Do we like them?

Do we like Ferris Bueller?

A character from Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Our score: 7 out of 10. Mostly yes. He's charismatic and generous with his time, and he's a loyal friend. But he's also a manipulative fibber who bends other people to his plans.

Ferris is a popular, smooth-talking high school senior in Chicago. He has a talent for skipping class and getting away with it. Before graduation he decides to fake an illness one more time. He then recruits his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane for a day roaming the city. They borrow a Ferrari that belongs to Cameron's father. Meanwhile the dean of students, Rooney, is determined to catch him in the act. Ferris talks to the audience throughout the film.

His appeal is that he's confident and fun, and he really does care about the people close to him. The day is as much about pulling Cameron out of his gloomy shell as it is about Ferris having fun. He seems to see life as something that moves quickly and is worth savoring.

The downside is that his schemes cost other people. Cameron is pressured into a risky favor. His sister Jeanie is stuck stewing in the resentment of being the sibling who plays by the rules. Rooney is humiliated, though he's a relentless pest who arguably has it coming. Ferris is more of a lovable rogue than a villain, and that is why we give him a solid 7.