Things You Forgot Happened In Ferris Bueller's Day Off

In 1986, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, written and directed by beloved filmmaker John Hughes, became the tenth highest-grossing film at the domestic box office. In the 20-plus years since its release, it's become a cultural touchstone and has more than cemented itself in the pop culture catalog. The Washington Post called it "an almost perfectly executed comedy: energetic, well-paced, and tinged with the suspense generated by our assumption that at some point, Ferris will get caught."

Except, he never gets caught. If you aren't familiar with the story, the film follows its titular character, Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick), as he skips school for the day in favor of activities like visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, attending a Chicago Cubs game and even participating in the Von Steuben Day parade. He convinces his girl friend, Sloane (Mia Sara), and his best friend, Cameron (Alan Ruck), to come along, but the three must avoid the school principal, Mr. Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), and Ferris' sister, Jeanie (Jennifer Grey), both of whom are trying to catch them.

Needless to say, Ferris and company pack a whole lot into a single day, and the film contains a ton of iconic moments, from Ferris' lip-sync performance to the fate of the the 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. And with so much happening, there could be a couple of details about this '80s comedy you might not remember. Here's a breakdown of all the things you forgot happened in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

We first see the character of Cameron, Ferris' best friend, under a mountain of blankets, talking to Ferris on speakerphone because he's seemingly too sick to pick up the phone. When Ferris asks how he's feeling, Cameron replies, "Shredded."

Cameron turns down Ferris' request to join him on his day off, insisting his sickness is too intense. Ferris, in return, continuously disputes this, claiming it's all in Cameron's head. Ferris then says, "You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do." After hanging up, Cameron — in one of the, arguably, funniest moments in the film — spends several minutes trying to decide whether or not to join Ferris, going from his car and then back to his house, repeatedly.

Of course, Cameron does join Ferris for the day and doesn't mention his sickness again, nor does he ever act too weak to be engaging in all of the activities of the day. He does, occasionally, attempt to reject Ferris' ideas, but that's because he's worried about potential consequences, not his own health. Cameron's behavior does actually beg the question of whether Ferris was onto something when he insisted Cameron wasn't actually sick (whereas, initially, it may have come across as if Ferris only needed Cameron to come along because he's the one with the car). This makes more sense when Ferris explains to the audience how affected Cameron is by his tumultuous family life. Ferris declares, "He's the only guy I know who feels better when he's sick."

After borrowing the Ferrari that belongs to Cameron's dad, Ferris and Cameron show up at the school to pick up Sloane, parking a safe enough distance from the entrance to hopefully get away with it. Cameron hides in the backseat, while Ferris — disguised as Sloane's dad with a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat — stands by the car to greet Sloane and Mr. Rooney.

Mr. Rooney watches from the steps by the school entrance as Sloane approaches her "father" at the car. Ferris asks her, "Do you have a kiss for daddy?" and then the two proceed to make out while Mr. Rooney watches. Mr. Rooney is visibly taken aback and grossed out, then saying, "So, that's how it is in their family."

It's a hilarious yet cringeworthy moment, and it's somewhat surprising that Mr. Rooney takes it as face value instead of suspecting Ferris' involvement again. Well, that is until he sees Sloane yell out in happiness as the car screeches away, and Mr. Rooney, finally catching on, returns to his plan to catch Ferris.

Ferris planned to keep his parents in the dark. In fact, he set up a fake body in his bed, equipped with snoring sound effects, in case one of them came home to check on him. But he doesn't think about running into his father (Lyman Ward) around the city — which happens on three separate occasions. 

First, Ferris and his friends decide to dine at a swanky restaurant, not knowing Ferris' dad made the same decision. In the bathroom, his father is in a stall while Ferris is washing his hands, and the two barely miss each other. Then, they have to sneak past him to get to a taxi, which turns out to be fairly easy, as his father is distracted talking to a business associates.

Second, they later end up stopped at a light right next to a car his father is in. Just as the three of them look over in horror, so does Ferris' father. But his dad doesn't immediately catch on, giving Ferris and Cameron time to bend down and hide, leaving Sloane in sunglasses as seemingly the only person in the back of the cab. Although why Ferris' father doesn't recognize his son's girlfriend is another question.

And finally, with minutes to get back to his house, Ferris is sprinting home when he ends up running right alongside his dad's car. Similarly, his dad glances at him but looks away, and Ferris manages to get out of sight before his dad looks over again. Ferris may be cunning, but these three instances prove that Ferris' dad being oblivious is the main reason his son keeps getting away with these close calls.

Jeanie comes home after school, irritated at Ferris and looking to confront him about his little charade. After discovering the fake body in his bed, she tries to contact their mother to rat on him. But then, she hears someone enter the house and assumes it's her brother. Except, it's actually Mr. Rooney, who snuck inside after Jeanie left the door unlocked. 

Both thinking that the other is Ferris, they almost simultaneously jump out from behind separate corners to ambush the notorious jokester, only to get quite the surprise. But, Jeanie, not recognizing the school principal — presumably from shock — screams and immediately begins defending herself. She does so by kicking Mr. Rooney right in the face, not once, not twice, but three times. That's some impressive Bruce Lee stuff right there. 

Jeanie then runs off while Mr. Rooney falls to the ground. Hiding in her room, she then calls the cops on him, but for some unknown reason, they don't believe her and accuse her of making a phony call. Still, Jeanie's description of Mr. Rooney is spot on, ending with "certainly weird."

After Ferris discovers that the parking attendants they left the Ferrari with took it for a joyride — and subsequently added a ton of miles to Cameron's father's precious car — Cameron just about has a breakdown. After a hefty scream, he then goes silent and blank-faced for multiple scenes. And while Ferris and Sloane lounge in a jacuzzi, Cameron sits in a chair on the edge of a diving board, still with that blank stare on his face. Then, suddenly, Cameron plunges himself forward, somersaulting into the pool.

Ferris freaks out and jumps in after him. After pulling him out, Ferris, clearly scared, hits Cameron's face and yells at him to wake up. But then, Cameron begins to smile, and Ferris' face turns from concern to confusion.

Cameron, taking his own turn at the jokes, has pranked Ferris. He then hilariously says, "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero." Ferris admits it was impressive and then pushes him into the pool in jest. After seeing Cameron protest much of the day's activities and acting as the group's voice of reason, it's refreshing, as an audience member, to witness a moment of Cameron not only letting loose but giving Ferris a taste of his own medicine.