Originally published: June 14, 1986
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off may turn out to be the hit of the summer.
From when the alarm clock wakes Ferris up on his “day off” until after the last closing credit, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off proves to be the funniest movie since 1984’s Ghostbusters.
Matthew Broderick (who you may remember from WarGames and Ladyhawke) plays Ferris Bueller, a high-school senior who appears to be majoring in cunning, persuasion, and charm rather than the usual college-prep courses. With only weeks left before graduation, Bueller decides to play sick and enjoy a holiday.
After successfully faking off his parents (explaining how to do just that in an aside to the audience), Bueller wrangles away two friends (played by Mia Sara and Alan Ruck) from their suburban Chicago school and sets off for a day in the big city. They visit the Chicago stock exchange, a Cubs baseball game, a posh restaurant, a German heritage parade, and the Chicago Museum of Art.
Lots of fun and no problems, right? Fun, yes. No problems, no.
Jeffrey Jones plays Edward R. Rooney, the pompous dean of students who is certain Bueller and friends are skipping school and sets out to prove it. John Hughes wrote and directed Day Off. If his name isn’t too familiar, recall that he also did the hilarious Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club.
Hughes’ masterful directorial queues — quick cuts, slow tracking shots, and extreme closeups — accent the hilarious moments in Day Off. He also has an eye for capturing the larger-than-life, and sometimes extremely stereotyped, adults-as-viewed-by-teenagers. Overly concerned, extremely kind parents, like those in Day Off and Sixteen Candles, are perfect examples. Another is Dean Rooney.
Broderick, whose performance in Ladyhawke tended to be wooden even though it was an enjoyable movie, is perfect as Bueller. He mugs to the camera, connecting with the audience by sharing private jokes. Running jokes abound in Day Off, especially the growing rumor of just how serious Bueller’s fake illness really is. (Even the scoreboard at the baseball game flashes “Save Ferris.”) There’s also a subplot involving Bueller’s jealous sister, and one where Bueller’s father keeps turning up to cause momentary concern as Bueller and pals roam Chicago.
If you missed last Saturday’s sneak preview — which all but about 50 of you did — be certain to catch it during Day Off’s regular run. This is a movie you’ve got to see.
Commentary Track: Thirty-six years later, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is still a movie you’ve got to see. It’s an almost perfect movie, a true classic. Laughs are abundant, but Ferris Bueller (as it’s known today; not Day Off) also has heart, something that John Hughes’ movies were known for. It’s a shame that he died much too soon. Thankfully Ferris and Hughes’ other films live on.