8607/21526
Maybe I am trying to work my way through the work of Mia Sara, or maybe it's a coincidence, but the film I fancied watching today was Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I had heard middle-aged people say that on a rewatch they sympathised more with the headmaster than the eponymous hero and wanted to see if that switch had been made for me.
I first saw this film in the summer of 86 when I was doing Camp America in California. In the first of six sessions I had made good friends with one of the American staff (not so good friends that I can quite remember his name, though I think it was Tom). We had a similar sense of humour and rebellion against the rules of the camp. There was a programme where good members of staff and kids got enrolled as a green or red C. We created the Black Cs and (let's call him) Tom who was a good artist created a parody logo which saw some stick figures (I think) running away from a burning log cabin.
I will see if I can find the design he drew on my jacket, but if I am right about that, there's a little bit of dramatic irony there as there was a huge fire on the last day of camp.
Anyway Tom was let go from the camp in the first session (or maybe decided he'd had enough) whilst to begin with I was actually a bit of a golden boy (winning best activity and best cabin leader - but don't worry my star quickly faded and I was nearly sent home a few weeks later). Although they worked us hard for basically no money over several months, we did get occasional leave and so when I got a weekend off I went to stay with Tom.
This must have been in San Francisco, though that was quite some way from the camp so I don't know how I got there or how long I went for. I don't remember too much about it. There was an awkward moment when I'd arrived and we were sitting on his bed and I asked him where I was sleeping and he said "Here."
As a country bumpkin virgin I had no idea how to respond to this joke/genuine entreaty disguised as a joke, but I bumbled my way out of it and he showed me where I was sleeping. Was he testing the water? If so he had chosen some very poor water to test.
One night he took he out with his pals to the cinema to see this new film that everyone was raving about, but with me being from the UK I had not yet heard about. I am sure I was excited to get to see a big movie ahead of the UK release - in those days everything came out in America first.
I suspect I enjoyed it. It's witty enough and littered with catchphrases and at 18 going on 19 I was the exact age of the main characters. I was out with some cool American friends, surprised that I had made any friends, watching a cool American film and I suppose, looking back, rebelling against the rules of the summer camp, in a way that I had never really dared to do at school.
I was no doubt a bit of an arsehole, like Ferris, whilst being a somewhat bullied nerd like Cameron.
Watching it again, I didn't really identify with the older characters, so much as feel sad for the fact, that like me, the young characters would now be pushing 60. But the film acknowledges that life comes at you fast and that you should be going out and creating mayhem when you're young and you still can (helps if you're super rich and white, I guess).
It was a different experience watching it 40 years on, for sure - not least cos I am now old and have cancer and cannot quite believe those days are really gone. But I am still cool. I am still on the side of the kids.
