I remember watching this movie, and while I loved the first 2 acts, both full of endless laughter, I couldn't help but think that Ferris Bueller was something of a narcissist. He does many seemingly selfish things; lying to his parents, humiliating his principal, and putting his 'best friend' in danger, all so he can have 7 carefree hours off of school. It is not until the 3rd act that he becomes a 3-dimensional character, and we begin to understand him and realize he is not the sociopath we might have assumed he is. While it seems he does all the things he does for his own pleasure, it becomes clear in the last 20 minutes he was really doing it for his friend. At the beginning of the movie, Cameron is timid, constantly worried, and unsure of himself. We learn
his parents argue, and his dad neglects him, and would rather work on his Ferrari instead of spending time with his son. Throughout the movie, Ferris tries to boost his friend's self-esteem, and by the end, he has succeeded. His friend is a completely different person, and most of the major characters are, notably his sister. However, Ferris doesn't seem to change at all. He helps his friends become better people, but in doing so, he isn't changing at all.