Shermer High School is a yes, and Chez Quis absolutely.
Broderick is a tough call: he had the most options after this movie, but it is unclear he had an Apex Mountain; The Producers on Broadway, called the Hamilton of its time, is floated as maybe his peak.
Whether this is Apex Mountain for Chicago in movies is called very possible, since it uses the city best.
For the all-in-one-day movie, nominees include Dazed and Confused, Dog Day Afternoon, the Before movies, Do the Right Thing and Snake Eyes; Ferris is in the running, listeners are asked for the king, and Inside Man is a favorite.
Estevez turned down Cameron; he could have done it, since his Breakfast Club jock has dad problems, but the result with Ruck is preferred.
Estevez, fresh off Repo Man, would have played a punk-rock version rather than Ruck's Cameron. — Chris Ryan
Ruck had auditioned for Bender, which would not have worked.
Molly Ringwald wanted to play Sloan; per the hosts, Hughes wanted Mia Sara for her elegance and maturity, and telling Ringwald the part was too small is what you say when you do not want to cast someone.
Hughes had only Broderick in mind; the backup is said to be John Cusack, who got his iconic high schooler as Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything.
Anthony Michael Hall told Vanity Fair his relationship with Hughes ended after Weird Science and believes roles including Ferris were written for him; one host doubts this, another believes it and calls Hughes vindictive.
Bill Paxton was offered the garage attendant, turned it down as too small, regretted it, and was never offered another Hughes role.
Paul Gleason was considered for Ed Rooney; as Dick Vernon he would presumably be on administrative leave after the Breakfast Club detention.
Gleason would have been distracting; Jeffrey Jones's sitcom, Laurel-and-Hardy energy was the right choice over Gleason's A1-asshole energy. — Sean Fennessey
Cameron's "I'm dying" introduction; Alan Ruck; Cameron's George Peterson impression; the Ben Stein classroom scene; the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California; Charlie Sheen's 1986; Mia Sara as Sloan; the use of pop music
The first introduction to Cameron, "I'm dying," answered "you just can't think of anything good to do," feels identifiable in quarantine.
Alan Ruck has aged well now that he is reinvented as a favorite Succession character.
Cameron as George Peterson ("Pardon my French, but you're an asshole") is a fully committed impression.
The anyone-anyone, voodoo economics class with students in a coma, a glaring girl and a drooling guy captures how much high school sucked.
Beat City, World Party's When You Come Back to Me and the Beautiful Girls theme are lamented as missing from streaming.
The hosts debate whether the movie invented or only popularized the "hey batter batter" chant.
The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California has aged the best; the hosts say one sold at auction in 2018 for $18 million.
Cameron's dad's glass-and-wood house is beautiful and surprising for Illinois; the hosts cite $1.8 million in 2020.
Ferris's double take at the Ferrari's 301 miles is a favorite beat.
Charlie Sheen's 1986 aged best: from Lucas and a bit part in Ferris to Platoon and then Wall Street.
Mia Sara as Sloan: high expectations never fully happened, but she is inducted into a mid-80s Mount Rushmore; another host mocks the crush talk.
It may not be the best soundtrack, but it may be the best use of pop music in a movie: the I Dream of Jeannie and Star Wars themes are integrated, and other movies with better soundtracks do not use music this way.
The Art Institute cover, the closing English Beat run and the opening song are essential, and the movie seems cut to the songs; the closing chase is great filmmaking synced to a great record.
