His family departed Chicago for Texas after the weekend. Alex Hayes resumed the intense pace of filming for Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Even amidst the demanding schedule, the box office numbers for Catch Me If You Can continued to make headlines.
As May 1985 drew to a close, Catch Me If You Can entered its eighth weekend in theaters. The film had been an undeniable juggernaut, holding the top spot at the box office for an astonishing seven consecutive weekends since its release, accumulating a domestic gross of $132 million. However, this weekend, a new titan had arrived. Sylvester Stallone's highly anticipated action sequel, Rambo: First Blood Part II, exploded onto the scene, grossing a massive $25 million in its opening. Catch Me If You Can gracefully ceded its throne, pulling in a respectable $3.1 million and holding strong in fourth place, behind First Blood Part II, the new James Bond film A View to a Kill, and the comedy Brewster's Millions. With this weekend's take, Catch Me If You Can's total domestic box office had now climbed to an incredible $135.1 million.
Today, however, was about Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It was the final day of principal photography, filming Ferris racing through the neighborhood to beat his parents home. The crew was buzzing with a bittersweet energy, the excitement of completion mixed with the camaraderie of a long shoot drawing to a close. Alex, having sprinted, climbed, and dodged his way through multiple takes, finally heard John Hughes's triumphant call.
"And... that's a wrap on Ferris Bueller's Day Off!" Hughes's voice boomed across the set, met with a collective cheer from the cast and crew.
John Hughes walked over to Alex, a contemplative smile on his face. "Well, Alex," he said, extending a hand, "this is it. The last time I'll be directing you."
Alex shook his hand warmly, a playful glint in his eye. "Four films, John. That's more than many relationships last these days," he joked. "But don't worry, we'll still be working together, just not in the capacity of actor and director. Our producing partnership is just getting started."
Hughes chuckled, a genuine smile returning. "Indeed. To new chapters, then."
As the equipment was packed away, Alex found Alan Ruck and Mia Sara approaching him, their faces a mix of relief and a touch of sadness.
"That's it, huh?" Alan said, a wistful smile. "Hard to believe it's over."
"It really flew by," Mia added, her gaze lingering on Alex. "You were incredible, Alex. Truly. It was an amazing experience working with you."
"You both were fantastic," Alex replied genuinely, pulling them both into a quick, warm hug. "Couldn't have asked for better partners in crime."
Mia pulled back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, since we won't be seeing each other on set every day, you'll just have to come to my birthday party in June. Consider this your official invitation."
Alex grinned. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mia."
Just then, a sleek, gleaming red car purred onto the set, its engine a low growl. It was a stunning 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, the very car used in the film. Behind the wheel was Robert Downey Jr., a wide, impish grin on his face.
"Hey, Alex!" Downey called out, leaning out the window. "A staff member asked me to deliver this to you. Said it needed to be delivered to you specifically." He winked, clearly enjoying the dramatic entrance.
Alan Ruck's jaw dropped. "What? Downey, what are you doing with that? Isn't that one of the replicas owned by Disney for the film?"
Alex chuckled. "Not replicas, Alan. This is the original. I'm keeping it, as I always keep something from the films I star in." He explained, "For the film, they actually used a real 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder for close-ups and stationary shots. But because of the stunts and the risk of damage, they had several meticulously crafted replicas built on MG chassis for the driving and destruction scenes. This one," he patted the gleaming red fender, "is the genuine article. This time, I'm keeping the Ferrari, and Ferris's costume." He paused. "Of course, I'm paying for the car. This is actually the second car I've kept. The first was from Risky Business."
Robert Downey Jr. leaned further out the window, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Dude, can I drive it? Just around the lot?"
Alex shook his head, a playful smirk. "Well, not this time, my friend. Today, I'm going to drive it."
"You cold-hearted friend!" Downey scoffed dramatically, but a laugh escaped him as he moved to the passenger seat.
Alex donned a pair of aviator glasses, a perfect accessory for the moment, and hopped into the driver's seat. He revved the engine, the powerful roar echoing across the now quiet set.
"Well, guys, see you later!" he called out to Alan and Mia, offering a final wave. With a triumphant grin, he pressed the accelerator, and the Ferrari shot forward, disappearing down the road in a blur of red, leaving behind the set of Ferris Bueller's Day Off .
*****
As they drove, the wind whipping through their hair, Alex glanced at Robert. "So, how's things going with Sarah Jessica Parker?"
Robert's grin widened, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "It's going great, man. Seriously great. She's... she's just incredible. We're having so much fun, we really connect on everything, and she makes me laugh like no one else. It feels right, you know?"
"That's awesome to hear, Rob," Alex replied, a sincere smile on his face. "Really happy for you both."
Robert turned to face Alex, a hopeful glint in his eye. "So, when we get to L.A., we should totally do a double date. You, me, Sarah, and Kathy. It'd be a blast!"
Alex's smile faltered slightly, and he shook his head. "Well, about that, man... Kathy and I broke up."
Robert's expression immediately shifted to concern. "Oh, man, I'm really sorry to hear that. What happened? Was there an issue?"
"No, not a big issue," Alex said with a shrug, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. "Just timing, I guess. Our careers are both so busy right now, it just became impossible to make it work. We were barely seeing each other."
Robert frowned. "But if you love each other, you can make it work, right? People do it all the time."
Alex let out a soft, almost melancholic chuckle. "That's the problem, Rob. There wasn't 'love' in that way. What we had was a lot of genuine liking, respect, and a strong attraction. But that's not enough to make it work with our crazy schedules, not for the long term. It was... practical, in a way. And fun. But not deep enough to fight for it when things got tough."
Robert nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "I get it. Still, I'm sorry, man."
"Don't be," Alex said, a genuine lightness returning to his voice. "I'm not sad, really. We both knew it wasn't a long-term thing when we started dating. No hard feelings, no drama. Just a mutual understanding."
Robert looked at him, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I really hope that you find someone who makes you want it to work, Alex. Someone you'd fight for, no matter how busy things get."
Alex smiled, a genuine, hopeful smile. "Thanks, my friend. I really hope so. I really hope so."