Plot
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, RoviReview
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, RoviCast
- Matthew Broderick - Ferris Bueller
- Alan Ruck - Cameron Frye
- Mia Sara - Sloane Peterson
- Jeffrey Jones - Ed Rooney
- Jennifer Grey - Jeanie Bueller
Credit
Jane Jenkins - Casting, Janet Hirshenson - Casting, Kenny Ortega - Choreography, Marilyn Vance - Costume Designer, John Hughes - Director, Paul Hirsch - Editor, Michael Chinich - Executive Producer, Arthur Baker - Composer (Music Score), Ira Newborn - Composer (Music Score), John Robie - Composer (Music Score), Boris Blank - Songwriter, David Degville - Songwriter, Martin Degville - Songwriter, Milt Gabler - Songwriter, Gilbert Gabriel - Songwriter, Tony James - Songwriter, Mick Jones - Songwriter, Nick Laird-Clowes - Songwriter, Don Letts - Songwriter, Paul Mansfield - Songwriter, Johnny Marr - Songwriter, Dieter Meier - Songwriter, Steven Morrissey - Songwriter, Adam Peters - Songwriter, Kurt Schwabach - Songwriter, The English Beat - Songwriter, Larry Troutman - Songwriter, Zapp Troutman - Songwriter, David Wakeling - Songwriter, Ben Watkins - Songwriter, Neil Whitmore - Songwriter, John Wiliams - Songwriter, Michael Germain - Makeup, John W. Corso - Production Designer, Tak Fujimoto - Cinematographer, John Hughes - Producer, Tom Jacobson - Producer, Louis Mann - Set Designer, Steve Maslow - Sound/Sound Designer, Bennie E. Dobbins - Stunts, John Hughes - Screenwriter, Bert Kaempfert - Featured Music, Hugo Montenegro - Featured Music| Ferret Music: Under the Gun (Film), Feroz (1983 Film) | |
| Ferron: Girl on a Road (2009 Film), Ferry Across the Mersey (1964 Film) |
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