Movie Info:
Writers:John Hughes
Director: John Hughes
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Edie McClurg, Charlie Sheen, Ben Stein, Del Close, Virginia Capers, Richard Edson, Larry Flash Jenkins, Kristy Swanson
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Paramount
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 11, 1986
DVD Release Date: May 5, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $20.99
“Sooner or later, everyone goes to the zoo.”
In the 80s, Matthew Broderick had one hell of a career. He had a way of choosing parts that people would not forget. Some of my favorite 80s movies include Broderick. Don’t get me wrong. He’s done plenty of amazing things throughout the years, but the 80s was his decade. Movies like Wargames, Biloxi Blues, Glory, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off will be movies that people are watching 50 years from now. Like most people my age, I have seen Bueller at least 100 times.
It’s always fun to watch Bueller because it not only has so many great lines, but it’s got so many actors that at the time were either unknown or relatively new to the game. This movie offers a very angry Jennifer Grey (before Dirty Dancing), a very young Alan Ruck (way before he started playing everyone’s dad), and an incredibly hilarious Edie McClurg (Back to School).
Everyone loves this movie because almost everyone remembers that kid in high school that didn’t like making class, so they would skip. The kid was insanely popular in most cases, too. In my old high school that was my brother. He didn’t like doing Mondays or Fridays. Personally, I always found Tuesdays to be the most drab. To kids like us, and to those like Ferris it wasn’t about attendance as long as you can make the grade. Of course, the teachers never did quite agree with that theory and the principal certainly wasn’t having any of it either.
Before Baby’s Day Out and the subsequent breakdown of John Hughes’ career, he was unstoppable. I can’t recall a writer or director off the top of my head that created so many hits in such a short time frame. The 80s and part of the 90s belonged to Hughes. He was the teen comedy God and to this day he has never been replicated or beaten at his game. Ferris Bueller is one of many Hughes classics, and it’s certainly one of his best.
The Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Plot
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is the king of skipping school. He has already missed nine days, but he can’t resist skipping during a beautiful spring day, his senior year. Ferris uses tricks like putting his thermometer against a hot light, to trick his parents (Lyman Ward and Cindy Pickett) into letting him stay home from school. After he is quietly resting in bed alone, he executes an ingenious plan to enjoy the day in Chicago.
Ferris’ hypochondriac of a friend, the neurotic Cameron (Alan Ruck), is also home sick, though he feels like he’s going to die. Ferris convinces Cameron to call their principal, Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), pretending to be the father of Ferris’ junior girlfriend, Sloane Peterson (Mia Sara), whom will need to leave school due to ‘a death in the family.’ Once Sloane is set to be released, Ferris takes Cameron’s father’s prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California to pick her up.
In the meantime, the residents of the area and his classmates hear Ferris is a lot sicker than he pretends to be and start a “Save Ferris” campaign. Of course, Ferris’ sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) is convinced that he is faking as is their principal Ed Rooney. Both set out on their own, vendetta-filled quests to prove that Ferris isn’t really sick and is faking the entire illness.
Once Sloane is in the car, they head to downtown Chicago, parking the expensive, unique car in a parking garage, which makes Cameron quite spastic. Of course, the garage attendants ((Richard Edson and Larry Jenkins) have fun in the car while the three are enjoying the city. The three visit the Art Institute, the Sears Towner, Wrigley Field, a fancy restaurant where Ferris almost runs into his father, and he even rides a float in the German American Appreciation Day Parade, lip syncing and having a grand old time.
Of course, the three have a lot to worry about. Jeanie is nosy. Mr. Rooney is out to get Ferris. Both his parents want to check on their sick boy whenever they can. Worst of all, Cameron has a breakdown when he sees how many miles have been put on his dad’s car. He knows his dad is going to kill him, but that’s not the worst of his troubles. In the end, a lot can happen on Ferris Bueller’s day off.
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Audio/Visual:
One of the last Bueller DVDs was put out a few years ago. At that time, the consensus was that the DVD quality was acceptable, and some of the best the movie had seen so far, but it was not without fault. Though this Blu-ray offers 1080p and a 2.35:1 aspect ratio ir is really no better than the DVD copy from recent years.
The coloring could be better, but it is the level of detail that bothers me most. One of the things that I just love about Blu-ray is that it offers a level of detail that draws you in to the movie. Despite already loving Bueller, the detail level was something that you could have received on a DVD. The quality isn’t a complete wash, there is no noise, dirt, or other issues. The main problem here is that it looks too much like a DVD for my liking.
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is hit or miss. In some moments, the surrounds are used and things are sounding good. At other times, the sound falls flat and it is just very basic. Loving 80s music the way so many people do, it is nice to hear it all through this soundtrack. Of course, it would have be nicer if it were a tad bit more dramatic. Despite all the basicness this audio track has little real problems. Again, this is just too close to a DVD transfer for my liking. Beyond the English audio track, there are tracks in Spanish (Dolby Digital Mono) and French (Dolby Digital Stereo). Subtitles are included in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
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Bonus Features:
When it comes to the special features you receive what was on the previous DVD version. Sadly, that version cut out the Hughes commentary, which means that a commentary is not available here. All of the special features are rather bland, sadly. As a huge fan of the movie, I was expecting a little more, especially to celebrate the release on Blu-ray, but these are all as basic as they come.
“Getting the Class Together”: Here you have a retrospective that lasts for close to 30 minutes. If you do not hear from a cast member they toss in some archive footage of them, to make sure all the major players are included one way or another. A lot of time is spent on what it was like working on this film and with each other, and what the movie meant and still means to them.
“The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“: Coming in at about fifteen minutes, this is pretty similar to the stuff you see in the retrospective. This adds much of what you have seen with some additional interviews.
“Who is Ferris Bueller?”: Cast and crew are interviewed to talk about the main character in the movie.
“The World According to Ben Stein”: This serves as an eleven minute look at Stein’s life and career. His work and experience on the Bueller set is also highlighted, of course.
“Vintage Ferris Bueller”: The final featurette comes in at ten minutes and is a bunch of fun with the cast goofing around on set.
The final offering is in the form of a “Class Album” which is a series of cast pictures.
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Bottom Line:
Ferris Bueller is one of those movies almost everyone has seen, but it’s worth it every time that you see it. Teen movies aren’t this good anymore, so you are best off to stock up when the Blu-rays come out. Bueller is a movie filled with laughs, great lines, and a fun story. All that being said, if you don’t own the previous DVD version I highly recommend picking this one up. If you do own it, you might want to consider if it is worth it to get this as well, based on quality and lack of exclusive bonuses.
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Technorati Tags: Blu-ray Review, Movie, 80s Movie, Comedy, Jennifer Grey, Matthew Broderick, Charlie Sheen, High School, Ferris Bueller
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
