approximately 10 minutes and 30 seconds
Jennifer Grey plays Jeanie Bueller, the selfish and jealous sister of the slick, charismatic Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick in his legendary cool performance).
When she hears news that Ferris is "sick" and staying home with his parents' full consent and understanding, Jeanie's hatred and disgust for her favored brother increases, and she becomes livid. More than she ever has before, and for her, it's the final straw.
While Ferris, his girl (the bland Mia Sara) and his best bud (the hilariously poignant Alan Ruck) are off trying to enjoy a care-free day without parents, troubles, or work, Jeanie is alone in her stance against her very popular brother. A rumor that he is on his death bed further pushes things, as he gets even more attention and everyone has they're undivided attention and sympathy on him; not Jeanie.
The role is scripted as a side-line scene stealer, the kind John Hughes so memorably features at the edges of almost all of his iconic films, especially during this golden era. She's the sulking, pouty teenager in a world where no one seems to understand her or her problem, the kind we all once kinda were.
With any other director/writer this character would have become a tossed away, flat cliche, but Hughes had a unique way with characters (even the smallest ones) and understanding them and their fascinating facets. His attention towards the character is no different, even giving Jeanie her own centered scenes and uses them for maximum comic effect.
And boy, oh boy does Grey knock it all out of the park. Her narrative thread continues with Jeanie's warpath against Ferris after school hours when she makes her way home to find that he did in fact skip school ("I KNEW IT!") and here is where the real fireworks in Grey's performance show their true vibrant colors.
Jeanie hears something in the kitchen, hoping that she can catch Ferris in the act and get her simple "revenge".
But it turns out it's not Ferris behind the corner, but the high school Dean, Ed Rooney (Jeffery Jones at his absolute funniest) snooping around in the "empty" home also trying to catch Ferris.
In the moment of panic and shock, Jeanie forcefully knocks Rooney out with three swift kicks to the face, and bolts out of there terrified. This set-up "gag" works marvelously, and not it's just because Hughes perfectly calibrates it for suspense and humor, but because of the actress' work in the role.
Grey brings so much energy, personality, and verve to the role that every moment/scene feels fresh and unexpected. Her comedic timing and snappy delivery glows and for such a simple character in a simple premise, Grey plays the character in a memorably transcendent way.
It's the next set of scenes which gives the performance a little twist, when Jeanie is arrested for making a "phony" call to the police for discovering the "intruder" in her house, and her mother has to settle everything. It's here where she makes the aquentince of a young druggie (Charlie Sheen in great cameo) who takes an odd interest in Jeanie's business; from her eye makeup to her reasons for being there.
Jeanie dishes out the beef she has with Ferris and all that ("why should he ditch when everyone else has to go?"), when Sheen turns her story all around and questions her about herself and not her problem with her brother. He tells her that she should stop worrying about what her brother does and focus on who she is.
It's a clarifying moment for Jeanie as she lets the words of this dope-head sink in, and drops her guard for once -- Grey plays the scene quietly distilled with keeping the humor fully intact ("why don't you put you're thumb up your butt!").
And it's here where the dimensional reality of the performance becomes realized. For the first time we see a smiling and bubbly Jeanie who finds something, not someone, but something. Sure, she smooched with Sheen after bantering with him, but she's made some sort of self-discovery.
As Jeanie caught in a daze makes her way out with her mother, she tells Sheen of her nickname --"Shana" -- and her giddiness is exuerberntly palpable.
With her cute giggle and hilarious snort Jeanie slowly makes her way out while stunned and thrilled more than she has ever been. It's a delightful moment of warmth and pure enjoyment for both the character and the audience. But why? Though the script and direction certainly have a solid grip on the character, it's the actress who charts the growth of the character. The script may have nicely sketched Jeanie, but it's Grey who sculpts a perfectly realized and satisfying character arc for her. Had Grey of earlier played her into a overly broad caricature, weighed down by her pouty jealousness and stayed on that note, the performance simply would not have worked; she always kept the character appealing and cute instead of insufferable and glib. Grey balanced the comedy while slowly crafting Jeanie's arc -- from a selfish girl who keeps her mean-spirited focus on others for satisfaction to a beaming, bright young woman who no longer neglects herself and makes a life-changing self-discovery and fulfillment.
This further becomes evident when Jeanie races Ferris home in the car, and provides him with a saving grace when she single-handedly rescues him in front of the bumbling Ed Rooney. We now realize that she doesn't need to be against Ferris to make her happy, and that maybe he really is not such a bad guy after all.
Compare Jennifer Grey's performance, if you can, to the film's other main female performance -- that of Mia Sara's Sloane. While okay, she's just there; not giving her role any kick or life past the flat, scripted page and playing her how she's written. Now just think of the largely memorable, completely realized performance Grey pulls out -- little comparison's are there and it's all thanks to the sweet, hilarious, and wholly satisfying work that's nothing short of a joy to visit again and again -- so how come Oscar didn't catch on? She's more than deserving of his attention.
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