Daily Dialogue — August 9, 2013

“He’ll keep calling me, he’ll keep calling me until I come over. He’ll make me feel guilty. This is uh… This is ridiculous. Okay I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go, I’ll go. What — I’LL GO. Shit. God DAMN it. (screams in frustration) Forget it. That’s it.” (mutters) (exits car, mutters while flailing outside car)

— Ferris Buellery’s Day Off (1984), written by John Hughes

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is talking to one’s self, suggested by camdeaver. Today’s suggestion by Femme_Mal.

Trivia: Most of the license plates are all abbreviations for titles of films by John Hughes. Katie’s = VCTN (National Lampoon’s Vacation); Jeannie’s = TBC (The Breakfast Club); Tom’s = MMOM (Mr. Mom); Rooney’s = 4FBDO (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). The exception is Cameron’s Ferrari (seen when Ferris first pulls out of the garage), the license plate of which reads NRVOUS.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by Femme_Mal:

“A critical component of this ensemble film is the tension between easy-going protagonist Ferris Bueller and his anally-retentive sidekick Cameron Frye. The disparity between their extroverted and introverted natures sets up Cameron’s soliloquy in this car early in the film.

The flexibility Hughes has as writer, producer, and director is also noted in this video; it can be seen in the difference between the transcript of Cameron’s soliloquy above, and the actual script (excerpt follows):

69 INT. CAR. CAMERON 69

He’s sitting behind the wheel of his car.

CAMERON
We’re gonna get caught. No doubt
about it.

He cuts the engine.

CAMERON
I’m not doing it.

He sits for half a beat.

CAMERON
He’ll keep calling until I come
over.

He sighs and restarts the engine. Another beat.

CAMERON
Actually, what’ll happen is I’ll
get caught. Ferris’ll escape.

Another beat. He stops the engine. A CRASH OF HORROR MUSIC.

For writers a lesson in the difference is that delivery may encourage a deviation from the original script. Alan Ruck as Cameron offers an alternative, whether re-written or unscripted, which is a little more characteristic of Cameron’s uptight, obsessive-compulsive nature. The difference might also have been driven by the use of the automobile as a prop.

Note: Femme_Mal also found a nice 15-minute video: “The Making of ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’”

Thanks for all that, FM!

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