Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

John Hughes

Writer:

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

11 June 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

While the rest of us were just thinking about it...Ferris borrowed a Ferrari and did it...all in a day.

Plot:

A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite of what the principal thinks of that.

Plot Keywords:

Day Off | School | Ferrari | Friend | Principal

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 13	8:00 PM	AMC
Tue. July 14	12:30 AM	AMC
Sun. July 19	12:30 PM	AMC

Cast

Matthew Broderick	...	Ferris Bueller
Alan Ruck	...	Cameron Frye
Mia Sara	...	Sloane Peterson
Jeffrey Jones	...	Ed Rooney
Jennifer Grey	...	Jeanie Bueller
Cindy Pickett	...	Katie Bueller
Lyman Ward	...	Tom Bueller
Edie McClurg	...	Grace, the Secretary
Charlie Sheen	...	Boy in Police Station
Ben Stein	...	Economics Teacher
Del Close	...	English Teacher
Virginia Capers	...	Florence Sparrow
Richard Edson	...	Garage Attendant
Larry Flash Jenkins	...	Attendant's Co-Pilot
Kristy Swanson	...	Simone Adamley

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | USA:PG-13 (certificate no. 28070) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Ireland:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

4160 Country Club Drive, Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Sloane was originally named 'Tandy' in earlier drafts of the script.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Ferris saves the drowning Cameron, Cameron is kicking along with Ferris. However, Cameron's reaction later implies he was faking it.

Quotes:

Ferris: [his recorded message for the doorbell] Who is it?
[pause]
Ferris: Oh, I'm sorry. I can't come to the door right now. I'm afraid that in my weakened condition, I could take a nasty spill down the stairs and subject myself to further school absences. You can reach my parents at their places of business. Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your concern for my well-being. Have a nice day!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: Frasier Crane's Day Off (#1.23)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

I'm Afraid

My Favorite Movie Of All Time!

I think it is only fitting that I dedicate my first movie review to my favorite movie, Ferris Beuler's Day Off.

This movie got me through High School.. and much of my adult life as well. That is, until Office Space came along, but that is another review.

Ferris Beuller (Matthew Broderick) was the kid in High School who never got caught, had fun doing whatever it was and was popular with everybody. On this particular day in the movie, Ferris decides he is taking the day off. After all, "How can anyone be expected to handle school on a day like this?" Ferris calls his best friend, Cameron Frye (a young Alan Ruck), who is always sick, and tells him to pick him up. After all, Ferris does not have a car. He wants to show Cameron a good time before High School is all over and wants him to have something good to remember about it. Also, Cameron is Ferris's phony caller voice. Whenever Ferris needs a call made, such as from a police officer or another parent, Cameron is the man.

Eventually, Ferris and Cameron gets Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) excused, by using the dead grandmother excuse. Ferris is always one step ahead of his adversary, Principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones). Rooney is portrayed as a hard ass principal who does not let anything get by him. He sets off to catch Beuller in the act and put a permanent mark in his record and hold him back another year, so as not to have other Ferris Beuller wannabes for years after Ferris's departure. Jones was perfect for his role as Rooney and I do not think that role will ever be surpassed for him.

Most of the movie is spent with Rooney looking for Ferris and, as mentioned earlier, is about one or two steps behind him. He comes very close to catching him but never gets the job done. Rooney is the stooge in the movie that every teen and even the adults enjoy seeing him beaten and outsmarted by his young student. I don't think anyone has expected otherwise.

All throughout the movie, it pokes fun at the boring and tedious high school classroom. Ferris will say something like, "If we played by the rules right now, we'd be in gym class" and then it cuts to an exaggerated look at a gym class, which more resembles a boot camp. Ben Stein will forever be remembered here as the extremely boring economics teacher.

There are many more characters to this movie that make it great. There is Grace (Rooney's secretary), Jeanie and the rest of Ferris's family, the parking garage guys, the snooty waiter, Charlie Sheen and others. My friends and I still quote randomly from the movie in our everyday situations. That is how much of an impact this movie has made on many lives.

There are so many great parts and quotes from this movie, they are too numerous to list in a review, nor would I want to ruin it for anybody who has not seen it, although I can not fathom why you haven't. If not, it is a must see.