Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

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Directed by John Hughes.

Starring Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara.

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Teenaged Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is a legend in his own time thanks to his uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last grand duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day bacchanal through the streets of Chicago. Dogging Ferris' trail at every turn is high-school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch Bueller in the act of class-cutting. Writer/director John Hughes once again tries to wed satire, slapstick, and social commentary, as Ferris Bueller's Day Off starts like a house afire and goes on to make "serious" points about status-seeking and casual parental cruelties. It brightens up considerably in the last few moments, when Ferris' tattletale sister (Jennifer Grey) decides to align herself with her merry prankster sibling. A huge moneymaker, Ferris Bueller's Day Off eventually spawned a TV sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986, ...
by CinemaRian in CinemaRian Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Heres another movie that almost everyone has seen that I have finally gotten around to. Not to repeat myself, but I honestly dont see why this is so popular. I can certainly see people enjoying it, but how it has survived twenty years to now be remembered as a classic is beyond me. Its certainly better than John Hughes usual 80s youth films, though, and has some funny moments. You probably know the story, but in brief, Ferris Bueller (Mathew Broderick) is a high school senior in a Chicago suburb who plays hooky for a day with his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). They are pursued by Vice Principal Rooney (Jeffery Jones), who suspects that something is up, and threatened by Ferriss sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) who is tired of playing second fiddle to Ferris all the time. Any film that becomes a classic with the public has to on some level tap into some kind of basic social condition, but I cant figure out for the life of me what it is with this m ... " [More]

Just between me and Hughes
by usesoap in usesoap Blog

loved it.

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"Perhaps it’s a certain soft spot for the navigator of my awkward adolescent journey, John Hughes; maybe it’s the affable charisma of lead Owen Wilson (who, even off his game as he is here, is just someone with whom you want to share a beer); or it could be the overall throwback tone of the film’s less-ironic, less-cynical high school setting.Whatever the reason, I quite enjoyed “Drillbit Taylor.Hughes, the arbiter of public school angst, originally scribbled the screenplay for the new comedy and allowed it to languish for the better part of two decades before it was dusted off by reigning comedic king Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “40-Year-Old Virgin”) and his faithful scribes Seth Rogan (“Superbad”) and Kristofer Brown (TVs “Undeclared”). Hughes’ name is not found on any of the credits (acknowledgment is given to his frequent nom de plume of Edmond Dantes), but his style can be felt throughout. With great ... " [More]

Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re: Top 5 Bands ...
by Risselada in Top 5

liked it.

"Interesting. There's also some kind of weird phrase on the tape he puts into a player once I remember. I thought it would be cool if a band apprehended that for an album name. Can't remember what it's called though."Kimono My House" is great. I think I like the stuff around "Angst in My Pants" the best right now though. " [More]

Epitomizes The Best Of The 80's
by JakeStevens in JakeStevens Blog

loved it.

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"I haven't met a single person who doesn't at least midly appreciate this comic gem. Matthew Broderick is congenial as hell, Alan Ruck is dryly hilarious and Jeffrey Jones is a genius. So many quotable lines in this film, it's impossible to even scratch the surface. One of the 80's best films, if not one of the best comedies of all time. " [More]

#27
by eagle795 in eagle795 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"Who among us hasn’t wanted to skip a day of school or work? Ok…it’s probably safe to say that at some point most of us have actually played hooky. But nobody has ever done it with quite as much panache as Ferris Bueller. " [More]

Bad 80's Boyfriends
by marymcilwain in Dollar Video Curator

liked it.

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"Ah romance. Every good video watcher is acutely aware of the down-on-love, romantic teenage flicks that played out with so many star-struck Romeos and Juliets in the idealistic 80’s. We cheered for our plucky, beautiful, yet misunderstood Andie Walshes, Diane Courts, and Wattes in the face of so much love adversity, whether what they lacked was money, an understanding father, or girl’s underwear, and rested easy at the end when they got their men. But should we have? For every one of these “ideal” movie boyfriends, sure signs of loser-dom each display. Here’s just a few reasons why you should’ve run for the hills ladies! Ferris Bueller(Matthew Broderick) –He of the Day OffMajor Flaw: Too eager Yes, he’s charming, cute, fun-loving, inventive and obviously coveted by every other girl in your school, but sheesh. The dude’s talking marriage and he hasn’t even graduated from high school. Sloane, you are way too hot to hitch your star to that wagon. Advice: go to college first and ... " [More]

Bad 80's Boyfriends
by marymcilwain in Dollar Video Curator

liked it.

Re: What is your Favorite Comed ...
by lukasblu in Grew up in the 80's

liked it.

"what about national lampoon's vacation, trading places, and coming to america;And a lot of my 80's friend still like this ,plus alot of new generation of teens today like ferris buellers day off " [More]

Save Ferris
by DrFartbrain in DrFartbrain Blog

liked it.

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"The quality of film in the 1980s suffered greatly. While significant advances were made by some of the leading directors of the era (Spielberg, for example), the track record that was the 1970s was broken entirely by a period of shabby, poorly made teen comedies. Yet Ferris Bueller's Day Off stands the test of time more than any of these others, and in the end is an excellent movie. The film centers around the title character, played by Matthew Broderick, his friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), as they attempt to play hooky from school, all the while trying to avoid their sadistic principal, played to devilish perfection by Jeffrey Jones. Broderick portrays Ferris as a likeable, smart, and witty teenager; look no further than the whole sequence in the restaurant, with Ferris convincing the maitre'd that he's "Abe Froman, sausage king of Chicago." The relative obscurity of the rest of the cast also helps the quality of the movie as ... " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

liked it.

If the mention of Ferris Bueller's Day Off doesn't call to mind late-night slumber parties with the VCR and the realization that you, too, would have sold your soul to sing "Twist and Shout" to the accompaniment of a marching band, then you're probably not of the era that grew up venerating John Hughes' films. This is one of the director's best efforts, and as a result, the film enjoys the immortality that comes with being part of a generation's collective consciousness. Beyond Bueller's cult status lies a movie that is goofy and slapstick, but also endearingly sweet and even philosophical. Matthew Broderick imbues Ferris with the just the right level of smirky, confident, collar-up attitude for 1980s teenage fantasy. There are effortless, enthusiastic turns from the supporting players as well, with Jeffrey Jones shining particularly in the enviable role of the over-zealous high-school principal Ed Rooney. Even the tinier roles are memorable: look for great cameos from Ben Stein and Charlie Sheen. Hughes makes up for some mid-movie flatness with a riotous final sequence (make sure you stay through the credits). As with Hughes' other masterpiece, The Breakfast Club, there are broader themes regarding status, friendship, authority, and emotional neglect that will resonate with anyone who's found himself or herself in that void between childhood and adulthood called "high school." ~ Matthew Doberman, All Movie Guide

Tags: 80s-classic , personal-classic , highschool , teenagers , Classic
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