Matthew Broderick proved to be the perfect choice to play Ferris–the coolest kid in school, a righteous dude beloved by all students, no matter their click or affiliation. With the character turning around and giving self-righteous, smart-ass monologues to the camera at regular intervals throughout the film, it really ought not to work as well as it does. On the surface, Ferris Bueller should be that annoying kid nobody likes. His own sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) simmers because he can get away with everything, while she gets caught. However, Broderick has an undeniable charm that allows him to pull it off; he makes Ferris so likable, even the audience must cheer his slightly anarchic stance.
The story itself is a rather simple one. In the spring of his senior year, Ferris decides he needs a break and must cut school for the day. However, he needs accomplices, so he talks his cheerleader girlfriend, Sloane (Mia Sara) and his hypochondriac best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck) into joining him. Deciding they can’t take Cameron’s piece of junk car on their adventure, Ferris commandeers Cameron’s father’s pride and joy, a bright red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider and the gang heads for Chicago.
Leaving thoughts of school or Ferris’ supposed illness behind, they set out on quite an adventure; Ferris and friends visit the world’s tallest building; stop by the Stock Exchange; eat lunch at a snobby restaurant; attend a Chicago Cubs game; go to an art museum; and sing and dance in a street parade, which features the movie’s showstopping production numbers, Ferris lip-synching to Wayne Newton’s “Danke Schoen” and the Beatles’ “Twist and Shout.”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has a great supporting cast. One of the most memorable characters has to be Mr. Rooney, the school’s principal played by Jeffrey Jones, who, like Ferris’ sister, suspects Ferris is getting away with something and is determined to catch him in the act. Pursuing Ferris all over town, he’s always one step behind. At one point, Rooney is on the hunt for Ferris in downtown Chicago, only to miss him being shown on live television catching a baseball at a Cubs game. The downtown hunt is even fumier because it shows just how much Rooney underestimates Ferris–expecting to find him in the arcade of a cheap diner, while Ferris is dining at one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.
Written by John Hughes almost entirely in the space of a week, the sheer ease with which Ferris Bueller’s Day Off appears to carry off its humor, belies the brilliance of its structure and writing. You could pick nearly any scene of the film at random and by watching how it juxtaposes its outrageously funny scenes, analyze why it works so well. For example, take the early scene where Ed Rooney is going apoplectic in his office at the thought that Bueller has pulled the wool over his parents’ eyes and got another sick day but is denied any small pleasure that might be derived from an appalling sick record, as Ferris hacks into his school record from his home computer and removes the evidence before his very eyes. That’s just great stuff.
Arguably John Hughes best film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remains a comedy classic that will likely be as funny twenty years from now, as it was in 1986. It’s a film that shows that some of life’s best lessons are learned outside the classroom.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off arrives on 4K with a much-needed restoration. A nice level of grain results in increased depth throughout. The bright color palette is more vivid than ever before. Black levels are deep and inky across the board. Skin tones appear natural and realistic. The level of detail reveals pores and individual hairs. The print is devoid of any artifacts.
The Dolby Atmos track doesn’t get a full workout here but comes alive during the two musical numbers. Things are well mixed and given room to breath when necessary. Front focused, rear and side channels handle ambient sounds when necessary. Dialogue is clean, clear and concise throughout.
English, English SDH, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- Audio Commentary with Writer-Director John Hughes
- Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (HD, 27:45) A retrospective documentary that offers some insights about the casting of each of the film’s roles, from Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara to supporting and cameo performers like Kristy Swanson, Ben Stein and Charlie Sheen.
- The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (HD, 15:29) Offers some interesting insights on the making of the film and includes interviews with the film’s producers and Ben Stein, among others.
- Who is Ferris Bueller? (HD, 9:12) This featurette looks at the qualities that define the film’s title character, told through interview clips and film footage.
- The World According to Ben Stein (HD, 10:51) A short featurette in which Stein offers his recollections about the experience of playing one of cinema’s most memorable teachers, saying that he actually wants “Bueller… Bueller…” engraved on his tombstone when he passes away.
- Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes (HD, 10:16) Features actors Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, and Jeffrey Jones discussing odds and ends about their experiences in making the film.
