1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Ferris Bueller's Day Off

#778- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara
Directed by: John Hughes


Plot Summary: On a beautiful day in Illinois, high school senior Ferris Bueller decides to take the day off from school, his 9th absence during the school year. Getting ready for a day of fun in Chicago, Ferris brings along his girlfriend Sloane Peterson and his best friend Cameron Frye along for the journey. Ferris has the entire town convinced that he has a serious illness, everyone except his sister Jeanie and Edward Rooney, the Dean of Students. Wanting to seize the day in style, Cameron reluctantly allows Ferris to take his dad's 1961 Ferrari out on the town. While in the city, Ferris and his friends visit the Art Institute of Chicago, Wrigley Field, Sears Tower, and many more fun destinations before they make their way back home. But throughout the day, they must make sure they aren't caught by Ferris's parents, Jeanie, or Mr. Rooney.


I'm going to say it again: I love '80s pop culture. But do you know what I enjoy specifically about the '80s? The high school movies that have become so stereotypical nowadays we have to reinvent them every decade, like Clueless and Mean Girls and so on (we'll touch base on Clueless very soon). And then to put a cherry on top of that genre, there are the '80s high school movies made by John Hughes (like Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, and The Breakfast Club) and set in Chicago, where I am currently living while I attend college. So when I needed a movie to watch this week and saw that Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a film that meets every one of the criteria I just listed, was available to watch on Amazon Prime, I just couldn't pass it up. In all honesty, I had seen MOST of this movie before, just not the entire thing. I had seen the key scenes and heard the most important quotes in order to give me a general impression of what the movie was like. With my first time viewing this film all the way through, I can guarantee that it became an instant favorite of mine and one I will definitely be watching for years to come.

Matthew Broderick stars as the young, cocky, and surprisingly wise Ferris Bueller. Ferris is a character whose development is summarized in one word: reputation. Even when Ferris isn't at school, his peers are displaying the impact Ferris has on the school. Ferris doesn't have anything to learn by the end of the film because he already has everything mapped out and how it's going to go. He doesn't feel the need to think about any repercussions for his actions because he doesn't plan on getting caught and his main motivation is to enjoy life and have some fun while he still can. Alright, Ferris will never be the student most kids should model themselves after, but you still have to admire his determination, his craftiness, and the fact that his day off is to not only benefit his life, but also of those he is closest to. I'd go as far to say that Ferris Bueller is one of film's greatest "cool" characters, because from start to finish he knows who he is and what his objectives are, and goes to any lengths to accomplish his plan.

Because of that, Ferris can't embark on a day of fun by himself, so he brings his girlfriend Sloane Peterson, played by Mia Sara, and his best friend Cameron Frye, played by Alan Ruck, along for the adventure. Cameron is definitely my favorite character of the film because he is the type of best friend a guy like Ferris SHOULD have. He is very cautious and logical, but still wants to have fun with Ferris because he is his best friend, which I think is safe to say describes a lot of friendships (I know I'm more of a Cameron than a Ferris at least). The biggest amount of character development is given towards Cameron, as he slowly gets more adventurous throughout the day, but remains cautious of getting caught or damaging his dad's prized 1961 Ferrari (which he says his dad loves more than he does his own family). Sloane is a solid enough girlfriend character for Ferris to have, but I honestly was more fascinated by her relationship with Cameron. As she discusses her future to Cameron during a parade, you can definitely sense a motherly or sisterly nature in how she treats Cameron that I even think blurs the line of potential boyfriend/girlfriend relationship if things didn't work out with Ferris (just saying). Still, you can see that she does care a lot about Ferris and is hopeful that the fun doesn't end after high school, which is something I'm sure most couples nearing the end of high school can relate to (props to John Hughes for his in-depth and realistic depictions of what high school teenagers actually think about).

In order to get the day off from school, Ferris first has to pull a wool over the eyes of his parents, played by Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett. They are your typical parents who believe that their child is an absolute angel who wouldn't do anything wrong. However, Ferris's sister Jeanie, played by Jennifer Grey, knows that Ferris is lying through his teeth and it is absolutely hilarious to see how upset she gets at other people's expressed sympathy for her brother's "medical condition." I can honestly say that the element of Ferris's family isn't essential to the main plot, but it does help paint a better picture of Ferris as a character via the inclusion of his life at home, how he is able to manipulate his parents, and how he is constantly able to get under his sister's skin.

For every student like Ferris Bueller, there must be an authority figure in his way like the Dean of Students, Edward Rooney, played by Jeffrey Jones. I always love authority figures like Rooney, who are completely justified in not trusting kids like Ferris, but everyone else thinks they are too harsh. He's the proper amount of over the top goofy, while also mixing a little bit of an intimidation factor thanks to the amount of power he really does hold over a character like Ferris if he was to get caught. I also really love Rooney's scenes with his ditsy secretary Grace, played by Edie McClurg, because of the timing and chemistry that these two characters have together (it's the classic opposite personalities dynamic on display).

I'm sure that majority of students have dreamed of the perfect day away from school, and with that said, Ferris Bueller definitely provides one of the greatest blueprints for a day of playing hooky. In many ways, Ferris Bueller's Day Off seems like a very familiar type of movie: the high school film, thanks to many of the character types and story elements. However, this film raises the bar by the elaborate scenarios that are given to the characters. Currently living in Chicago, I can guarantee that Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron had a PACKED day in the city, with trips to The Art Institute, Sears (now Willis) Tower, Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs, and even atop a float in the middle of a parade. It's the kind of day off that everyone dreams of, and Ferris makes it a reality. Sure, it's morally and ethically irresponsible for a plan to go this perfectly, but as Ferris said "Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it," and THAT right there is enough motivation and inspiration to live vicariously through Ferris and his friends as they embark on a very epic day away from high school.


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Admittedly, this movie sets a very poor example for students, but it's an absolute classic from the '80s, so who cares? There are so many great characters and moments throughout the film that everyone should find something to like while watching it. I strongly recommend owning Ferris Bueller's Day Off in your collection immediately, as this has been the most fun I've had with a movie on this blog all summer (so far).

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off and movie images are copyrighted by Paramount Pictures