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In Loving Memory of John Hughes: The Ferris Bueller's Day Off Museum Scene

Written by Seth Abramovitch | 06 Aug 2009, 2:30 PM | 11 comments


There are going to be countless retrospectives in the days to come celebrating the John Hughes oeuvre, and discussing what he meant to American culture — his contribution to the young adult canon being perhaps the most significant since that of J.D. Salinger’s. But for the time being, I’d just like to be sad for a bit. You can be sad with me. Ironically enough, the first scene that occurred to me was one with no dialogue in it at all. I like to imagine it as a glimpse inside the movie in Hughes’ own mind, with art direction by George Seurat and score by Johnny Marr.

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From mattheww | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 3:06 PM

He died like he wrote -- too quickly.

From marlowespade | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 3:15 PM

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Still a Thanksgiving classic in our house, and the finest performance ever from John Candy. The scene at the end still makes me cry like a little girl every time.

RIP, brother Hughes.

From el smrtmnky | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 3:38 PM

Your memory was classier than mine. I thought of the cool grandma opening up the donuts in Sixteen Candles.

'So for once in my life, Let me get what I want. Lord knows, it would be the first time'

From NoWireHangers | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 4:12 PM

That Smiths cover always fit so nicely with that scene.

From MaryB | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 4:07 PM

Thanks for posting that. It made me feel happy while I was in the middle of feeling sad. RIP John Hughes.

From BobInLA | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 5:35 PM

You know those times where you're hyper-conscious of how you just lost some of your childhood and you just want to cry...this is one of them. Every time THE BREAKFAST CLUB comes on I can't NOT watch it all the way to the end when Judd Nelson raises his fist, Anthony Michael Hall's V.O. of the letter to the principal and the fade out with the credits against that Simple Minds song. And I never DVR it -- I'm good with the commercials and everything. Ask yourself how many movies you can do that with these days...

From Kate | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 6:46 PM

Nice. How can you visit the Art Institute of Chicago and not think of this scene???

From Desk_hack | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 7:35 PM

Interesting. The first clip I went to when I heard the news was the "Twist & Shout" scene, which both cheered me up and made me even more sad.

As is the case with so many people once they're gone, I have SO many questions I'd want to ask him if I ever had the chance. How hard was it to shoot that scene on Michigan Ave using what seems like most of Chicago as extras, and what made him come up with this one in the museum? Etc, etc.

From Goodtime Charlie | Reply
Posted 07 Aug 2009, 8:18 AM

fyi, the parade scene in 'Bueller' was shot during an actual parade in Chicago--the crowd had no idea it was being filmed from cameras scattered about, nor why Matthew Broderick was on a float lip syncing to a Beatles cover, but they clearly loved it.

Probably couldn't get away with that these days...

From jojo | Reply
Posted 06 Aug 2009, 8:34 PM

I'm full-on bummed too. Hughes made movies for young people that, unlike today, weren't totally up their own asses.

He was also funny as hell. His movies were filled with kooky one-liners, and a true depth of character. Even "Christmas Vacation", a Hughes-penned movie that doesn't get its fair share of respect, is filled with kick-ass one-liners and gags.

His movies never go out of style. "Vacation" still works even if you've seen it 178 times. Same goes for "Sixteen Candles" and "Breakfast Club". He used popular music in film as well or better than Hal Ashby or Jonathan Demme ever did, even though those guys always get the recognition.

"I'm a nymphomaniac." "Are your parents aware of this?" "The only person I ever told was my shrink." "What did he do when you told him?" (Pause) "He nailed me."

From snickers | Reply
Posted 07 Aug 2009, 12:09 AM

On the contrary, I've yet to meet a person who doesn't look forward to repeated Christmas Vacation screenings.

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