Monday, April 29, 2019

TODAY'S NUGGET: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - When the Protagonist Does Not Change

[Quick Summary: Ferris Bueller stays home "sick" from high school and has many adventures in Chicago with his best friend and girlfriend.]

PAST ME: "All protagonists must go through an arc, i.e., they change."
PRESENT ME: "Protagonists do not have to go through an arc."

PAST ME: "If protagonists do not arc, they are boring."
PRESENT ME: "If protagonists do not arc, they still can be interesting...but they must be MORE interesting than other characters who do arc."

This is tough on the writer.*

Ferris Bueller is an unusual script because its protagonist does not arc, yet he is still more interesting than the other characters who do arc.

I think one of the reasons is that Ferris is unpredictable and approaches every problem like it's a puzzle to be solved.**

ex. "INT. RESTAURANT

Cameron and Sloan have been served their lunches. They're staring at the plates.

CAMERON: What is it?

SLOANE: I don't know. But it looks like it's already been eaten and digested.

CAMERON: I knew it was a mistake letting Ferris order for us.

Ferris slides over to the table and drops into his seat.

FERRIS: What're you doing?

Cameron looks at Ferris.

CAMERON: What is this shit?

FERRIS: You got me. I don't speak French.

He puts his napkin in his lap and smells his plate.

FERRIS: I think it's a land-based beefoid creature.

He takes a bite. He savors the taste.

FERRIS: Splendid.

CAMERON: Really?

FERRIS: Superb.

Cameron and Sloan try theirs. They chew tentatively.

FERRIS: Good?

Sloane and Cameron shrug. It's not bad. A WAITER passes.

Ferris stops him.

FERRIS: Yo, Clouseau!

The waiter stops and looks at Ferris indignantly.

FERRIS: I have a growth on my brain that causes memory lapses. Could you tell me what we ordered here?

The waiter glances at the plates.

WAITER: Sweetbreads.

FERRIS: Uh, huh. And what might that be?

WAITER: Pancreas.

FERRIS: As in the gland that has important functions in digestion and metabolism?

CU. SLOANE AND CAMERON

They stop chewing. They're holding the sweetbreads in their mouths.

CU. FERRIS

He continues his questioning

FERRIS:..That secretes a thick, colorless fluid containing digestive enzymes? The home of the world famous isles of Langerhans?

CU. WAITER

He nods broadly, knowing that he's spoiling the kids' meal.

CU. SLOANE AND CAMERON

They look at each other.

CU. FERRIS

He pats his mouth with a napkin. He looks to Cameron and Sloane. He raises a finger, holds ita beat and gives a cue.

CU. WAITER

He turns away as Sloan and Cameron spit out their food.

CU. FERRIS

He watches Sloane and Cameron then glances at the waiter.

FERRIS: Check, please!"

WHAT I'VE LEARNED: It's hard enough to pull off well a character arc.  It's a whole other level of difficulty to pull off well a character WITHOUT an arc.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)(shooting script, 7/24/85)
by John Hughes

*When I've covered scripts in which the protagonist does not arc, the minor characters (who do arc) almost always are more interesting to watch.

**Yes, you can see him learning from the new experiences, but it does not really change him.

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