Matthew Broderick in 2012 and 1986. (Honda; Paramount Home Ent.) Ferris Bueller has returned. Sort of.
In a now viral Super Bowl Sunday ad for Honda, released online a week early, Matthew Broderick plays himself acting like the John Hughes character that put him on the map. He pretends to be sick, takes a day off work (which, for him, is shooting a movie) and then runs around L.A. in his CR-V.
With the amount of buzz surrounding the commercial, certain questions naturally arise. Why isn’t Broderick playing Bueller? Where are Cameron and Sloane? How does Damon Lindelof feel about it? Get the answers below.
Why did Broderick decide to star in the commercial?
“It took a little, uh, thinking about it, it took a little time, but I ended up thinking it might be amusing,” Broderick told New York Magazine. He said the filming took place over four days spent “running around L.A..?.?. thinking, 'I hope this is a good idea.’” Always a good thing to think when doing a project.
What’s the consensus online?
To most people sharing their opinions on the Internet, the ad is a well done bit of nostalgia. To others, it epitomizes what is wrong with trying to revive classic characters and films that are better left alone. Celebritology commenter steve541 said it was “overall kinda lame,” while commenter wadeg said, “I certainly enjoyed the commercial & the updated homage to the movie.”
Positive reviews currently outweigh negative ones on the official YouTube page.for the video (17,344 likes, 1,729 dislikes), which currently has been watched over 3.4 million times.
Why is Broderick playing himself, not Bueller?
Joe Baratelli, the executive creative director of the agency that created the ad, told AdWeek that Broderick playing Bueller was never considered: “We felt it was more interesting and believable to have it be about him, as an actor, paralleling the movie. A real person skipping work and having an adventure fit in with the campaign and the Honda brand better, rather than trying to recreate the Ferris Bueller character.”
I hate to disagree, but is it really more believable that a famous actor would drive a CR-V alone around Los Angeles rather than a fictional person who barely attended high school?
Why aren’t Alan Ruck, Mia Sara or Ben Stein in the ad?
This is one of the more common complaints. Even with the abundance of references to the original film (there are over two dozen, according to a Honda exec), Broderick is the only original actor from the film to make an appearance. I, for one, fully expected Bueller’s buddies Sloane (Mia Sara) and Cameron (Alan Ruck) to show up after the ad’s 10 second teaser was released.
Baratelli told AdWeek, “There was an early iteration of the script with [Alan] Ruck where Matthew made a quick call to him. Ultimately there are so many great scenes in the original movie to work from, we needed to streamline the story.”
This is a real shame, as a Ruck appearance may have soothed current critics. Still, it’s not clear he would have wanted to be in the commercial. When asked if he was excited about the ad by USA Today, Ruck replied, “Uh, no.”
How do other famous people feel about it?
Well, “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof isn’t a fan. He tweeted, “Ferris Bueller driving a Honda is like [‘Fight Club’s’] Tyler Durden joining Facebook. #IsNothingSacred.” I don’t think comedian Rob Delaney liked it either: “At least Matthew Broderick is using the money he made from the Ferris Bueller Honda ad to finance an ‘Inspector Gadget’ sequel.”
What about you?
Oh, that’s so kind of you to ask. To me, the ad felt lifeless, like Broderick didn’t really want to be there. I’m a huge John Hughes fan and was really open to this idea. I just think the execution fell short.
Tell us again, Celebritology readers. How do you feel about the ad? Sound off in the comments and vote in the poll.
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