John Hughes ruled the 80’s. He may not have been prolific and not all of his films a hit (She’s Having a Baby anyone?), but he struck nerves with his films that seemed to effortlessly understand the 80’s teenager; never pandering or pretending, but able to be genuinely heartfelt and funny, whether it was the wacky Weird Science or the quintessential The Breakfast Club, he just seemed to ‘get it.’
The 1980’s were a golden age for comedies, churning out what, to me, were classics like Police Academy, The Naked Gun, The Blues Brothers, Tootsie, Spies Like Us, Coming to America, and a big bag of genuinely great films from John Hughes. Chief among those great films is the simple tale of a popular kid, Ferris Bueller, who fakes sickness to skive off from school with his girlfriend and best friend, enjoying a fantastic day away from high school. The world may have changed and being a teen today now something almost unrecognizable from 80s portrayals, but the core comedy and earnestness of Ferris still connects.
The Production: 4.5/5
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) isn’t your average High School senior; he’s popular with everyone, clever beyond his years, enigmatically savvy and innocently mischievous in ways that the world can only admire or envy. Tired of the rigmarole of high school, Ferris decides to feign illness, putting one past his all too trusting parents, and have himself, his sweet girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara), and his dour, down-in-the-dumps, hypochondriac best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck), a fun day gallivanting throughout the wonders of the windy city. They adventure from the Art Institute of Chicago to Wrigley field – with an impromptu, crowded street song and dance routine, all while Bueller evades his Captain Ahab-like school principal. Bueller easily freelances his way through Chicago, saves his best friend Cameron from himself, and inadvertently becomes the beneficiary of the ‘Save Ferris’ campaign sweeping his hometown. It’s a grand day out!
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a perfect comedy with a wealth of delightful and memorable performances from everyone involved. Broderick is terrific–almost dashing–as the slyly astute teen. Hughes employs the rarely used convention of the lead character talking to the audience (by looking directly at the camera), and Broderick is natural and comfortable dancing on either side of the breached fourth wall. Mia Sara as Sloane Peterson is sweet and innocent, happily ebbing and flowing with the jaunty Broderick, while Alan Ruck, whose Cameron character slips between depressed and begrudgingly complicit in Bueller’s affairs, is equally good. The persistent Principal Rooney, played with just the right level of mania by Jeffrey Jones, serves as a humorous caricature antagonist to Bueller’s easy mischief. Certain that Bueller is lying the principal flaunts with breaking and entering, stalking, and larceny before the day is over. Jones plays it well and he’s a perfectly likeable foil. Jennifer Grey, of Dirty Dancing fame, and former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein also appear. Grey is a recognizable older sister frustrated at what a younger brother can get away with (I know this from experience), and Stein became synonymous with the teacher who utters in an implacably monotone voice the now recognizable “Bueller…Bueller…Bueller…”
There is earnestness about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that belies the simplicity of the hijinks; an earnestness of the kind that you will find at the core of so many of Hughes’ triumphs. In Bueller’s, the emotionally hollow relationship between Ferris’ best friend Cameron and his never seen father gives Hughes the canvas to deal with the subject of emotionally distant parents, scarred kids, and the inevitable rebellion that comes from parental oppression and sterility. These are themes that Hughes explored in most of his 80’s directorial efforts; how individuals deal with their station in life, how we are deeply affected by those closest to us, and how important it is to look a little deeper than the surface to know someone (Planes, Trains & Automobiles taught us that perfectly.)
John Hughes wrote and directed Ferris, showing off his adept comedic writing skills honed from the likes of National Lampoon’s Vacation, Class Reunion, and Mr. Mom. As was frequently his inkwell, Hughes embellishes his story with fanciful moments that are just a little larger than life (like the song routine, or Bueller’s backyard sprint to beat his mother and father home,) and each moment became indelibly planted in our consciousness.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is just as genuinely engaging and lively a comedy as it was back in the 80s. High school today may seem far removed from this fanciful portrayal, but the fairytale quality to the fun makes it timeless and, in many ways, it hasn’t aged a day.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
Paramount’s debut of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on 4K UHD is a winner. A deliciously sharp image with fine grain and an astounding array of color. That bright red Ferrari, central to the film, is a thing of beauty. The bright blue skies, the greys of the Chicago buildings, the sunlight reflecting on that Ferrari, warm and natural flesh tones, the yellows of city cabs, and greens of trees and grass come alive on the screen from the Dolby Vision (or HDR-10 for those not DV equipped).
Framed at 2.35:1 and filled with superb detail, this is a definitive release and it’s hard to imagine it looking better, even with the soft opening moments and one or two shots that are soft later in the film.
Audio: 5/5
In a stroke of surprising delight, Paramount brings Ferris to 4K with a vibrant and pleasing Dolby Atmos track. Audio in the height channels is heavy with the sounds of the memorable 80s soundtrack and Ira Newborn’s playful score. The audio is more impressive than the prior Blu-ray release I reviewed, with greater separation and spread, Dialogue is crips and issue free largely in the center channel, bass is healthy, and overall, the audio is rich and immersive.
La-La Land Records released the soundtrack to this film with all the great songs, great score, and even the funny bit with the Star Wars theme. Out of print now, for those that snagged a copy, it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the world after watching the film for the zillionth time.
Special Features: 3/5
Presented with legacy special features from the previous Blu-ray releases, minus the disposable Class Album image gallery. What’s also back is the commentary track from John Hughes, available with subtitles in multiple languages. This is a good commentary. I’ve read comments from Broderick of some of the challenges in shooting this with Hughes and Broderick not agreeing completely and Hughes reportedly calling some of the footage of Broderick, Ruck, and Sara, “boring.” On the commentary, Hughes is effusive in his praise. It’s worth a listen.
- Commentary with Director John Hughes
- Getting the Class Together – The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (27:45): Featuring reflective interviews with the cast members – and archival footage of the late John Hughes, this is a genuinely good walk down memory lane for how the actors came to be involved.
- The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (15:29): A look back at the making of the film – also featuring up-to-date interviews with cast and crew members – covers a lot of ground on how Ferris Bueller’s took off (and how Hughes wrote the screenplay in 6 days to avoid the complications of a looming writer’s strike).
- Who is Ferris Bueller (9:12): Again, featuring archival footage of John Hughes (and others) discussing the easy-going Ferris Bueller character.
- The World According to Ben Stein (10:51): Ben Stein is a curious fella and this look at his unlikely rise in the film business (from a career in behind-the-scenes politics) is intriguing.
- Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tape (10:16): Revealing footage of Broderick and Ruck mucking about, as well as others missed with behind-the-scenes footage (note: Broderick isn’t the best interviewer)
- Steelbook case with less than thrilling art choice
- Digital copy of the film
Overall: 4.5/5
If you were anywhere near high school age in the 1980’s, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a perfect flight of fancy for the promise of what playing truant for a day can become. For others, buying into this day off as a fabled imaginative endeavor is a fine way to find new joy in this 80s gem. John Hughes passed away 14 years ago as of the day I am writing this review (on August 6, 2009), and his loss was tragic. But what he left us was a legacy of sweet, insightful, and very, very funny films.
Very much recommended!
Neil has been a member of the Home Theater Forum reviewing staff since 2007, approaching a thousand reviews and interviews with actors, directors, writers, stunt performers, producers and more in that time. A senior communications manager and podcast host with a Fortune 500 company by day, Neil lives in the Charlotte, NC area with his wife and son, serves on the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte Board of Directors, and has a passion for film scores, with a collection in the thousands.
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