Alan Ruck, Charlie Sheen, Jeffrey Jones

Ferris is a street-wise kid who knows all the tricks. Today he decides to take the day off school. When Ferris takes the day off, so must his best friends, Cameron and Sloane. Cameron is reluctantly p...( read more  read more... )ersuaded to borrow his father's Ferrari, and together they hatch a plan to get Sloane out of class. Suspicious dean of students Ed Rooney knows all about Ferris, but can never catch him. Ferris' sister Jeanie is also frustrated that Ferris always gets away with his tricks and she doesn't. Furthermore, Ferris is an 'angel' in his parents eyes. It's Ferris' day off, he's out to enjoy himself, and he does!.

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89% liked it

655,810 ratings

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80% liked it

46 critics

PG, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: John Hughes

Release Date: June 11, 1986

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DVD Release Date: October 19, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (39,503)


  • September 22, 2009
    I didn?t actually see this as a child. Saw it the other day and It?s alright but maybe I missed the boat!
  • September 5, 2009
    "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

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

    REVIEW
    ...( read more)
    No matter how you try to put it, this will always be a teen movie, or at least a movie for people under the age of 25 who were recently in high school. It's premise is based on the human urge to go against the system and buck the rules and just have a good time. Practically every kid that feels stuck in the walls of an institution such as high school is going to get these urges, and for all of those kids, Ferris Bueller is their hero. Matthew Broderick brings a warm, innocent charm to the title role as a young man who has luck on his side. Everything goes his way, from worming his best friend (Alan Ruck) into taking his father's rare Ferrari, to warding off the high school principal (Jeffrey Jones) to getting his girlfriend (Mia Sara) out of school as well.

    Writer/director John Hughes takes his love for teenagers and school situations and gives us a story that deals with life outside school and the freedoms and privileges of being a kid. What Ferris does is, as they say, getting away with murder, but it is such a joy to watch him get into predicaments and wonder how can he possibly get out of this one. Broderick is a delight, as are the supporting cast, especially Jennifer Grey as his envious sister. This movie is about luck and what that power can do for you. It is also about enjoying life and the power that can do. It is the ultimate skipping school movie and is one of Hughes' best efforts as a writer and director. See it for the story, the funnies or the plain joy of skipping school and catching a glimpse of life.
  • August 25, 2009
    I've never been a proponent of "light-hearted teen comedies". Most of them quickly fade with time and, in hind-sight, seem juvenile and frivolous. Bueller, however, has rooted itself in the collective consciousness of an entire generation. The consummate slacker, Matthe...( read more)w Broderick's title character is more than just likable, he's painfully endearing. At face value, the entire premise of the film is cheesy; a high school underachiever plays hooky!? Come on! I shouldn't even like this movie...

    ...but I do.
  • August 8, 2009
    With a name like Ferris Bueller, you just know you can't be dealing with your typical rebellious teen. Our humble narrator doesn't drink, doesn't swear, doesn't take drugs and isn't rude to his parents.

    So what is wrong with him? Well, he has skipped school a record 9 times and...( read more) is now coaxing his sick friend Cameron Frye into tagging along. So ground him. All he wants to do is open Cameron's eyes to world and show him that there is no reason to be scared of his jerk of a father. To do so, however, would mean that Mr Frye's sacred Ferrari must be used.

    There's the MacGuffin, as Hitchcock would call it. The car is Cameron's first step to scorning his father's wishes, of setting the truancy plot in motion, and giving it the extra edge.

    What makes the excursion double fascinating is that school Principal Ed Rooney is gunning only for Ferris' blood. No one else, even Ferris' overtly trusting parents, suspect Ferris for a second, his school friends believing that he is close to dying and urgently requires a kidney donor.

    Above all, he is just too damn cool and smart to get caught. He thoroughly believes in his actions and even looks forward to college at one stage. Imagine Woody Allen as an impish teenager, and you've got Ferris Bueller. Like Allen, Ferris even talks to the camera once in a while, preaching his word about living a little, so as to prevent an unhappy marriage and future.

    So likable this Ferris. He could so easily be a narcissist, but he really does care about his friend Cameron and loves his girlfriend Sloane. No way can Sloane be left to rot in boring history class while Ferris and Cameron are out getting high in the city. So charmless is that teacher. So utterly devoid of spirit and character.

    Not like Ferris. You can learn much worthier life lessons from Ferris Bueller, like knowing how to cover all your tracks so you never get caught. No one can find out you're wagging school, or you may never graduate.

    First things first, and that means running down your school absences from 9 to 2. It must be done from home. Just remember to be grateful that your parents bought you a computer and not a car. After all, your best friend has a Ferrari in his dad's garage which is always available.

    Next, you've got to call the school and arrange for Sloane to leave. Even if it means getting Cameron to lie about her dead grandmother. Well, it is for a good cause. We wouldn't want Rooney suspecting that Ferris has talked both his closest friends into wagging.

    How will it work? Cameron can pretend to be Mr Peterson on one line and Ferris can call on another line to explain his absence. There's no way that Rooney will suspect that Ferris could be both people. Oh yeah, there's Ferris' mum too. She may come home for lunch to check on Ferris. What then? That i won't give away...

    Sounds fun doesn't it? How two guys and a girl decide to wag school one day and avoid getting pinched. It is, and the reason is good execution. Writer/Director John Hughes scored the previous year with another classic teen comedy "The Breakfast Club" and clearly knows his genre very well.

    "Ferris Bueller" is beguiling, light-hearted, unpredictable and inventive. In different hands, it may not have been. The lead character may have been some dumb shmuck who would eventually get exposed and learn the error of his ways. Or there may have been an excess of back-story detailing his character.

    The performances here are uniformly excellent. The zealous Matthew Broderick clearly relishes his role as the witty teen; Alan Ruck is just as interesting as his cautious, world-weary friend Cameron who eventually lightens up and 'kills' his father's beloved car, and Mia Sara is eternally divine as his devoted girlfriend.

    Elsewhere, other supporting roles work and only two disappoint. Jennifer Grey as Ferris's sister Jean suffers in the same way Cameron does. She cannot find any joy in her life and is openly disdainful of her more popular brother. Through bizarre circumstances, she also lightens up and forgives her brother, even aiding his scheme at one stage.

    Perhaps intended, Jeffrey Jones just doesn't convince as the desperate principle out to dent Ferris' future and his sourpuss secretary (Edie McClurg) is even less convincing, with little to say or do.

    In a slapstick subplot, Rooney attempts to catch Ferris cold by breaking into his home. All manner of mayhem ensues, leading to his undoing. Despite the slight concept and such farcical moments, "Ferris Bueller" remains one of the definitive teen movies.

    Who can possibly not revel in the joy of adolescence, when the teen protagonist sings The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" on a moving podium, in the company of hundreds of fanatical people and not once think his old man could spot him?
  • May 28, 2009
    This movie is a comedy classic of the 80's! Ferris Bueller(Matthew Broderick) is a teenager boy who thinks that ''life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.'' He is a master of skipping classes and very popular not only in his sch...( read more)ool, but in his city. His parents always believes in his excuses to not go to school, and his sister (Jennifer Grey)hates him more than everything for that.One day, he, his best friend Cameron Frye(Alan Ruck)and Bueller's girlfriend Sloane Peterson(Mia Sara)decides to miss a day in school to walk away in New York. This makes the school's director,Ed Rooney, stay mad, and he wants to prove that Ferris is lying for his parents no matter what. Very cool and with a nice message of enjoy your life while you can!
  • November 19, 2009
    this was my grade school days everyday
  • November 19, 2009
    BEEN AWHILE, BUT THIS MOVIE IS REALLY GOOD. NOT TO MENTION THAT'S IT'S A CLASSIC
  • November 19, 2009
    "Twist and Shout" The Beatles' version of the song enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in 1986 after Matthew Broderick lip synced it in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Benjamin and Daisy watch the Beatles' performance of the song...( read more) on The Ed Sullivan Show.
  • November 17, 2009
    to bad i cant give negitivs on his site
  • November 16, 2009
    this movie was awsome

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film's heart is in the right place, and Ferris Bueller is slight, whimsical and sweet. full review

View more Ferris Bueller's Day Off reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • Doodie58
    August 31, 2009
    I thought it was a pretty amazing film. But my fave Jon Hughes(Now dead - R.I.P:() film has GOT to be Pretty In Pink, Im jusy totaly in love with Duckie(Jon Cryer)!.. Iona is awesome aswell :D But Ferris Bueller is awesome you got to admit it :)
  • mrsjasperwhitlockhale
    December 24, 2008
    lol this movie wuz sooooo funny!! i luved the twist and shout part!! all i can say is lol!!
  • ksbl
    March 27, 2008
    What's your favourite John Hughes flick?
    Take the poll:
    www.flixster.com/poll/which-john-hughes-film-is-the-greatest
  • Chowmit
    January 12, 2008
    Brings back ALOT of memories. Aah. I can relate to Ferris in many ways, alot focusing on the way he thinks.
  • Mroof
    December 30, 2007
    ingenious ways to get out of school.

    I must have seen this move a gazillion times, but I've never seen the last 5 minutes. i have some pretty good memories that include this movie. all in all, this is a must-see movie for people all over.

    "why'd you kick me?"
    "where's your brain?"
  • Aritosgold
    November 25, 2007
    Very Funny;;
  • SuperStarDust
    October 6, 2007
    The best movie EVER! :P
    :P
  • MorpheusOne
    October 5, 2007
    Clearly one of the funniest movies...ever!
  • missperky23
    September 6, 2007
    Even though I wasn't yet born when this movie came out, I saw this movie a few years ago and I found it really good. I suddenly have this yearning to get a copy of it and watch it immediately.
  • Br0wn3yes
    July 26, 2007
    My Favorite Movie

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Ferris Bueller's Day Off Trivia


  • Who was the annoying teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?  Answer »
  • In order to play a drug addict in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Charlie Sheen stayed awake for more than 48 hours to produce the desired drugged-out effect.  Answer »
  • Which band, featured in 10 Things I Hate About You, got it's name from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?  Answer »
  • In the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's day off, what did Ferris get from his parents instead of a car?  Answer »

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