In 1986 on the last day of 8th Grade, I saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the theater with about two rows of my friends from middle school – all of us singing “Twist and Shout” thinking we discovered this Beatles’ classic. This was sort of a watershed moment as some of us were being split up and going to different high schools the following year. Needless to say although it’s not one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller holds a special place in my heart.

Fast forward 30 years to last night when I again saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the movie theater with my best friend since birth, Cindy, and a good friend since I was 7, Angela, and Cindy’s daughter Tabitha, who is just one year younger than I was when I first saw Ferris Bueller. Quite a unique moment watching it through her eyes and knowing she was me 30 years ago – wow!

I met Angela at Maryland Live Casino for some pre-movie slot playing (as the casino is attached to the mall where the movie theater is). Within five minutes I had won $250. on Wheel of Fortune and then won $100. on the new Elvis slot machine. I kept playing my winnings, but still came home with $100 more than I left with. We met Cindy and Tabitha at the theater and all got our popcorn and candy dinners. Luckily, I did not eat all of mine this time and brought most of it home. I wasn’t being good, I just didn’t really want it.

The guy from TCM, who is responsible for all these great 80s movies back in theaters, introduced the film with a few bits of trivia. A few things I noticed watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that I never saw before – partly because seeing it in a HUGE screen again really brought out the details in the scene and partly because I wasn’t quite as obsessed with Elvis as I am now and this was a year before I discovered U2. Ferris had an Elvis Presley poster on his wall and Elvis sticker on his desk. While Cameron had a poster of U2’s “New Year’s Day” single on his wall. After the movie, they showed a few cast interviews then and now – one of the extras from the dvd.

It was great seeing Ferris Bueller in the theater on the big screen again. I enjoyed all the classic lines that we used to quote growing up and there were some laugh out loud parts, but all and all Ferris Bueller Day’s Off is not one of those 80s movies I watch over and over like Pretty in Pink, Karate Kid, The Outsiders and St. Elmo’s Fire.