Why does Jeanie help Ferris out at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Question

One thing I have never understood about one of my favorite movies, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off": why does Jeanie decide to help Ferris out at the end of the movie and save him from being busted by Mr. Rooney?

She has spent the entire movie expressing her hatred for Ferris and finally has a chance to show her parents that he skipped school, yet she lets him off the hook and saves him from both her parents and Mr. Rooney.

At IMDB, someone has offered the explanation that it's because she doesn't want her brother to keep going to school with her, which he would be if Rooney holds him back and doesn't let him graduate. But I find this answer unsatisfying.

Also, it's been suggested that perhaps her therapy/makeout session at the police station with Charlie Sheen helped change her attitude. But I find this answer unsatisfactory too, because if this was the case, why did she speed home from the police station, hoping to get there before Ferris?

Can anyone offer up a better explanation for Jeanie's change of heart?

Answer 1

I never really considered it to be a territorial issue as much as it was for her to seize the only win-win outcome for herself:

Jeanie already faced-off (or rather, kicked in the face) Mr. Rooney, mistaking him for a normal burglar. Seeing that he was correctly pursuing Ferris for truancy (meaning Ferris was truant, not that his methods were justified)--and knowing the futility of law enforcement in the situation--she claimed her win over Mr. Rooney here by excusing Ferris' behavior and absence, which Mr. Rooney could not contest.

With Ferris, it is true she failed to justify hers and Ferris' inequitable treatment, as we remember from her voice-over in the school hallways ('why should Ferris get away with everything? ...after all I got a car, he got a computer...'). But, I speculate that getting home before Ferris would be her way to gain leverage over him.

The opportunity, however, to humiliate/deprive Mr. Rooney and indebt Ferris ultimately was probably more appealing than the inevitable shattered, broken happy home that would occur when their parents' found out he isn't such an angel as they believed.

Answer 2

I thought the motivation to switch to Ferris' side was pretty clear. Her mind was changed while she was in the police station chatting with the cool and laid back character played by Charlie Sheen (see it here). He professes a philosophy of live and let live and tells her that she is the problem—not Ferris. She rejects the advice several times, but eventually embraces it when she falls for Sheen's character.

Answer 3

When you have a little/big brother or sister, you hate them...you would do anything to get over on them or even hurt them sometimes...but when someone else tries...they become YOUR territory that is being threatened...you should defend your territory. This was Jeanie's knee-jerk reaction.

Answer 4

Basic psychology - students rebel against authority (even the goody-goodies). Giving Mr. Rooney a win was not in the cards. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." To paraphrase - Ferris, the enemy of Mr. Rooney, is my friend.

Answer 5

The basis for Jeanie not giving up Ferris is quite simple, if maybe 2-part: You have a person in your group not well liked and it shows. Some outside your group wants to abuse that person. It becomes territorial. "He maybe a jerk, but he's our jerk". Mixed in with that a bit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Basic? No doubt. Simple? Yes indeed, as are most truths in life.

Answer 6

I would say that her biggest gripe against him was that he never got caught and that life didn't seem fair for her because he always got lucky and she didn't. When she beat him home, she enjoyed the moment, and then realized she had won, and that she COULD get him in trouble if she wanted to. That was enough for her. She didn't actually want to destroy her brother - she just wanted to know that she could win against him, and that his luck wasn't always perfect. Being the one to save him was part of it too because she felt even more powerful in that moment. She didn't want to actually hurt her brother, she just needed a win.

Answer 7

She found Rooney's wallet in the kitchen and realized he was the reason she was so scared and wound up at the police so revenge against Rooney overcame her need to get her brother. After all she could always get Ferris another day. ;)

Answer 8

It's clearer in the original shooting script. Jeanie develops a newfound admiration (or at least a grudging respect) for her brother after her encounter with the BOY at the police station. She realises that obsessing over Ferris's activities is making her miserable and not accomplishing anything productive.

Her epiphany is very simple and explains her subsequent actions entirely; A big sister should be supportive of her little brother, and not jealous or angry when he does well.

---

BOY: Then your problem is you.

JEANIE: Excuse me?

BOY: Excuse you. You oughta spend a little more time dealing with yourself and a little less time worrying about what your brother does. It's just an opinion.

Jeanie stares angrily at him. Partly because he's so bold and partly because he's so right.

When she next encounters Ferris, she not only saves his bacon from Rooney, but also apologises for not being very nice to him.

FERRIS: Thanks, Jeanie.

JEANIE: No problem.

FERRIS: By the way, I borrowed some cash from you. I'll pay you back.

JEANIE: You don't have to.

FERRIS: I want to.

JEANIE: You don't have to. I've been ripping off your wallet for years.

Ferris gives her a proud smile.

...

The foyer is jammed with floral arrangements, plants and gifts. Ferris and Jeanie step gingerly through the flowers and head upstairs.

JEANIE: I'm sorry I've been riding your buns for so long.

FERRIS: It's completely cool.

Note that it's not about him 'owing her a favour'. Her actions were totally selfless. At the end of the film they both understand each other a little better, and are (hopefully) going to get along better because of her attitude change.

Answer 9

I think the winking eye is way too much in that scene. That does not fit in the brother sister relationship shown in the rest of the movie. On the other hand, Ferris is one lucky guy... even his enemy supports him in the end, which surprises him too, hence the way he looks at the camera.

From Jeanies point of view: Saving Ferris makes him owe something to her.

Answer 10

Y'all are missing it. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

She got arrested over Rooney being in the house. She was in the right, yet was busted and not believed. It combined her and Charlie's meeting in the police station with her pursuit of her brother. She saw in herself Mr. Rooney and wanted to be more the girl that made out with the thug. She also finally saw what people see in him. He was a fun, popular guy. Their common enemy finally awoke her inner Ferris.

Answer 11

Ferris has finally been caught. Remember Jeanie is mad that Ferris gets away with ditching. So now that Ferris is caught, she is satisfied, and at the end if the day they are still family.