 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has
a reputation as one of the best comedies of the 1980s and one
of the best high school movies ever made. It’s a well-earned
reputation, for sure, but I think it’s much more than
that. I truly and honestly believe that Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off is one of the greatest movies ever made. Ever.
Yes, that is high praise, but I feel it’s warranted. Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off is pitch perfect in every
way.
Bueller’s story - a confident young man plays hooky
from school so he can spend the day in the big city with
his best friend and his girl - is nothing original, but the
execution is hilarious, charming, and full of adventure while
highlighting the quiet desperation of a tortured soul. When
I first saw Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off a the age of 12, I loved
it for its comedy and thought that Ferris Bueller was a great
hero because he could do whatever he wanted and get away
with it. I still respect that quality in Ferris, but as I
grew older, I learned that this movie is more about Ferris’
best friend Cameron Frye and his troubled home life, which
we never even see.
 Director
John Hughes was a brilliant screenwriter, penning some of
the best and most popular movies of the 1980s, particularly
in the high school comedy genre. With the possible exception
of Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Hughes
never wrote a better script. Bueller isn’t just a typical
laugh-filled romp through a joyous day. It’s also a
touching examination of a young man who feels isolated and
unloved by his parents. What makes Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off so much more than a standard high school
comedy is how Ferris regards his best friend Cameron and
wants to do anything and everything he can to show him a
happier life. Everybody would love to be like Ferris, but
it’s
really Cameron who most people can identify with in some
way.
 Hughes’ characters
would have been too much to handle for most teen actors of
the 1980s, but the three leads (Matthew Broderick as Ferris,
Alan Ruck as Cameron, and Mia Sara as Sloane) were tremendous
professionals who took these great characters and made them
their own. Broderick and Ruck had worked together on Broadway
before and were already good friends. The natural chemistry
of their friendship really shines on the screen.
The leads are supported by a phenomenal cast of supporting
actors including Jeffrey Jones as the school principal who
cannot bear to see Ferris pull one over on him; Lyman Ward
and Cindy Pickett as Ferris’ clueless parents; Jennifer
Gray as Ferris’ extremely jealous sister Jeannie; Ben
Stein as the dull economics teacher; Edie McClurg as the adoring
school secretary; Charlie Sheen as the drug addict who dispenses
sage advice in a police station; and even Kristy Swanson and
Louie Anderson deliver excellent performances in bit parts.
Jones is particularly enjoyable to watch as he delivers the
counterpoint to the three kids’ day of good fun.
 I could go on and on and on about how great this movie is,
but I don’t think it’s necessary. If you have
seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, you
know how fun it is. If you haven’t seen it do yourself
a favor and do so now. Again, I consider this not only the
quintessential high school comedy, but also one of the best
movies ever made. I can’t praise it enough to do justice
to how passionately I feel about it.
Video
I always thought the video from the initial 1999 DVD release
of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was excellent,
but this release is a little better. Tak Fujimoto’s
gorgeous cinematography looks fantastic in the newest transfer.
Colors are bright and vibrant, but not oversaturated. There
is a little grain present, but it’s not distracting.
There are some minor flaws in the film elements, but overall,
this is an excellent transfer for a 1980s comedy.
Audio
The Dolby 5.1 track will not blow your socks off, but it’s
excellent for a 1980s comedy. Dialogue sounds crisp and clear.
Don’t expect a lot of sound effects coming through the
surround channels. The music sounds very good, particularly
Yello’s Oh Yeah and The Beatles’ Twist
and Shout.
 Extra Features
Getting The Class Together: The Cast Of Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off (27:45) – This is the best of the four featurettes
included on this disc. It’s a look at the casting process for
the movie. Included are present day interviews with casting directors
Jane Jenkins and Janet Hirshenson as well as virtually every member
of the cast. Also included are interviews from 1986 with John Hughes
and Mia Sara and a 1985 interview with Jennifer Gray. This is an outstanding
featurette that really makes this release of Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off worth purchasing. I give Paramount tremendous credit
for rounding up all these people to talk about a film they made 20
years ago. They all have great stories to share and it’s evident
that everybody involved in the production has very fond memories of
it.
The Making Of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (15:28) – This
segment is similar to the first featurette, but focuses on
the making of the movie. Included are present day interviews
with Ben Stein, producer Tom Jacobson, Matthew Broderick,
Jeffrey Jones, Edie McClurg, Jennifer Gray, and Alan Ruck.
There are also interview clips from 1986 with John Hughes.
It’s not as long as the first featurette and doesn’t
contain as much interesting information, but if you’re
a fan of the movie, it’s still a lot of fun.
 Who Is Ferris Bueller? (9:12) – Even more
of the same type of stuff, but this one places its attention
on the character of Ferris Bueller himself. Who is he? What
makes him tick? More present day interviews with Jennifer
Gray, Jeffrey Jones, Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Cindy Pickett,
Ben Stein. Also included are clips from a 1985 interview with
Jeffrey Jones, 1986 interviews with Matthew Broderick and
Mia Sara, and a 1987 interview with John Hughes.
The World According To Ben Stein (10:51) – Here
we have a mix of clips from the present day and 1986 interviews
with Ben Stein. He talks about the joy of working on Ferris
Bueller’s Day Off and what it means to him.
He says, with sincerity, that his day of work on this movie
was the best day of his life, which is quite the sentiment
for a guy who was a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and The
New York Times, was a speechwriter for President Richard
Nixon, and has written 30 books. Stein also talks about the
impact this role has had on his life and how much he admires
the movie because, he says, it teaches us that anyone can
have a great day if they really want it.
 Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes (10:16) – These
are video tapes from the set of Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off featuring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia
Sara and Jeffrey Jones. You really get the impression that
Broderick and Ruck were great friends outside of this film
production. This is a nice little featurette because it again
shows the joy with which this cast had in working together.
Class Album – This is a gallery of 19 still
photos from the movie set. These are nice photos, but if you’ve
seen the movie, you won’t see anything new here.
I must make special note of one extra feature that is conspicuously
missing from this DVD release. The 1999 Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off DVD featured an awesome commentary track
by John Hughes. That track is one of my favorite commentaries
because Hughes really gets into what made Ferris Bueller such
an amazing character. It’s a shame that Paramount chose
not to bring this feature over from the previous release.
 Previews – Trailers
for other Paramount DVDs, Airplane!
Don't Call Me Shirley Edition and Tommy
Boy – Holy
Schnike Edition as well as a trailer for Cameron
Crowe’s Elizabethtown. Avoid these
unless you’re a big trailer fan. I’m really disappointed
by the lack of a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off trailer
on this disc. I would love to see the theatrical trailer.
I would especially love to see the original trailer, which
supposedly featured Ferris talking about wanting to be
the first high school student in space that was apparently
pulled from theaters due to the Space Shuttle Challenger
disaster.
Parting Words
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off has reigned as my favorite movie for nearly 20 years
and it shows no signs of losing its appeal to me. I simply
adore this film and everything about it. It was a highly successful
and popular film in its initial run, and remains so to this
day, but I still feel it is underrated. Despite the lack of
the John Hughes commentary track, this is one truly excellent
DVD that is very easy to recommend at any price. Don’t
let the horribly titled DVD release (it’s called the Bueller
Bueller Edition) keep you from checking out this five
pants disc. Just make sure that you keep that 1999 release
if you have it for the outstanding John Hughes commentary that’s
missing from this latest version of the DVD.
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