10 Tiny Details Most People Miss In 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' (2024)

There are some movies we can't help but watch over and over, and one of those is Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

But endlessly rewatching the classic comedy has taught us a lot.

Thanks to Ferris, we all know how to fake being sick, we can recognize pointillism, and we know what a Von Steuben Day parade is.

Still, no matter how many times you've watched the movie, there are some blink-and-you'll-miss-them details that speed right past you.

Here are 10 you probably never noticed:

1. Ferris has three siblings

Notice anything strange about the family portrait on Mr. Bueller's desk? That's right, there's four kids.

The people who own the home where the movie was shot revealed that Ferris and Jeanie's younger siblings were cut out of the movie.

But you can still see hints of them around the house, like the crayon drawings on the Bueller family's fridge.

2. Mr. Peterson's disguise

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Ferris's room is loaded with Easter eggs that pay off when you re-watch the movie (but more on that later). One of the biggest is the trench coat, hat, and sunglasses that Ferris wears to pick up Sloan from school.

They're already waiting on the mannequin in his room, the same one he hides in his bed later in the movie. Pretty sneaky.

3. John Hughes is in the parade scene

The director makes a (very) brief cameo in his own parade, wearing a disguise.

Jeanie was in the crowd incognito as well, or at least Jennifer Grey was. She was upset about missing the big parade, so she arrived in the crowd dressed as a "crazy autograph hound," and was almost kicked off the set by security.

4. Ferris goes to Shermer High

Move over, Marvel Studios. John Hughes had a shared universe way before it was cool.

A banner in the hallway reveals that this movie, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles all take place at the same school. Those class reunions must be pretty fun.

5. Ferris is keeping an eye on his room

Eagle-eyed fans have charted almost everything we see in Ferris's room, and it's basically a wish list of cool '80s technology. Along with a wicked sound system and record collection, Ferris has his Emu Emulator II keyboard, which would cost around $8,000 back in 1986.

But one piece of tech most people don't notice is his security system. You can spot a security camera screen in one shot.

6. Very creative license plates

You won't get any points for remembering the vanity plate on Cameron's Ferrari: NRVOUS (nervous).

But the rest of the cast have meaningful plates too:

• Mr. Bueller's says MMOM for Mr. Mom, which was written by Day Off director John Hughes.
• Mrs. Bueller's says VCTN, as in National Lampoon's Vacation, which was also written by Hughes.
• Mr. Rooney's car has a 4FBDO plate, meaning "For Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
• Finally, Jeanie's plate is never seen in the movie, but it supposedly read TBC, for Hughes's movie The Breakfast Club.

7. A pair of dim sun bathers

These lovely ladies are just working on their tan when Ferris runs through their yard and jumps over them at the end of the movie.

But don't let their looks distract you from the big mistake in this scene: they're actually facing the wrong way to soak up the sun.

I hope someone got fired for that blunder.

8. Some strange headgear

Okay, many viewers have noticed this detail, but can't explain what it's doing in the movie. See the hats these men are wearing in the Sears Tower scene?

They're actually costumes from the Von Steuben Day parade Ferris is about to crash. Mystery solved.

9. The funny flora

It took a lot of work on set to make sunny California look like Chicago. Palm and eucalyptus trees were disguised as evergreens on set, but a few still made it into the movie.

It was also Autumn when Ferris made his final run back home, so the yellow leaves actually had to be spray-painted green.

10. The other "Save Ferris" sign

It's hard to miss the water tower painted with "Save Ferris," but the message also found its way onto Wrigley Field during the ballpark scene. The park still flashes the message from time to time as a wink to the movie's fans.

Did you already know about any of these little details?

[H/T: BuzzFeed, Yahoo]