Here's hoping I get to do a synchronized dance number..
When John Hughes left us recently, I found myself watching some of his flicks. The guy just UNDERSTOOD what we went through at that time in our lives and put it front and center for everyone to see. One of those movies was "Ferris Bueller's Day
Off". The fact that Matthew Broderick played the coolest living
American teenager just spoke to me. Not to mention that IT TOOK PLACE
IN CHICAGO! How dope was that? You couldn't actually DO this...
Or could you?
Flash forward a month, and I find myself working at RedEye, and looking for a final intern project to do that A: will take advantage of social media tools, and B: won't be lame.
So I started thinking. I'm not in high school anymore (I see you Ho-Flo Class of '03!). Hell, I'm not in COLLEGE anymore, but WHY THE HELL CAN'T I HAVE A DAY OFF?
Let's face it, the real world sucks. All your buddies have to work, bills don't stop coming, and some random ass Mayans up and decided the world was ending in 2012.
Enough is Enough. I'm calling an audible.
I'm going to re-create Ferris Bueller's Day Off in it's entirety.
That's right, from the actual school where Ferris and Cameron pick up Sloan (that's 2300 Shermer Rd, Northbrook, IL for you nerds out there) to the Art Institute (where I might have a reflection on my life or something fun like that.) to a Cubs game to THE ACTUAL PARADE that he sang "Danke Schoen" on the float at and then back to the house that they used as Cameron's in Highland Park.
Here's the rub: I'm going to do it in the time it took them to do it in the movie. Jeff Ruby at Chicago Magazine tried this last year, (see? ) but couldn't get it done.
Now you're saying, "how in the hell are you going to lineup all of that in one day?"
Well, somebody must love me, because next Saturday, September 12, 2009, all of the events are occurring! (Cubs home game, The Von Steuben Parade, etc)
This isn't just my day off, guys. I want you to celebrate with me!
I'll be filming the entire thing and taking pics, as well as live tweeting from each spot. Come out and meet me. (NOTE: The Itinerary is now complete! Details here!)
We're calling it The Ferris.
This is going to be awesome.
Chicka-Chik-A....
(NOTE: I have to give credit to Bill Simmons over at ESPN.com for inspiring me to do this, as well as just being a great writer.)
20 Comments
Michael Lehet said:
You looking for any hangers-on?
Jimmy Greenfield said:
No shit, I want in. But I get to be Cameron.
Ryan Kiefer said:
Do you plan on driving a Ferrari through the back window of the glass house's garage? Because that will seem expensive.
Mike Hines said:
It will be legen ... (wait for it!) ... dary!
averymck said:
Ummm, Chicago magazine did this for its back page sometime last year. Thanks to traffic, it didn't go well.
Meg Colins said:
Do you need a Sloan?
I believe that house with the glass window/Ferrari scene is located in the Flo of Ho-Flo. . .
glg said:
Uh, no, it's in Highland Park, and it's for sale
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/370-Beech-Street_Highland-Park_IL_60035_1109385563? mp=1
Ian O'Dea said:
Aww heck yeah!
Scott Kleinberg said:
I absolutely cannot wait to see how this turns out.
glg said:
Good Luck, no Edens construction like the Chicago Magazine guy hit last year
Jim Barr said:
My wife and I grew up in Northbrook, IL and on one break from college back in the 80's, we came home to see our beloved water tower painted with the words "Save Ferris". We asked around what it meant, and the response was, "Oh, they're filming some movie." What an understatement!
Be sure to go to Northbrook and get the water tower in your filming. Edit in the appropriate words, but by all means, include the real thing!
mdbrown said:
You have to go to the board of trade - but will it be empty - at least go to the building. Proposing there might be a bit much but at least stop by. Plus could anyone get you a Ferrari GT California, it's so choice - if you have the means I highly recommend picking one up!
tlie000 said:
Fantastic job on stealing this idea from Bill Simmons' mailbag which came out last week. Here's the link everybody: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090827
Jimmy Greenfield said:
Yes, Bill Simmon's mailbag. Which is read by every human alive, right? Did it ever occur to you maybe, just maybe, not everybody reads Bill Simmon's mailbag?
tlie000 said:
Yes, that "maybe, just maybe" did occur to me. Which is clearly why this guy decided to steal the idea.
ErnestWilkins said:
I gave Bill Simmons credit for inspiring this in the last sentence of this post. I've also reached out to him via different channels to make sure he's aware of this.
Thanks for your concern, though. Bill's a great writer and deserves all the credit he can get.
Mala said:
DEETS, DEETS, DEETS, I want in!! I would have been Sloan the first time around, now it's more like Grace, Rooney's assistant, but I WANT IN! This is my favorite funny movie of all time, and it came out the year I moved to Chicago.
steverar said:
Are you going to be able to get the parade to go past Daly Paza ?
Website says nicht http://www.germanday.com/program_of_events.html
We need to know where to put the chairs
merickso said:
wow... taking a saturday off. that's so in line with the theme of the movie.
metgyre said:
hey! the free hugs guy from millenium here. got the group pic up at http://forums.whyweprotest.net/283-usa-central-mountain/sept-12th-2009-chicago-il-52830/
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