Original artwork, not a still
I quote John Lennon, 'I don't believe in Beatles, I just believe in me.' A good point there. After all, he was the walrus.
— Ferris Bueller's Day Off • 1986
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speech is a perfect piece of teenage philosophy: quoting a Beatle to justify not believing in Beatles, then undercutting the point with a walrus joke. It captures Ferris's charm, smug but self-aware, and it is the first sign that the film will keep talking to us. Fans repeat the walrus line as shorthand for confident nonsense, and the ism bit is a ready answer for anyone declining to join a movement.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Ferris Bueller's Day OffShow the scene
The opening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), written and directed by John Hughes. Ferris, a Chicago high-school senior who has just faked an illness to skip school, talks straight to the camera about how to stay home sick and about life. He says he does not condone fascism or any 'ism', because a person should believe in himself. He then quotes John Lennon, adds that Lennon was the walrus, and notes that even if he could be the walrus he would still have to bum rides off people. The film then cuts to roll call at school.
Sources (2)
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off transcriptOpening monologue, before roll callReference checked
- Wikipedia: Ferris Bueller's Day OffLead and PlotReference checked
Context reviewed
