At the center of the story is Ferris Bueller, played by Matthew Broderick, a teenager who has perfected the art of convincing the world he is too sick to function. Rather than hide under a blanket, though, Ferris uses his “illness” as an excuse to enjoy a day off with his best friend Cameron and his girlfriend Sloane. What follows is a series of escapades in downtown Chicago — from riding in a classic Ferrari to crashing a parade and dancing to Twist and Shout — all while evading the suspicions of Dean of Students Ed Rooney, determined to catch Ferris in the act.
Besides that madcap antics of this crew, what keeps the movie lively is the way Hughes and his cast let us live inside them. Ferris is confident and clever, a schemer with a grin, but he isn’t mean‑spirited. Cameron, played by Alan Ruck, is uneasy and unsure, giving the day’s wildness a hesitant anchor. Mia Sara’s Sloane is steady and receptive, the kind of partner who makes adventure feel accessible. These character dynamics help the comedy unfold with real moments of connection rather than just a string of gags.
John Hughes had a way of seeing teenage life from the inside out. Earlier works like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club examined anxiety, awkwardness and peer pressure. With Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, he turned his attention to freedom and possibility, letting his characters explore the world beyond classroom walls. Chicago itself becomes a kind of co‑star — its streets, museums and public spaces giving the action a sense of place that feels specific and lived‑in.
Part of the film’s lasting delight comes from how it treats adults. Parents are affectionate if a bit clueless. Teachers and administrators are earnest but easily sidetracked. Authority figures here are obstacles on the puzzle, not foes to be feared. Even when Ferris’s sister Jeannie shows frustration and sarcasm, there’s warmth under her sharp edges. The movie makes room for humor without harshness.
Over time, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has stayed in the conversation because it invites repeat viewing. Lines, scenes and performances have become part of pop culture memory. It’s common to hear someone reference the parade sequence or cite Ferris’s philosophy of life. That staying power comes from a mix of confidence, joy and a willingness to let its young characters take the lead — and to let viewers smile along with them.
Take the day off to see Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Excerpt of a movie review by Kathryn Buxton – The Palm Beach Post (Florida) June 11, 1986
Ferris Bueller is the kind of person you either like immensely or hate deeply. He’s the kid who possesses the strangest control over people and situations.
He breezes his way through school and social situations — nearly everyone who knows him likes him.
And he gets everything he wants — almost. He wants a car, but his parents give him a computer instead.
Being that good is not as easy as it looks, and Ferris (Matthew Broderick) really works at it.
He knows just how to convince his parents (Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward) that he is sick and must take the day off from school. They, of course, agree, since they love him to distraction.
“How did you get to be so sweet?” Mom asks Ferris, brushing her hand over his fevered brow.
“Practice,” he responds wisely.
Ferris Bueller movie trailer
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Another hit for John Hughes
There’s a lot of magic and humor practiced in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Written and directed by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink), this energetic and offbeat comedy captures the best feelings about being young — discovering freedom, and learning how to enjoy it.
Ferris Bueller tells how a teenager’s short lifetime course in charm and good luck pays off in one flamboyant day of illicit adolescent freedom.
Ferris, once he’s engineered the day off for himself, connives to bring his best friend Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara) into his adventure.
Cameron, already at home sick in bed, merely needs Ferris to convince him that he’s not really sick. Sloane, who’s at school, is tougher to extract.
To free her, Ferris and Cameron call the dean of students Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) and inform him there has been a death in her family.
To convince the ever-suspicious Rooney that this is not a ruse, Ferris talks Cameron into using his dad’s museum piece 1961 hot red Ferrari to retrieve Sloane from school. Rooney has to believe a car like that.
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Some tried and true gags
Hughes is at his zaniest in Ferris Bueller. Like Sixteen Candles, this movie explores the hyper imaginations of his young characters. But sometimes he opts for the tried and true gags of the teenage movie genre.
Yet what Hughes does best is examine the everyday teenager’s life from the healthily exaggerated point of view of a fellow teenager. He creates a giant grab bag of comic and poignant experiences and characters. each one memorable and fun.
To Ferris and his friends, school is not a bad place — despite hysterically dreary monologues about the Laffer Curve and the dreaded intrigues of Dean Rooney.
But the world outside of school — the place Ferris and Cameron are going to graduate to in less than two months — is infinitely more interesting. There are ball games to go to, parades to march in, hoity-toity luncheons to attend.
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Ferris Bueller movie characters hit home
Hughes peoples Ferris Bueller with an eclectic bunch of characters, and each hits home with comic honesty. Broderick (WarGames, Ladyhawke) gives Ferris the jaunty charm of a small-time con artist.
Even better is the strange collection of characters surrounding Ferris. Ruck, in his first feature film role, is wonderful as Cameron Frye, an unpresuming rich boy who is as uptight as Ferris is carefree.
The rest of the cast is excellent and too large to credit individually, although some of the funniest moments are from the large supporting cast. Edie McClurg is slyly humorous as the smart-mouthed school secretary.
Charlie Sheen (Martin Sheen’s son and Emilio Estevez’s brother) does a fine imitation of a sensuous James Dean-like character. And Jennifer Grey, playing Ferris’ spoiled, jealous, yet reformable sister makes a nice complement to the spitefully venomous Dean Rooney.
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Ferris Bueller – Twist & Shout in a Chicago parade (video)
