What's the point of Cameron's museum scene with the girl in the painting in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Answer 1

Cameron is coming to the realization that he is letting other people control his life, particularly his father. It is in the Art Institute of Chicago (where the painting is), that Cameron decides he's going to stop being afraid of his father and others in authority. For the first time, he's in control of his own life, and doesn't have to hide behind excuses like being sick all the time. It's his epiphany moment, and although it's put on hold when they realize that the spedometer on his dad's Porsche doesn't roll backwards, it's the beginning of Cameron's coming of age.

(This is really ironic because the actor who played Cameron, Alan Ruck, was actually 29 years old when they released the movie).

Answer 2

I think it is representational of the way that Cameron overthinks everything. He kept concentrating and concentrating until he was seeing the picture at it's smallest level.

Plus what else was he going to do when Ferris and Sloan were off being romantic in front of stained glass.

That movie would have had a fantastic ending had Sloan decided she didn't want Ferris anymore, but loved Cameron instead. Could have been worked into the movie when Ferris was off singing Dankeshein, and Sloan and Cameron were walking around.

Answer 3

I think it's to show that he sees thing differently from other people. He's looking at an impressionist painting up close so all he can see are the blobs of paint and not the actual picture. He's someone who literally doesn't get the "big picture."