Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes. The film features Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck in leading roles, with supporting roles played by Jennifer Grey, Jeffrey Jones, Cindy Pickett, Edie McClurg, Lyman Ward, and Charlie Sheen. The story follows Ferris Bueller, a popular high school student from Chicago who skips school with his best friend, Cameron, and his girlfriend, Sloane. Throughout the film, Ferris often speaks directly to the audience to explain his actions and thoughts.

John Hughes wrote the screenplay in less than one week. Filming began in September 1985 and ended in November. The movie includes scenes filmed at real places in Chicago, such as the Sears Tower, Wrigley Field, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Hughes described the film as a tribute to Chicago, saying he wanted to show the city's architecture, landscapes, and the spirit of its people.

The film was released by Paramount Pictures on June 11, 1986. It became the tenth most successful movie of 1986 in the United States, earning $70.7 million, which was much more than the $5 million budget. Critics and audiences generally praised the film, especially Matthew Broderick's performance, the humor, and the film's tone. In 2014, the Library of Congress added Ferris Bueller's Day Off to the United States National Film Registry, recognizing its cultural, historical, or artistic importance. A television series based on the film later aired, with Charlie Schlatter playing the main character.

Plot

Two months before his graduation, Ferris Bueller, a high school senior, pretends to be sick to stay home from school. He often talks directly to the audience to explain his lack of interest in schoolwork. His sister, Jeanie, notices his trick, but he convinces their parents, Katie and Tom, that he is unwell. After discovering Ferris has missed nine classes that semester, the school's dean, Edward R. Rooney, and his secretary, Grace, decide to find proof of his frequent absences. Ferris uses a computer to change his record, making it look like he has only missed two days.

To help his girlfriend, Sloane Peterson, stay home, Ferris persuades his nervous friend, Cameron Frye, to pretend to be Sloane’s father and call the school, claiming her grandmother died. Rooney, who knows Sloane is dating Ferris, becomes suspicious and ignores the call. Meanwhile, Ferris calls the school to confirm his absence, tricking Rooney into thinking he offended Sloane’s father. When picking up Sloane, Ferris pretends to be her father and borrows Cameron’s father’s prized car, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. Rooney grows suspicious after seeing Sloane kiss Ferris. Cameron becomes worried when Ferris takes the car to Chicago, even though Ferris promises to keep it in good condition.

Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane leave the car with two parking attendants, who take it for a joyride. The three visit the Sears Tower observatory, have lunch at an upscale restaurant, tour the Chicago Stock Exchange and Art Institute of Chicago, watch a Chicago Cubs baseball game, and attend the Von Steuben Day Parade. At the parade, Ferris performs on a float by singing along to "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton and "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles. They avoid being seen by Cameron’s father, who works in the city.

At the same time, Rooney searches the Bueller home for Ferris. He has several funny accidents and is chased by the family’s dog, a Rottweiler. Jeanie, Ferris’s sister, skips class and returns home. She finds a dummy in Ferris’s bed and sees Rooney in the house. Thinking he is a burglar, she kicks him and calls the police. Rooney wakes up and leaves after seeing his car being towed. Jeanie is arrested for calling the police, but while in detention, she befriends a young person who tells her to focus on her own life instead of Ferris’s actions.

After retrieving the car, Ferris and Cameron discover the odometer shows much higher mileage. Cameron becomes very upset and nearly drowns in a pool before Ferris helps him. At Cameron’s house, Ferris tries to fix the odometer but fails. Cameron, angry at his strict father, kicks the car until it crashes through the garage wall. Ferris offers to take the blame, but Cameron refuses and decides to stand up to his father. After walking Sloane home, Ferris runs back to his house before his family returns. He narrowly avoids being hit by Jeanie’s car as she and Katie drive home from the police station. Jeanie sees Ferris and tries to reach home first but is pulled over for speeding.

Ferris arrives home first, but Rooney confronts him before he can go inside. Jeanie sees them through the window and decides to let Ferris enter before their parents return, claiming he was at the hospital. She also throws Rooney’s wallet into a puddle and shouts loudly, causing the Rottweiler to chase Rooney away. When Katie and Tom see Ferris in bed, they believe he has been home all day. Finally, a humiliated Rooney reluctantly rides a school bus filled with students who laugh at him.

Cast

John Hughes had his last acting role in a movie or TV show when he appeared as a man running between cabs. This role was uncredited, meaning he was not officially recognized for it.

Production

In 1985, John Hughes used a spiral-bound notebook to track his work on the film. He wrote that the main story idea was created on February 25 and shared it with Paramount Studios boss Ned Tanen the next day. Tanen was interested in the idea but worried that the Writers Guild of America might protest the studio soon. Hughes finished writing the screenplay in less than a week.

Editor Paul Hirsch said Hughes worked very intensely on the script, spending hours without breaks. He later filmed the movie using his first draft of the script. The first version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off was 2 hours and 45 minutes long. The script had to be shortened during editing. Because the story happened in one day, characters wore the same clothes throughout. Hirsch believed Hughes planned this to give editors more freedom during the editing process.

Hughes wanted to focus more on the characters than the plot. He said, "I know how the movie starts and ends, but I don’t know what happens in between. That doesn’t matter. What’s important is the characters and how they experience the events. I try to make them as real as possible. This time, I wanted to create a character who could handle everything."

Edward McNally was said to inspire the character Ferris Bueller. McNally lived on the same street as Hughes, had a friend named "Buehler," and missed school for 27 days, compared to Ferris’s 9 days in the film.

Hughes said he imagined Matthew Broderick as Ferris when writing the screenplay. He believed Broderick was the only actor who could play the role, calling him clever and charming. Other actors considered for the role included Jim Carrey, John Cusack, Johnny Depp, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Michael J. Fox. Anthony Michael Hall, who had worked with Hughes before, turned down the part because of other commitments.

Mia Sara surprised Hughes when she auditioned for the role of Sloane Peterson. She was 18 years old, but Hughes had thought she was older. Molly Ringwald, who also wanted the role, said Hughes refused to let her play Sloane because the part wasn’t big enough for her.

Alan Ruck had auditioned for a role in The Breakfast Club that went to Judd Nelson. Hughes later cast Ruck as Cameron Frye. He based Cameron on a high school friend who felt neglected by his family. Ruck said the role was originally offered to Emilio Estevez, who declined.

Ruck, who was 29 at the time, worried about the age difference with Hughes but felt confident because he had experience acting with Broderick in Biloxi Blues. He said Cameron’s "Mr. Peterson" voice was a joke about their former director, Gene Saks. Ruck and Broderick became close during filming.

Jones was cast as Rooney because of his role in Amadeus, where he played the emperor. Hughes thought Rooney was the modern version of that character. Jones said his role was small but important because he was the only character not influenced by Ferris. He worked closely with Hughes, who encouraged creative ideas.

Stein got the role of Ferris’s economics teacher through a chain of connections. Hughes said Stein was an easy choice because he looked like a teacher and had a simple speaking style.

Hughes said Chicago was important to him, and he wanted to show the city’s spirit in the film. He filmed scenes in Chicago, Los Angeles, and other locations. The exterior of Ferris’s house was filmed in Long Beach, California, which was the childhood home of Judge Thad Balkman at the time.

The modernist house of Cameron Frye was not fully described in the original text.

Post-production

According to editor Paul Hirsch, the museum scene in the original version of the film did not perform well during test screenings. After Hirsch rearranged the scene's order and director John Hughes changed the soundtrack, the scene improved.

The music used in the final version of the museum sequence is an instrumental version of The Smiths' song "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want," performed by The Dream Academy.

Several scenes were removed from the final film. One deleted scene, titled "The Isles of Langerhans," shows the three teenagers trying to order food at a French restaurant and being surprised to see pancreas on the menu. This scene appears on the "Bueller, Bueller" Edition DVD. Other scenes were not included on any DVD. These scenes included more time with Jeanie in a locker room, Ferris's younger brother and sister (who were completely removed from the film), and additional dialogue throughout the film. These can be seen in the original theatrical trailer. Director John Hughes had also planned a scene where Ferris, Sloane, and Cameron visit a strip club, but Paramount executives said there were not enough days left to film it, so the scene was not made.

According to Lindsay Doran, a former vice president of production for Paramount Pictures, an earlier version of the film included a line spoken by Sloane during a parade scene. Sloane said, "A girl can always bail out and have a baby and get some guy to support her." This line received very low scores from young female viewers during test screenings. Doran explained that young female test scores increased by about 40 points after the line was removed, which was the biggest improvement she had ever seen from cutting a single line. Producer Tom Jacobson said the line was meant to be an ironic comment on gender issues, but the audience misunderstood it.

The original script also included more dialogue that explained Charlie Sheen's character. Though his character was not named in the film, the script called him Garth Volbeck, a friend of Ferris from middle school who had a difficult home life. Early in the script, Ferris mentioned trying to help Garth improve his life but failing because Garth struggled with substance abuse. This backstory led to Sheen's appearance in the police station, where he reveals he is Garth. This scene added more reason for Ferris to want to show Cameron a memorable day—Garth represented what Cameron might become if Ferris did not help him. It also explained why Garth was kind to Ferris in the scene with Jeanie, as he still felt loyal to Ferris from their friendship.

Music

An official soundtrack was not originally released for the film because director John Hughes believed the songs would not work well together as a continuous album. However, in an interview with Lollipop Magazine, Hughes explained that he sent 100,000 7" vinyl singles containing two songs from the film to fans on his mailing list. Hughes shared more details about his decision not to release a soundtrack during the same interview.

The songs featured in the film include:

• "Love Missile F1-11" (extended version) by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
• "Jeannie" (theme from I Dream of Jeannie)
• "Beat City" by The Flowerpot Men
• "Main Title / Rebel Blockade Runner" by John Williams (from Star Wars)
• "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" (instrumental) by The Dream Academy (a cover of a song by The Smiths)
• "The Celebrated Minuet" by Luigi Boccherini (performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic Chamber Studio)
• "Danke Schoen" by Wayne Newton
• "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles
• "Radio People" by Zapp
• "I'm Afraid" by Blue Room
• "Taking the Day Off" by General Public
• "The Edge of Forever" by The Dream Academy
• "March of the Swivelheads" (a remix of "Rotating Heads") by The Beat
• "Oh Yeah" by Yello
• "BAD" by Big Audio Dynamite

"Danke Schoen" is one of the songs that appears repeatedly in the film and is sung by Ferris, Ed Rooney, and Jeanie. Hughes described it as "the most awful song of my youth" and said he disliked hearing it in school during his German class. According to actor Matthew Broderick, Ferris singing "Danke Schoen" in the shower was his own idea. Broderick also said he learned the song for the parade scene and used the shower scene as a rehearsal.

Wayne Newton told the Chicago Sun-Times he was very happy to see his song in the film. He said it was "cool" to watch Broderick perform a lip-sync to his version of the song. The film helped the Beatles' 1963 recording of "Twist and Shout" return to the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached No. 23 on September 27, 1986, 22 years after it was first released in the United States.

A limited edition soundtrack, with only 5,000 copies, was released on September 13, 2016, by La-La Land Records. The album includes new wave and pop songs from the film, as well as Ira Newborn's complete score, including unused music. Due to legal rules about using songs, "Twist and Shout," "Taking the Day Off," and "March of the Swivelheads" were not included in the album but are available elsewhere. The Flowerpot Men's "Beat City" was released for the first time on CD with a new mix created by The Flowerpot Men's Ben Watkins and Adam Peters, which is different from the original 7" fan club release.

Reception

The film received many positive reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and said it was "one of the most innocent movies in a long time" and "a sweet, warm-hearted comedy." Richard Roeper honored the film with a license plate that reads "SVFRRIS." Essayist Steve Almond called Ferris Bueller's Day Off "the most sophisticated teen movie [he] had ever seen." He noted that while director John Hughes had made many good films, Ferris was the "one film [he] would consider true art, [the] only one that reaches toward the ecstatic power of teendom and, at the same time, exposes the true, piercing woe of that age." Almond also praised actor Alan Ruck's performance, saying he deserved the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor of 1986. He stated that Ruck's performance "elevates the film, allowing it to assume the power of a modern parable."

New York Times reviewer Nina Darnton criticized Mia Sara's portrayal of Sloane for lacking "the specific detail that characterized the adolescent characters in Hughes's other films," saying she "created a basically stable but forgettable character." Darnton, however, praised Ruck and Grey's performances.

Co-star Ben Stein was deeply moved by the film, calling it "the most life-affirming movie possibly of the entire post-war period." He added, "This is to comedies what Gone with the Wind is to epics."

National Review writer Mark Hemingway praised the film's celebration of liberty.

Others had negative opinions about Ferris, criticizing its "rebel without a cause" hedonism. David Denby of New York Magazine called the film "a nauseating distillation of the slack, greedy side of Reaganism." Author Christina Lee agreed, describing it as "a splendidly ridiculous exercise in unadulterated indulgence" and stating it "encapsulated the Reagan era's near solipsist worldview and insatiable appetite for immediate gratification—of living in and for the moment." Gene Siskel criticized the film from a Chicago-centric perspective, saying: "Ferris Bueller doesn't do anything much fun… [t]hey don't even sit in the bleachers where all the kids like to sit when they go to Cubs games." Siskel did enjoy the chemistry between Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen. Ebert thought Siskel was too eager to find flaws in the film's view of Chicago.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 80 critics' reviews, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Matthew Broderick charms in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a light and irrepressibly fun movie about being young and having fun." Metacritic gave the film a score of 61 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.

Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1987 for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

The film opened in 1,330 theaters in the United States and had a total weekend gross of $6,275,647. Opening at No. 2, Ferris Bueller's Day Off earned approximately $70,136,369 in the United States, making it a box office success. It became the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1986.

As an influential and popular film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off has been included in many film rating lists. It is number 54 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies," ranked 26th in the British 50 Greatest Comedy Films, and placed number 10 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Best High School Movies."

Cultural influence

John Hughes once said about Ferris Bueller, "That kid will either become President of the United States or go to prison." U.S. President Ronald Reagan watched the film at Camp David on June 21, 1986. First Lady Barbara Bush mentioned the film in her 1990 speech at Wellesley College, saying, "Find the joy in life, because as Ferris Bueller said on his day off, 'Life moves pretty fast; if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!'" After the audience applauded, she added, "I'm not going to tell George you clapped more for Ferris than you clapped for George."

Lines from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, such as Mr. Stein's repeated call of "Bueller? …Bueller? …Bueller?" during roll call and "Anyone? Anyone?" when asking students questions, became widely known. Kristy Swanson's cheerful line "No problem whatsoever!" also became popular. Mr. Stein's performance in the film helped launch his acting career. In 2016, he reenacted the attendance scene in a campaign ad for Iowa Senator Charles Grassley. He called out the name of Grassley's opponent, Patty Judge, while listing details about her missed votes. Afterward, he called out "Grassley," who responded, and Stein muttered, "He's always here."

Matthew Broderick said the role of Ferris Bueller "eclipsed everything" and remained influential. At the 2010 Oscar tribute to Hughes, he noted, "For the past 25 years, nearly every day someone comes up to me, taps me on the shoulder, and says, 'Hey, Ferris, is this your day off?'" Broderick later mentioned that the 1990s were difficult after the film's release. He reprised his role in the end credits of She's Having a Baby, where he helped choose the name of the baby son.

Alan Ruck said Hughes gave him "the best part I ever had in a movie," and that Hughes' support helped him achieve success. He added, "Teen comedies often focus on silly or exaggerated themes, but Hughes showed respect for teenagers, treating them as complete human beings with hopes and dreams."

Broderick appeared in a Honda advertisement for the 2012 Super Bowl, which paid tribute to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. The ad showed Broderick faking illness to skip work and enjoy sightseeing in Los Angeles. It included the song "Oh Yeah" and a valet calling out "Broderick… Broderick…" A teaser for the ad sparked rumors of a film sequel. The ad was produced by RPA and directed by Todd Phillips. Adweek praised it as a tribute, while Jalopnik criticized it as "sacrilegious."

The film has been parodied in TV shows, such as The Goldbergs, Limitless, and South Side, where characters take days off for adventures. In 2017, Domino's Pizza launched a campaign parodying the film, with actor Joe Keery in the lead role. In 2020, internet personality Zach King released a parody on YouTube. LiftMaster also released a commercial featuring two boys trying to drive a Jaguar, with Alan Ruck as an older Cameron Frye warning them. He said, "Been there, done that."

The film's influence extends to music, such as Yello's song "Oh Yeah." The song, first used in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, became associated with themes of desire and luxury. It reached the Billboard Hot 100 and US Dance charts in 1987. Licensing fees from the film helped Yello's members build wealth. Another song, "Twist and Shout," was used in the film and later in Back to School. The song re-entered charts after its appearance in both films. Paul McCartney disliked the addition of brass to the original recording, saying, "We would have added it ourselves if needed." John Hughes apologized for "offending a Beatle" but explained the brass was added to match the onscreen band.

Bands named "Save Ferris" and "Rooney" were inspired by the film's title.

Academic analysis

Many experts have talked about how the movie shows school life and young people. Martin Morse Wooster said the film showed teachers as serious and foolish people who only wanted to stop teenagers from having fun. Art Silverblatt said the adults in the movie, especially the school disciplinarian named Mr. Rooney, are not important or powerful. Mr. Rooney is very focused on stopping Ferris Bueller. His focus comes from jealousy. Interestingly, Ferris is like a role model for Mr. Rooney because Ferris has imagination and power that Mr. Rooney does not. By stopping Ferris, Mr. Rooney hopes to reduce Ferris’s influence over other students and show that adults, like himself, are still in charge.

Silverblatt also said Mr. Rooney is a funny character. His clumsy efforts to stop Ferris are a main source of humor in the movie. Thomas Patrick Doherty wrote that adults who act as villains in movies like this are exaggerated and not real threats. They are meant to be funny. However, Silverblatt also said showing the school principal as a funny character makes people question whether adults can guide young people well or if adulthood itself has value.

Adults are not the main characters in the film. Roz Kaveney said Ferris Bueller adds something new to the teen movie genre by showing how someone can be cool and popular without being rich or a sports star. Unlike other characters in similar movies, Ferris is good with computers but not a nerd or geek. He learned this skill on purpose. In 2010, English comedian Dan Willis performed a show called "Ferris Bueller's Way Of…" at the Edinburgh Festival. His show explored the movie’s ideas and looked for answers about life.

Home media and other releases

The film was released on DVD three times: on October 19, 1999; on January 10, 2006, as the Bueller… Bueller edition; and on August 19, 2008, as the I Love the '80s edition. The original DVD, like many first-time Paramount Pictures DVD releases, includes few bonus features. However, it does include a commentary by the director, John Hughes. This commentary is no longer available for purchase but can still be accessed.

The Bueller… Bueller DVD re-release includes more bonus features than the original, but it does not include the commentary track from the original DVD. This edition was released in the United States on January 10, 2006, in Sweden on April 12, 2006, in Spain on April 18, 2006, and in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2006. The I Love the '80s edition is the same as the original DVD, except it includes a bonus CD with songs from the 1980s that are not in the film. The Bueller… Bueller edition includes additional features such as interviews with the cast and crew, as well as clips of commentary by the film’s writer about its themes and influence.

The film was released in 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format on August 1, 2023. This version includes the same commentary track that was first included on the 1999 DVD release.

Follow-ups

After the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off was made, actors Matthew Broderick and Hughes remained in contact. In a 2010 interview, Broderick said that he and Hughes considered creating a sequel where Ferris Bueller would be in college or at his first job, and similar events would happen again. However, they could not find an exciting idea to continue the story. Broderick explained that Ferris Bueller's Day Off focuses on a unique moment in life—the week before leaving school. He said that this moment is brief and cannot be repeated, which made it difficult to create a sequel.

In a humorous comment, Ruck suggested a fictional sequel where Ferris and Cameron would be older, with Cameron living in a nursing home and Ferris helping him escape. The story would include absurd events, such as visiting a titty bar, and would end with Cameron’s death.

In August 2022, a spin-off film titled Sam & Victor's Day Off was announced for Paramount+. The film would take place during the events of Ferris Bueller's Day Off and focus on the two valets who stole Cameron’s father’s Ferrari. The film was to be produced by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, written by Bill Posley, and directed by David Katzenberg. However, the project was canceled in December 2025 after the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global.

In 1990, a television series titled Ferris Bueller began airing on NBC. The show starred Charlie Schlatter as Ferris Bueller and Jennifer Aniston as Jeannie Bueller. Later, Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Grey appeared together in an episode of the sitcom Friends, playing characters named Rachel and Mindy, who were the former and current fiancées of Barry Farber.

In March 2025, seven-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton released a short film. The film featured Edward Norton and Hamilton as garage attendants, while the main characters placed a Ferrari in a garage and then drove it. With the help of Paramount Pictures and Dawn Apollo Films (a company founded by Hamilton), the film used modern technology to blend new characters into existing footage. Hamilton created the film to honor Ferris Bueller's Day Off, his favorite childhood movie, and to celebrate his first racing season with Ferrari in 2025.