Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a movie that tells a story that transcends generations. While Ferris wouldn’t be able to dance on a float with the entire city of Chicago without having videos plastered all over social media, and while he wouldn’t be able to sneak into a fancy restaurant because the host could simply Google you to confirm you’re not “the Sausage King of Chicago,” none of that matters because it’s the meaning behind all these grand gestures that counts, and not the craziness itself.
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is an incredibly smart, savvy high-school student who just doesn’t want to see a beautiful day go to waste. And for all his seemingly selfish intentions to use his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) to gain access to Cameron’s father’s 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder so that he, his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara) can travel around town in style while doing whatever he wants, Ferris really just wants to have a big, memorable day with the people that he loves before they likely go their separate ways once college begins.
There’s also a lot of heart to the film, with Ferris clearly wanting Cameron to learn to stand on his own two feet so that he doesn’t unknowingly fall in love with the first woman who shows him any sort of attention, inevitably leading him to end up in a loveless marriage like the one’s his parents share. While Ferris explains this to the audience through some breaking of the fourth wall, it shows that while Ferris does want to avoid school and does want his perfect plan to avoid any and all detection from authority figures to go off without a hitch, above all he wants what’s best for his best friend.
Unlike other John Hughes film’s such as Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful, which are based in a more realistic setting Ferris Bueller’s Day Off falls in line with other Hughes films such as Home Alone and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, where they’re almost larger than life in the world they create. The fact that throughout the film there’s a running joke to “Save Ferris,” as he starts a rumour that he may need a new kidney – even though he also says he’ll be fine by the weekend – is hilarious stuff. I mean, “Save Ferris” is even on the marquee at Wrigley Field. It’s ridiculous, but never feels out of place because that’s just the type of world the film takes place in.
Now we get to experience all this fun in fully remastered 4K Dolby Vision, and it’s gorgeous. The details on characters, clothing and scenery that pops are in abundance, and the clarity makes it feel as though the film might as well have been released this past weekend. The filmic quality remains, but it just looks as good as one could hope, and without question is the definitive version of the movie to own when it comes to the best visuals and audio mixes this movie has ever seen in a home release, as well as the complete package when it comes to special features, which I’ll get into more in a moment.
If you’ve yet to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off then know that you’re missing out on a film that’ll take you back to how life was in the mid-80s, where nobody had a cell phone out and computers were just emerging so social media wasn’t even a thought. It’s a blast from the past that still works perfectly today because it’s the story of a rebellious teen who’s out to beat the system and boredom that’s timeless.
Overall Movie Review: 5/5
4K Blu-ray Video and Audio Review:
As mentioned above, this 4K remastering showcases the movie in a way that every Ferris fan must own, as it won’t get better than this until, well, we’ve yet to find the technology, and I’m really not in a rush to do so because the details they’ll find ways to show after this may just be too much to handle! Dolby Vision brings this crazy day to life in extreme fashion, and it’s great to see a true classic like this receive a proper 4K release that will allow so many new generations to enjoy this film in the best way possible visually.
On the audio side, we’ve also got a rocking Dolby Atmos track that comes to life at all the right moments. Not only is it great to hear Ferris’s decoy snoring from a speaker on one side of the room while he’s being checked on, but when the musical moments hit they blast through beautifully, making you want to jump up and join in the dancing fun on those cold Chicago streets. Paramount did fans right with this release, which isn’t surprising given their track record of the 4K remastering of classics, so skip school if you must, make sure to find a way to add this 4K disc to your collection at your earliest convenience.
Special Features:
Director’s Commentary with John Hughes – So this is what really makes this movie the total package, as this commentary track hasn’t been available on disc since the first DVD release of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off way back in 1999. So while many fans likely have that DVD, being able to listen to the commentary track with the new 4K visuals is exactly what we hope for with releases like this. It puts everything in one place, as you also get all the legacy content broken down below, and that just makes collecting a newly released upgrade so much better.
Getting the Class Together: The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — This is a nearly 28-minute feature that sees the cast and various members of the crew looking back at the film. The piece has both more recent interviews (well, recent when these were released in 2009), as well as ones taken back closer to when the film was released. It’s a great piece that fans will definitely want to check out if you have yet to do so.
The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – This is a feature that’s a bit over 15-minutes in length and has again, old school interviews mixed with ones of the characters looking back on their work retrospectively. Another fun feature for fans that delves into certain scenes and how they came together.
Who Is Ferris Bueller? – This piece is just over 9-minutes in length and sees the same cast and crew talk about what makes Ferris the type of character that’s stood the test of time, and why the film works so well because of him.
The World According to Ben Stein – This is an 11-minute feature that sees the actor talk about how Ferris has affected his life.
Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes – This is a 10-minute feature that’s a lot of fun. We get to see Broderick, Ruck, Sara and Jeffrey Jones all talking about making the film through old videos. All are great features that fans will really enjoy.
Paramount Pictures Presents Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Written and Directed by: John Hughes. Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey, Cindy Pickett, Lyman Ward, Edie McClurg. Running time: 103 Minutes. Rating: PG. 4K Blu-ray Released: Aug. 1, 2023.
