick as me? No way. This is television. This is real.'' Unfortunately, everyone seemed to like Broderick better. Entertainment Weekly's critic Ken Tucker called out the small-screen persona as "even more of a creep." The series was canceled after one season. less