Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 film written and directed by John Hughes.
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2 Plot 3 Trivia 4 Filming Locations 5 Quotes 6 External Links |
Ferris Bueller is a wise cracking high school student from a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, who decides to take a day off for a little fun. As Ferris says "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris convinces his best friend, Cameron to take his father's 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California out for a spin, and tricks the high school Principal, Ed Rooney into thinking his girlfriend, Sloan's grandmother is dead, in effect, excusing her from school.
Ben Stein delivers a memorable performance as the Economics Teacher. He discusses the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act while semi-conscious students look on.
Rooney sees Ferris's attempt to get a little fun as an act of rebellion against his authority. He sets out to catch Ferris and make an example of him for other students.
During Ferris's "day off", he enjoys a baseball game at Wrigley Field, dines at an elite restaruant, sneaks onto a float during the Von Steuben Day Parade to sing "Danke Schoen", enjoys the view at the top of the Sears Tower and visits the Art Institute of Chicago.
Later on, the Ferrari is "killed" and Cameron is forced to stand up to his father for the first time in his life.
After sharing a kiss with his girlfriend, Ferris realizes he is late and dashes back home, running through neighbor's backyards, hopping over fences, arriving just in time so his parents can check on him.
At the time of filming, Matthew Broderick was 23, Alan Ruck and Jennifer Grey were both 25, and Mia Sara was only 17.
In an early draft of the script Ferris had two additional younger siblings.
Charlie Sheen, who played the drug addict at the police station Jeannie in which is taken to, stayed awake for more than 48 hours before the scene was shot to produce the desired drugged-out effect.
Cindy Pickett and Lyman Ward who played Ferris' parents, married in real life after filming this movie.
Sloane is based on a high school version of Nancy Hughes, John's wife. Cameron and Garth Volbeck (Charlie Sheen's druggie character) are based on acquaintances of Hughes from high school.
Cameron's fake "Mr. Peterson" voice was based on old drama coach Ruck and Broderick used to study under. Hughes never met the man and didn't understand the little in-joke at all, but it cracked up the two actors so much they used it for the voice.
An entire subplot involving a Ferris prank on a Chicago radio station regarding NASA was cut from the film and the trailers (which had to be retrieved from the theaters they were already sent to) due to the Challenger explosion in January of 1986. (This entire subplot is explained on the FBDO commentary DVD.)
The Synthesizer/sampler used to create Ferris's cough and vomit sounds was an EMU Emulator made in the early 80's by EMU.
Ferris wears a different outfit in each scene before he and Cameron go to pick up Sloane.
Cast
Plot
Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers. Trivia
Filming Locations
(For photos of the locations click here and here.)
