The University seminar, Cinema and the City, held a screening of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” at the Ambler Theater on April 23, offering a nostalgic night out for students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Following the screening, Dr. Michael Dwyer, who teaches the course, provided a brief lecture and fielded questions about the film. 

Cinema and the City examines the relationship between film and urban life, asking students to think about how cities are both portrayed on screen and shaped by the film industry itself. Throughout the semester, students explored how cities are represented in films and how genre can influence that, before shifting the focus to the role films play in cities.

“In romcoms, the city is the backdrop for friendship and romance, but in thrillers or horror films, the city is a place of violence and depravity. We spent a lot of time talking about all the different attitudes about cities that Hollywood circulates,” Dwyer explained. “Then in the second half of the course, we’ve talked about how film production creates civic pride (this is the case for films like Rocky and Creed in Philadelphia), but also how movie theaters operate within neighborhoods and communities.”

To illustrate this dynamic, Dwyer tasked students with leading the promotion of the screening, encouraging them to consider the social value of shared viewing experiences.

“I’m big into movies, I mean, who isn’t? But a lot of the more ‘serious’ films I’ve watched, I’ve seen alone or just a few people,” said Media and Communication major Helena Swiderski ’28. “It really surprised me how watching in a community context can change your take on a film. For example, when I first watched ‘Rear Window,’ I was pretty ‘meh’ about it. Then, we watched it at the Ambler for this class, and I found it was so much funnier. I think because it’s a Hitchcock film, when I was watching it by myself, I was taking it too seriously.”

“Promoting the screening showed me that you can’t just put information out and expect people to come; you have to sell the experience,” added Psychology major Rachel Szczurek ’28. “I learned how important it is to think about what actually motivates students, like getting off campus, doing something social, or feeling like they’re part of something bigger.”

Cinema and the City came out of Dwyer’s research for his recently published book, “Tinsel and Rust,” which examines the relationship between Hollywood and the Rust Belt. Earlier in the semester, he held screenings of “Rear Window” and “When Harry Met Sally” for the class at the Ambler Theater, before this open screening of “Ferris Bueller.”

“We landed on ‘Ferris Bueller’ mostly because it ticked all the boxes for the kind of event I wanted to have to celebrate all the work that went into the book, the Fellowship programming, the University Seminar, and with film on campus,” said Dwyer. “‘Ferris Bueller’ is interesting because it is definitely a movie with a suburban outlook, but at the same time, it’s a film that revels in what the city has to offer. It celebrates the art, the culture, and the energy of life in Chicago, and it takes great pains to show the city as beautiful.”

“What stood out to me about ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’s’ portrayal of Chicago compared to other movies we’ve watched in class is that it’s one of the few movies that portrays the city as an exciting place to be in,” said Psychology major Yasmeen Salem ’28. “’Unlike ‘Rocky’s’ rough Philly underdog vibe or darker urban films like ‘The Departed,’ it idealizes the city as alive and joyful.”

“The city feels more like a playground than a problem, full of iconic spots, spontaneity, and freedom,” added Szczurek. “It focuses less on conflict and more on exploration, which makes the city feel exciting and open instead of restrictive.”

The fellowship Dwyer mentioned is the Norman Johnston Faculty Fellowship, which Dwyer received in fall 2024, supporting his goal of reaching audiences he wouldn’t typically be able to through an academic book. He’s given a public lecture in Worcester, Mass., hosted a film screening in Glassboro, N.J., and spoken in Syracuse, N.Y., Pittsburgh, Pa., and Chicago, Ill. Now, he’s brought his expertise back home, with the Fellowship helping to underwrite the event.

“The Ambler screening was really a chance to host the Arcadia campus community and my friends and neighbors from the Montco/NW Philly area, not only to think about how movies matter in our experience of urban places, but also just to enjoy sharing spaces to think and discuss and enjoy culture together,” he explained.