Two seconds, 40 years later

Forty years ago, on June 11th, one of the 1980s’ most iconic movies was released in theaters: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Two days shy of that anniversary, a woman who had played a minor but memorable character in the film—identified on the call sheet as Phone Girl #2 and in credits as a Shermerite—boards a plane from Los Angeles to Chicago.

Early on in the flight, she notices that a woman in the row in front of her is watching the movie. Her scene, in the high school hallway about a dozen minutes in, is coming up, so as that moment draws near the one-time Shermerite gets her Smartphone ready.

Then, here it comes: the character played by Jennifer Grey, Bueller’s sister, is greeted cheerily by the smiling redhead: “Hi, Jeanie!” Without even offering a glance, Jeanie dismissively mutters, “Shut up” and continues walking.

The woman, who had been celebrating her 16th birthday that rainy day in the Chicago suburbs, snaps this photo:

How have I landed this scoop?

Well, that woman is my wife, Bridgett. On that day, aptly enough, she was flying back from a one-day trek to Los Angeles tied to her behind-the-scenes work as the accountant for NBC’s Chicago Fire.

In this moment, though, Bridgett was not only behind the scenes, but a row behind the scene filmed at the former Maine North High School, which had closed four years earlier. In the 37 years I’ve known Bridgett, whenever folks learn of her connection to one of John Hughes’ most popular films it has usually sparked amusement and fascination.

And just about everyone recalls that scene vividly—partly, I think, because it’s so brief.

My first question when she shared the photo with me: Did you alert the passenger, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-20s, that she had just seen a younger version of you?

Bridgett’s response came with a shrug: “Why?”

When pressed, Bridgett added that her role was so small that it would’ve seemed weird and/or awkward to draw attention to herself in that moment. So, I suppose, this vignette is the appropriate level of spotlight on this unlikely it’s-a-small-world moment.

Sharing this anecdote with my brother Phil, he called Bridgett’s reaction “humble.” Likewise, I’m amazed at her restraint. No doubt, if I were in her shoes, I’d have been tempted to tip off the fellow passenger.

Curious: what would you have done?

By the way, through a fluke of timing, Bridgett had just gotten notification of her latest residual income for that small movie role (see below). Her Ferris experience was one of several parts she played on television and in movies over a roughly eight-year span into her early 20s.

In all, she’s received over $8,000 in residuals for this one day of work, starting with a $348 payment in December 1987. Makes you wonder how much has flowed to the likes of Grey and Matthew Broderick, the actor who portrayed Ferris.

Until 2019, Bridgett got these payments in the mail. Finally, SAG-AFTRA, which distributes residual checks, joined the 21st century and the notifications started arriving like this one (below) from last year.

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Last week, my basketball-loving readers got a full-court press of my analysis of the San Antonio Spurs’ breakdown at the end of their Game 4 choke against the New York Knicks. I also offered this outlook on Game 5:

Heading into tonight’s Game 5, with the Knicks up 3 games to 1, everyone involved on both sides is acutely aware that it could easily be the Spurs up by that margin and looking to close out the series with a victory tonight.

The Knicks really ought to play as if that’s the case, with a desperation and determination that marked how they pulled off their stunning Game 4 win. But can they bring that level of intensity to the court, when the Spurs don’t have to trick their brains and actually should be desperate and determined?

We’ll see.

What we saw was another New York comeback—they trailed by 16 at one point and were down seven headed into the fourth quarter—and another outstanding Jalen Brunson performance. He capped one of the most remarkable displays of dominance in NBA history with 45 points, an all-time Knicks record for the NBA Finals.

Although I wasn’t rooting for New York—that’s genetically impossible for a native Bostonian—they were one dogged, determined team that fully deserved this championship.

I dug into the Newspapers.com files and found the earliest mention of Brunson popped up on Dec. 28, 2002, in the Chicago Tribune. He was 6 years old, running sprints with his dad—now a Knicks assistant coach—when he was a Chicago Bull.

What I’ve been reading:

• The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, By Candace Fleming

Geared toward teen readers, it’s a swift, breezy and well-written book about the man who was the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean 99 years ago. The back cover offers an overview of the territory the book covers:

• The Summer of Death, by Geoff Williams

You might recall my interview last month with Geoff, a longtime friend. A fantastic writer, Geoff has a knack for writing with flair and humor about such a dark topic.

From Chapter 2, “Heat and Weak Hearts,” he recounts the story of John Baden, the first victim of that year’s torrid temperatures, then puts it into a broader context—that it wasn’t something that would stir much notice beyond Omaha, where Baden was a 69-year-old general contractor:

“In the decades before air-conditioning was mainstream, cities annually ran news stories about the community’s first heat wave victims. Every summer, it was expected that sooner or later, some unlucky soul would win the heatstroke lottery.”

• My daughter Maggie Rose’s third, and final, Substack post about her trip to Europe, Splitting the G:

What I’ve been shooting…

Free throws, as has been my practice for over 19 years (and as I’ve occasionally touched on in prior columns).

This week, I took 880 (500 righty, 380 lefty) over three sessions. So far in 2026, I’ve tallied 8,740 attempts, making 87.2% (89.4% righthanded and 83.6% lefty). Cumulatively, I just eclipsed 231,000 attempts (196,612 made out of 231,010 tries, for 85.1% combined).

I’m still chasing that elusive 100-in-a-row streak. My best this year is 52 consecutive makes (twice, righty), while all-time the best I’ve strung together is 74 lefty and 99 righty.

What I’ve been pondering…

Whether to re-up with the Panera Sip Club. A few months ago, a super-duper-cheap intro rate of $5/month proved irresistible, but it triples in a few weeks.

What to do?