“Let my Cameron go.”: My Theory Ferris Bueller Doesn’t Exist

For years, I’ve toyed with the idea of becoming a film professor. While it has yet to come to fruition, there’s one assignment I’ve always wanted to give out to my nonexistent students: did Ferris Bueller exist, or was he a figment of Cameron Frye’s imagination? Today, I’ve decided to tackle this assignment for myself with the viewpoint that Ferris Bueller doesn’t exist, at least not in the capacity we think he does. Class is officially in session, and you should be able to keep up, even if you’ve been absent nine times.

Disclaimer: Before I begin, I want to let the record show that Cameron Frye is one of my ultimate fictional character crushes, so everything I say here, I say with love and unrealistic romantic expectations. 

Ferris Bueller is the ultimate epitome of cool. People want to be him, be with him, and everything in-between. He’s charming, funny, smart, and has some impressive Microsoft Paint skills. He never gets caught. He is beloved by all except for Mr. Rooney (even Jeannie saves his ass in the end). He also…probably isn’t real, and more importantly, he is probably an extension of Cameron Frye used as a form of escapism. 

First and foremost, Ferris Bueller is the only character who breaks the fourth wall. He’s the only one that speaks directly to us, and he’s the one who provides the most information on Cameron. Sure, he gives us information on Sloane, but the information he gives us on Cameron is more intimate, like he knows what’s going on in Cameron’s mind. He’s privy to very specific information in Cameron’s home life and inner workings, and we don’t have that kind of detail with the other characters. 

Secondly, if you recall, Cameron is the one that actually makes the call to Mr. Rooney, pretending to be Ferris’s father. Does Ferris call Mr. Rooney on the other line? Yes. This could have absolutely been done with call waiting and/or Cameron only called Mr. Rooney pretending to be his father. We know Cameron’s dad isn’t great, and Cameron doesn’t appear to be mimicking Mr. Bueller, especially the Mr. Bueller we’re introduced to, so I believe Cameron is actually imitating his own father to get out of class (we’ll get more into Mr. Rooney and Cameron’s father later). Ferris also tells Cameron, “You’re not dying. You just can’t think of anything good to do.” The interesting thing about this is Cameron doesn’t tell Ferris he’s dying on the phone; Cameron whispers it, and then, the phone rings, and Ferris seems to respond to Cameron’s statement without hearing it. I would also like to point out that Cameron appears to have taken a decent amount of cold medication, judging by the bottle behind his bed. If you’ve ever taken cold medicine, and you’re anything like me, you know that cold medicine can make you do all kinds of crazy things. I personally have never created a physical manifestation of everything I wished I could be, but hey, with DayQuil, anything is honestly possible. 

If you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering how Sloane fits into all of this, so I want to take a quick sidebar. I do think Sloane is real, and I think Cameron has a crush on her. I think Sloane does actually go on this adventure with Cameron as he tries to win her over with the help of “Ferris.” I’m not sure about the full fate of Cameron and Sloane, but I think he does get the girl, even if it’s just for the day. Now, let’s get back to Ferris. 

Next up, let’s talk about the Ferrari. Why is Ferris so adamant about the Ferrari? It’s clear at this point Ferris can seriously convince anyone of anything, so why couldn’t he get another car somewhere? Well, as we also know, this car is Mr. Frye’s prized position. He loves this car, and he also appears to be a very absentee father who during his limited appearances isn’t a great father. Taking this car is the ultimate sign of defiance. It’s the ultimate way to get his attention. Why is Ferris so adamant about taking this car? It’s because Ferris is the reckless part of Cameron. He’s the fun-loving, consequence-avoiding, attention-seeking part of Cameron that knows taking this car is the middle finger to his father he’s been searching for, so Cameron takes the car to appease “Ferris’s” endless pleas. Cameron takes this car out. Cameron tries to roll the miles back. Cameron is the one we see kick the car because CAMERON is the one who is doing all of this. 

I do sincerely think Cameron takes the car out, and I think he picks up Sloane under the guise of her father because I do think Sloane and Cameron know each other. However, I don’t think the parade happens in the way it’s presented. I think Cameron and Sloane are watching the parade together, like we see, but I think the whole lip-syncing performance is a manifestation of Cameron’s excitement to be with Sloan in the moment. I also think the multitude of Save Ferris messages we see everywhere represents a message to Cameron to preserve this piece of himself he’s discovered/repressed. It’s this entirely different part of himself that’s everything he wishes to be: cool, confident, and the Sausage King of Chicago. 

Lastly, let’s talk about the pool scene. Cameron is essentially catatonic, and Ferris is trying everything in his power to snap him out of it. Cameron falls face first into the pool, and Ferris dives in to save him. After pulling him up out of the water and trying to revive him, Cameron says, “Ferris Bueller, you’re my hero,” and starts laughing. This is the first real time we see Cameron laugh, and if you can’t already see where I’m going with this, Ferris SAVED Cameron because the idea of Ferris brought Cameron out of his depressive episode. He got Cameron out of the house, he got Cameron the girl (if you look at this as Ferris being a part of Cameron), and he got Cameron to destroy something his father seemed to care more about than their entire relationship. Ferris gave Cameron everything he needed and wanted, and in this scene, we see a representation of this. Ferris jumps in to save Cameron and pulls him out from under the water because that’s what he’s done. He’s saved Cameron from drowning. 

I’ll be the first to admit my theory has some major plot holes because of the entire Jeanie subplot. How does Jeanie exist in this universe if Ferris isn’t real? I think Jeanie and Mr. Rooney can be viewed as different parts of Cameron’s psyche, and honestly, I think a part of Mr. Rooney is Cameron’s father because of his aggressive attitude towards Ferris; he wants to stop Ferris at any cost, and I think Cameron’s father doesn’t want Cameron to have that free spirit Ferris represents. Jeanie can be seen as the rational part of Cameron who ultimately does realize that Ferris and Cameron CAN both exist in the same world, and that’s why she ultimately chooses to, well, Save Ferris. 

You can agree with me or not, but either way, Ferris does liberate Cameron in an amazing way. He frees Cameron on multiple levels, including helping him break out from under his father’s total control. He gets Cameron out of the house during a depressive episode. He shows him the big and small beauties of the world. He gives Cameron exactly what he needs: hope. This isn’t Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; it’s Ferris Bueller’s Day On. He’s on for Cameron, and he gets a standing ovation from me. Whether or not Ferris Bueller was meant to be real, one thing is for certain, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”