Ferris Bueller's Day Off

After high school slacker Ferris Bueller successfully fakes an illness in order to skip school for the day, he goes on a series of adventures throughout Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, all the while trying to outwit his wily school principal and fed-up sister.

Broadly loved by audiences and fondly remembered as a defining teen comedy, the film drew more divided notices from critics, who split over whether Ferris's carefree hedonism is charming or hollow — a debate that maps neatly onto attitudes about the era it so perfectly embodies. Alan Ruck's Cameron consistently won more critical affection than Matthew Broderick's Ferris, with several reviewers arguing the film's real emotional weight rests entirely on his shoulders.