Excellent article. The main reason I love this film - 80s nostalgia aside - is it's so damn funny.

However, although it doesn't cut as deep as some of Hughes other films, I do think it taps into Generation X's apathy a little, such as Ferris's amusing comment that he doesnt give a crap if Europeans are socialists, and not believing in "isms". That definitely resonates with a cynical Gen-Xer like me, who frequent eyerolls at the unending stream of overly earnest, humourlous, sanctimonious, condescending, virtue-signalling pseudo-activism that seems to bludgeon my social media accounts these days.

Given the message of materialism presented by our Boomer parents, no wonder as a generation we all became so indifferent and found such goals empty, and as teenagers preferred instead the hedonism of Ferris. This extreme privileged materialism is attributed to Cameron's monstrous parents - so grotesque, in fact, that they aren't allowed to be seen in the film. They remain a sinister offscreen presence, giving the film a rare moment of genuine dramatic weight during Cameron's breakdown.

Thanks again for a great article. :)