This is one of those movies that i loved when i was younger so i really didn't know what to think as i watched it again. But to my surprise it is still charming, funny and sweet. Enter Chevy Chase as the last family guy, just wanting to spend time with his loving family. A hilarious journey from Chicago to California to get to an amusement park. You may think, that shouldn't be a problem, but it is. This is one vacation you will never forget. I have always liked Chevy Chase and if you watch this movie you will know why. The sweet caring family man losing more and more of his mind is nothing less than funny as hell. Maybe you will think twice about taking your family on vacation after watching this movie. I rate this movie 7/10
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udeaasykle24 April 2004
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claudio_carvalho12 January 2015In Illinois, Chicago, the suburban Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) decides to travel on vacation with his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and their daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) driving his new station wagon to the Walley World theme park in California. Ellen and the children suggest that they fly to the destination, but the stubborn Clark wants to spend more time with his family and say no to the proposed airplane travel.
The Griswold family has many problems along their journey and they visit Ellen's cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn), her useless husband Eddie (Randy Quaid) and their children. When they leave the place, they are forced to give a ride to the inconvenient Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) and her hateful dog. Soon Clark learns that his planned journey has become a trip from hell.
"Vacation" is a hilarious road movie that makes anyone laughs. The clumsy Clark Griswold provokes very funny situations with his attitudes, supported by his beautiful wife. Unfortunately this type of naive comedy is forgotten by the studios on the present days. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Férias Frustradas" ("Frustrated Vacation") -
Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki15 June 2013I've seen this film approximately 30 to 40 times in my life, and I never get tired of it. Boneheaded, but well meaning father, Clark Griswold, driving his wife and two kids on a cross country family vacation, from Chicago to a California theme park, to spend time with all of them, before the kids are too old for such things.
Needless to say, absolutely nothing goes according to plans: they got lost before even leaving Chicago. Their new car isn't what they had planned. They're saddled with driving an obnoxious aunt to Phoenix. They get lost in the Arizona desert, after visiting obnoxious, trailer trash in-laws, and then robbed by local hicks. All of these absurd, yet wholly possible, circumstances and occurrences pile up, yet Clark Griswold (Chase, in one of his funniest roles as the hapless, clueless father) is determined to have a good holiday with the family, even if it kills them. And a junkyard dog. And Aunt Edna.
Beverly D'Angelo is equally good as the (sexy, but not overly) housewife who has enough disaster and wants to turn around and go home.
Great score by Lindsay Buckingham also.
The film is only let down a bit by the climax, when they actually get to the theme park, the laughs fizzle away. But, perhaps that was the filmmakers' intent? The journey is more memorable than the destination, as is sometimes the case. -
Maybe it's the part when they visit the white trash relatives (Randy Quaid and his family) and they acquire Aunt Edna for the family trip. Maybe it's the part when Aunt Edna dies and they put her on the top of the old station wagon,, maybe it's the fighting and bickering all kids do when the family goes somewhere,, or maybe it's the part where the Griswolds drive through a cruddy neighborhood and the station wagon gets vandalised and all of the hib caps taken..I cannot think of a "favorite" part of this movie because it is hilarious from start to finish. Clark Griswold's good intentions gone bad makes this a decent, highly watchable movie with non-stop laughs. It's not ridiculous nor highly exaggarated either- just a typical American family trying to get to Wally World in one piece and everything goes wrong. I think we can all relate to something in this movie when it comes to going on vacation. I still watch this movie every time it's on television and I still laugh every time.
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damianphelps29 March 2022Clark W Griswold is one of the great characters, funny, charming and more than a little crazy he wins you over with his heart felt dedication to being the best family man he can be.
He, along with Homer Simpson, is where I took many of my parenting tips from, especially at christmas.
NLV is a great movie that never gets old and is easy to recommend :) -
Every summer Chevy Chase takes his family on a little trip. This year he went too far.
Chevy Chase stars as Clark Griswold, the typical American businessman. Well, almost a basic businessman. He works in food preservatives. Beverly D'Angelo plays his wife, Anthony Michael Hall plays Rusty, his teenage son, and Dana Barron plays his daughter Audrey . This summer, Clark has decided to go all out and take a vacation with his family to "Walley World," a theme park spoof on Disney World, owned by "Roy Walley".
Basically, this film starts out strong and ends strong. There are many gut grabbing scenes, and the film never resorts to gross out humor. The biggest gross out is when Clark bites into a sandwich a dog leaked on, but that's a different story.
Along the way to Walley World, everything and everything that can go wrong does, and Clark ends up with Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca), who adds more fun to this wallop of a comedy.
The laughter just escalates more and more as we see Clark's dreams flush down the toilet farther and farther, and I can't tell you how much I laughed at some of the scenes.
"Vacation" isn't typical National Lampoon fare.
Chevy Chase gives by far his best performance (akthough he acts just as well in "Christmas Vacation") as Clark, a real optimist, go get'm kind of guy, who completely snaps toward the end of the film. The rest of the cast does well, and Beverly D'Angelo does surprisingly well as a house wife. The two children, Audrey and Rusy, squawk at each other, but not to the point of obnoxious, which is another good thing about this film.
Is it no surprise that John Hughes, the king writer/director of the 80's comedy films wrote this, or that Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, Striped, Analyze This) directed the film?
With cameos by the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Brian Doyle Murray (who played Clark's boss in "Christmas Vacation"), and more, "Vacation" is a comedic triumph of the eighties that is now an icon of how to make a good comedy.
4.5/5 stars --
John Ulmer -
paul_haakonsen9 June 2018First and foremost I must just say that there is something timeless about this comedy, and even when watched today the movie stands on its own and holds its ground.
It is a mixture of many different things that come together and make "National Lampoon's Vacation" work out so nicely, such as the directing by Harold Ramis, the acting by the entire cast, and the entire storyline of course.
The storyline is loaded with hilarious scenes and comedy, and it works out so nicely especially because the cast are so perfectly cast for the roles, and they each bring something very unique to the story. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo truly immortalized Clark and Ellen Griswold with their performances here in what was the start of a franchise of funny movies. It was also nice to have Randy Quaid as cousin Eddie here, especially knowing what a glorious return he will make in the "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" later on.
There is a good amount of laughs to be had throughout the course of the movie, both from the blunt and in-your-face comedy, but definitely also from the more subtle jokes there is.
"National Lampoon's Vacation" is the type of comedy that you can watch again and again. -
Krisko197430 July 2000I have seen this movie many times on TV (the German dubbed version, of course) and I loved it every time...allthough the more often its shown, the more it gets cut on TV.
Now, for the first time (thanks to DVD), I have been able to watch it in its original language. And it was just awesome! The dialogues were even better and the characters were so much better outlined.
I swear that I will never see such a great movie in a dubbed version again!
To any Germans in here: go get it on DVD (even though it is just in Mono) - and delete the video tape if you have recorded it from TV. -
The Grizwold Family Vacation just isn't going to be the same this year.
If you know Clark, you know he never under-does anything. Clark is a spineless worm of a man who deary loves his family. He is a gullible idiot who lacks the backbone to stand up for himself, until he absolutely cracks. He takes and takes until he little mind just can't take it anymore and then he goes completely nuts.
This, the first in a small series of "Vacation" movies, is the most successful endeavor. While the sequels are each enjoyable, they lack the care that went into the making of this first installment.
There are quite a few moments which have you rolling your eyes and cringing inwardly, but the campy humor never ceases to entertain.
Driving across the country with two children in the back seat is an arduous enough task without having Clark W. Grizwold at the helm. He is almost flagitious in his determination to have fun. On their way to "Wally World," to see "Marty Moose," anything that can go wrong, does.
Stopping for obvious tourist attractions such as the "House of Mud," surely does nothing to help this trip. And neither does the little blonde in the red sports car, who distracts Clark so badly that he can barely keep himself contained.
Equal to the bad choices and horrible distractions, is their visit with Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid). From country losers who are obviously the white trash of the family, we get quotes like, "I'm going steady and I french kiss." "So? Everybody does that." "Yeah, but Daddy says I'm the best at it." and "Dad taught me something really neat last year. Ever bop your bologna?" and "I don't know why they call this 'Hamburger Helper,' it does just fine all by itself."
Don't eat sandwiches during the scene just after they leave Cousin Eddie's house. You'll regret it. Just a heads-up. Although I must admit that Clark's solution to Aunt Edna's horrid little mutt was rather creative.
I won't detail every scene in this movie, but you get the general idea. And it goes downhill for the Family from there.
Delightfully portrayed with comedic dialog and wonderful direction.
If you can laugh at another's mishaps, then this is definitely the movie for you.
It gets a 6.2/10 from...
the Fiend :. -
Smells_Like_Cheese13 August 2005"Vacation", what a hysterical laugh out loud till you hurt movie! I was watching the wonderful "I love the 80's" on VH1, and they showed this movie. I remember watching it when I was younger, but I didn't get much of it obviously. So, I watched it again, because it looked more appealing than it did when I was a kid.
God, I never laughed so hard in my life. Chevy Chase, Clark Griswald decides that he is not spending enough time with the kids, so he has planned a cross road trip with the family to see their favorite cartoon character theme park "Marty Moose!" and "Wally World!". Back on the old holiday road, it's not going to be easy. Visiting their hick cousin, Eddie and his scary hillbilly family and putting their grumpy old aunt on the trip with the Griswalds. Clark has a mysterious but extremely sexy girl, Christie Brinkly, following him around in a red hot Ferrari. Their car is constantly getting into accidents and dents on the way to California. Finally, after to the point of madness, Clark will kill every person if he has to to get to Wally World.
If you loved "Vacation", I highly recommend "Christmas Vacation" as well. I think the reason why we all love this movie is because we can relate in some way. How many of us go on vacation and nothing goes perfect? I loved the ending of this movie so much! I won't give it away, but trust me that it is that good. If you've seen it, I'm sure you will agree that this is a must see comedy.
10/10-highly deserved! -
AaronCapenBanner3 September 2013Chevy Chase & Beverly D'Angelo play Clark & Ellen Griswold, a happily married couple with two teenage kids, who take a long-planned vacation to Wally World, a famous amusement park, but their efforts to get there do not go as planned, and almost end in disaster...
Probably Chevy Chase's most likable performance, he is mostly appealing here, helped by the beautiful Beverly D'Angelo, also good. A more successful variation of "The-Out-Of-Towners" school of escalating chaos, film is reasonably funny and engaging, though does become crude and silly at times. Twist at the end when they meet John Candy is quite funny, and help end the film on the right note. -
blanbrn23 July 2022Always been a fan of the legendary funnyman Chevy Chase as he's funny and I've over the years enjoyed the Lampoon Vacation series movies just fine. 1983's original "National Lampoon's Vacation" is excellent and perhaps the best in the series(with a close fight from 89's "Christmas Vacation"). The movie plot is simple and funny Clark(the super great Chevy Chase) plans to take the family cross country by drive from Chicago on summer vacation to theme park Wally World in California. Along the way the journey is full of twists and turns and mishaps and the writing is funny as some of Chase's lines are smart and witty! It's one road trip of family fun and bonding. Look for the late John Candy as a theme park security guard and Jane Krakowski(long before she became hot and sexy) has a small role as cousin Vicki. Overall a classic I've seen many times great memories a super film that never gets old it's timeless and seems to get better a classic and top notch summer film one of the all time best!
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Dan1863Sickles14 April 2022This movie came out when I was in college, forty years ago, and at that time I just wasn't interested. I was more into dark, cult comedies, like REPO MAN.
Looking back though, this movie is much darker than I remembered. The visual image of Aunt Edna, riding high on the roof, with her face wrapped in a towel, is closer to PSYCHO than ANIMAL HOUSE. When I saw that last night on TV I screamed . . . With laughter!
And by the way, did you ever read the Grapes of Wrath? Because what happens to Aunt Edna is almost exactly what happens to Grandma Joad . . . And the family handles it in exactly the same way! -
I remember seeing this film in the theaters as a teenager and finding it a mildly diverting, if not hilarious, road movie comedy. Despite being a box office hit on its release, the reviews were largely mediocre and, reading them in retrospect, fairly on target. With the Ed Helms reboot coming out, I decided to catch it again as an adult, and I must say that the rose-colored glasses of nostalgic sentiment coupled with the gaggle of increasingly dreadful sequels, give the original Vacation a reputation of hilarity that it simply does not live up to. In fact, it has aged badly.
The simple story centers on the Griswold family (dad Chevy Chase, mom Beverly D'Angelo and siblings Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron) and their disaster plagued cross country road trip to Wally World. Pretty much everyone can relate to family trips, especially from childhood, that went horribly awry, which should give Vacation fertile ground to mine. Unfortunately, it too often misses the mark and ultimately wears out its welcome long before we reach the final destination.
On the plus side, the film has a fun postcards opening credits sequence paired with Lindsay Buckingham's rousing Holiday Road. Then it starts to deteriorate. A huge problem rests with the central character of Clark Griswold and the performance by Chase. Anyone is sympathetic with well-intentioned travel plans that blow up due to circumstances beyond one's control (i.e., bad accommodations, car trouble, nasty relatives, unplanned side trips, weather, etc.) and can laugh about them after the fact. Much of this should be the focus of the comedy, but very little of these are exploited in this film. Instead, the film takes the low road and too many of the "comical" moments stem from Clark being a complete imbecile. He makes choices and has reactions that few, if any, sane human beings would. To make matters worse, he is also a rather mean-spirited jerk. We can laugh and be sympathetic with a likable well-meaning guy of average intelligence running into vacation road blocks beyond his control, but it becomes less funny when the guy is actually a fairly unlikable jerk whose foolishness is often the starting point of the problems.
Also, a number of the jokes are simply not that funny and the side trips and subplots often seem little more than padding. The film also has its fair share of mean-spiritedness, which sours any good humor. Christie Brinkley makes several appearances as a hottie in a sportscar who keeps ostentatiously flirting with Chase on the road. Overlooking the fact that one cannot fathom why someone who looks like Brinkley would be wasting her time relentlessly trying to seduce a shlub like Clark with his wife sitting in full view in the passenger seat, what kind of jerk would unabashedly leer back with his rather lovely significant other present. This all culminates in a hotel swimming pool sequence that goes no where, other than to allow son Hall to give Chase a reverse father doesn't know best pep talk that rings hollow.
A side trip to visit redneck relatives, led by a criminally unfunny Randy Quaid, is fairly laughless and seems present only to pad time and saddle the Griswolds with a hated aunt (Imogene Coca) and her dog. This could have been funny, but the film is so mean-spirited that instead of some great verbal banter between comedy legend Coca and Chase (and company), we instead end up with Chase murdering her dog by tying it to the bumper and dragging it to death and then precipitating Coca's fatal heart attack and then leaving her cadaver on her son's front stoop with a note. Oh the hilarity! This might be understandable if the aunt were a character of great villainy, but other than being mildly unpleasant, she does nothing to generate this level of malevolence towards her. If there is anyone in the audience that can relate to vacation memories like this, then I suggest you move quickly away from them and make for the exits.
Chase's performance clumsily lurches between abject stupidity and meanness. D'Angelo, stuck in the stereotypical long-suffering wife straight man role (are there any other kinds in these comedies), acquits herself well despite having so few notes to play. Hall keeps trying to find something to do with his role long after the writers have given up. He has it made compared to Barron, who only gets a few reaction shots and nothing funny. Apparently, women need to play it straight and only guys can be funny. Coca seems game, but she is only on hand for a nasty gag at her expense.
By the time the Griswolds do get to Wally World, the viewer is exhausted and not from laughing. The film has long since run out of gas. It has seemed like an endless trip and shortly after departure has ceased to resemble anything like a funny disastrous road trip that friends or family would regale you with. Truly, at least 20 minutes or so could be cut from the film to its benefit. This mediocre film was followed by the even worse European Vacation and Vegas Vacation, and a barely tolerable step up from those with Christmas Vacation. -
mcfly-313 December 1999Who by now hasn't seen Chase's quest to get his fam from Chicago to LA in just a weeks time to enjoy some amusement park fun? The encounters along the way are now classic, some to look for: Chase delirious in the desert, the station wagon launched into the air, the visit to Cousin Eddie's (a perfectly slobby Quaid) and the chick in the red ferrari. Maybe writer John Hughes driest script, with dead dogs and dead aunts tied various places, picnic baskets wet with the grossest of liquids, and a great foul mouthed response from Chase to his whiny family. 3 (so far) sequels have followed, which was good for Chase, seeing how this was his only real memorable character ('cept maybe for Fletch). And a testament to the films popularity: Wally Joyner, a baseball player for the California Angels who was enjoying a great rookie year in 1986, had the stadium he played in decked out in "Wally World" (the familys destination) signs by fans. So a big hit all around.
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BrunoRatesTheMovies27 March 2022Unpopular opinion: A workaholic dad who only sees his kids for 15 mins a day, tries to make up for lost time and forces his family on a 'fun family cross country road trip'. Meanwhile, everything goes wrong and he fantasies about a mysterious woman in a sports car. They say 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions', and the Griswolds had a hell of a time.
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Clark Griswold ignores his family's pleas to go to Hawaii for their summer vacation and opts for the Walley World resort in California instead. His long-suffering wife Ellen wants to fly, but Clark would rather drive and spend time with the kids he hardly ever sees.
Sounds like a simple journey from A to B right? Wrong! The Griswolds are a gene pool of absolute disaster and nothing...NOTHING goes right...ever. The fun begins with Clark being forced to accept a disgusting metallic pea-green family truckster instead of a cool-blue sports model with CB and optional fun pack. It's literally the most hideous car in the history of automobiles (and that includes the car that Homer Simpson made for his brother Herb).
As the lengthy days on the road pass, Clark is ripped-off by street hustlers, guilt-tripped out of $500 from his hick cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid in what is, begrudgingly, his most popular role), ripped-off by a hick sheriff/mechanic, and tempted by gorgeous blonde in a Ferrari. Though Ellen doesn't take kindly to anyone with an eye on her Sparky (actually D'Angelo's pet name for Chevy Chase and not something that was scripted).
Based on John Hughes' ill-fated trip to Disneyworld when he was five-years-old, Vacation brought us Chevy Chase's most famous character (sorry Fletch) and most successful series. He has absolutely perfect chemistry with Beverly D'Angelo, who, with her large eyeballs and perfect timing, is an under-rated comic actress in her own right.
While I absolutely love the first and third movies in the Vacation series, and both definitely score 10/10, I have to say the original is the best as it has a really dark edge that none of the others have. There's virtually nothing in Vacation that isn't funny. Harold Ramis, fresh off the absolute anarchy of Caddyshack, keeps a tight, sadistic reign on the disastrous road trip. If you have a dark sense of humor and enjoy evil comedy then you'll love Vacation. It was one of the first movies I ever saw and it helped turn me into the misanthropic, dysfunctional, ghoulish misfit that I am today.
Thank you, Vacation! Thank you! -
If you have read the title, you have read this whole review, I think this movies is simple, comedic fun, I'm laughing the whole time while not getting enough time to actually pay attention to what was going on, which is ok, I thought this movie was good, and might watch it every once in a while.
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National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) is a movie in my DVD collection that I recently watched on HBOMAX. The storyline for this film follows a family road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles to visit a famous theme park. As they stop to see various attractions and family members along the way they discover the most simple tasks may not be so simple...
This movie is directed by Harold Ramis (Caddyshack) and stars Chevy Chase (Fletch), Beverly D'Angelo (American History X), Brian Doyle-Murray (JFK), John Candy (The Great Outdoors), Christie Brinkley (Jack and Jill), Eugene Levy (American Pie), Frank McRae (License to Kill) and Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club).
This move makes you feel good from the opening song. The soundtrack and cast for this is absolutely outstanding, from top to bottom. There is so much creative comedic content in this that is gold - from the video games opening, the car exchange, the Dodge City scenes, Aunt Edna, the desert sequence, I could go on forever. The cameos by Christy Brinkley and John Candy are legendary. Randy Quaid is always awesome in these movie. And what can I say about the Beverly D'Angelo shower scene?
Everything about this movie is sheer perfection. This is a timeless masterpiece that is an absolute must see. I would score this a 10/10 and strongly recommend it. -
jellopuke3 August 2023The griswolds go on the road trip from hell as everything that can go wrong does. Getting lost, car trouble, having to drive a relative who dies, meeting trashy cousins, losing luggage and credit cards, and finding the theme park they were going to visit closed.
This is a comedy classic because it's true to life. Who didn't have this experience as a kid going on a family road trip? For the time this was raunchy, and a few moments still are, but it was the satirical truth behind the movie that allows it to still work 40 years later. One of Chevy Chase's best roles and the start of a franchise that lasted a long time. Overall a funny start. -
Eightiesboy19 December 2021Just managed to watch this again after watching the first time around when I was 13/14 years old. Coincidentally, I watched this with my twin boys who are now approaching 14 too!
Brilliant. Chevy Chase's facial and bodily expressions are still as funny as they were back in the 80's.
My boys and I were cracking up through most of the film. A wonderful feel good road trip movie.
Beverley D'Angelo and Chevy Chase are simply sublime together.
I am very fortunate to have watched this again and especially with my twin boys.
Thank you Chevy! -
Amusing and funny first movie of the Griswold family finds them a trip throughout the United States . They are of suburban Chicago embarking on a western cross-county vacation via car to the renowned Wally World , they're as follows : father Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) , mother Ellen Griswold (Beverly D'Angelo) , children Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) , Audrey (Dana Barron) . But the cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated . Meanwhile , simple-minded cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) results in the Griswold family giving cantankerous Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) a lift to Phoenix Every summer . After several incidents full of difficulties , accidents , hijinks and other problems , eventually arrive in Walley World . Chevy Chase takes his family on a little trip , his year he went too far !.
Fun , ridiculous and hysterical movie in which the Griswolds nearly redefine the term Ugly American , along the way they suffer misadventures , including a falling asleep at the wheel sequence and falling victims to tourist traps when dad Chevy Chase insults the local bartender at a Western-themed tavern, and gets shot with a round of blanks . This diverting picture blends cynical sense humor , familiar relationship feeling , tongue-in-cheek, adventures , and spectacular outdoors . The movie contains numerous ingredients for the bemusing , it results to be an enjoyable comedy with agreeable family bonds and glimmer landscapes . The sight gags , although predictable , are sometimes on the mark . Furthermore, there are a brief exploration about family way of life and parents-children relationships . A sympathetic movie with a host of secondaries who went on to more serious works , such as : James Keach , Eugene Levy , Frank McRae , John Candy , Brian Doyle-Murray , Jane Krakowski , Eddie Bracken , Henry Gibson , Michael Talbott , Christie Brinkley, John Diehl and Randy Quaid is a standout as the slovenly cousin . The motion picture was well directed by deceased Harold Ramis who wrote four of the American Film Institute's 100 Funniest Movies : ¨Ghostbusters¨ (1984) at 28 , ¨Groundhog day¨ (1993) at 34 , ¨National Lampoon's Animal House¨ (1978) at 36 and ¨Caddyshack¨ (1980) at 71 , ¨Meatballs¨ (1979) , ¨Stripes¨ (1981) and ¨Back to School¨ (1986) were also nominated, but did not make the list .
This ¨National Lampoon's vacation¨ by Harold Ramis is followed by ¨National Lampoon's European vacation¨ (1985) by Amy Heckering with Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill, Jason Lively , John Astin , Paul Bartel and ¨National Lampoon's Christmas vacation¨ by Jeremiah S. Chechik with Chevy Chase , Beverly D'Angelo , Juliette Lewis , Johnny Galecki , John Randolph , Diane Ladd . -
Mr-Fusion24 November 2013"National Lampoon's Vacation" ... man, this thing's a talent goldmine: John Hughes, Harold Ramis, Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid. Very possibly the ultimate in road-trip/everything-that-could-possibly-go-wrong movies, and almost every scene's a crackup: the Family Truckster, Dead Aunt Edna, Chevy Chase hijacking a theme park, nerdy John Candy, redneck Randy Quaid, Chase's legendary meltdown ("This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun.").
"Vacation" holds up very well after thirty years, and I found myself laughing a lot more than I thought I would. It's an undeniable classic, any way you slice it.
8/10 -
Prismark1027 September 2021I have seen National Lampoon's Vacation several times over the years. My recent watch was an unedited version which contained nudity and swear words.
Watching the uncensored version actually made the movie funnier.
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is the suburbanite who takes his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and their son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and their daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) to a family road trip from Chicago to Walley World theme park in California.
The trouble is Clark is well meaning but rather dim. Maybe he should had flown as his wife suggested.
Clark is fleeced before the trip starts by the car salesman. He gets fleeced along the way when he gets lost and when his car needs fixing by mechanics.
During a visit to see Ellen's cousin, Clark gets lumbered with elderly Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) and her dog. The trouble never stops even after the family reach the theme park.
Directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes. It contains the gross humour carried on from movies such as Animal House and Caddyshack.
Some of the humour is a bit hit and miss. There is no denying that there are several good laughs in the movie.
There are cameos from actors like John Candy, Eddie Bracken, Eugene Levy and Christie Brinkley as the flirty lady in a fast red car. Randy Quaid is grasping cousin Eddie. A young Jane Krakowski is the cousin who learned how to French kiss by her dad! -
niaz_islam8 April 2016The one thing I had to say about this movie is that it is a hollow one. There is no core of the story. There is no story building or creating some highlight point ... nothing.
It was supposed to be a comedy movie but it failed to do so. I do not mean it has no comedy scenes because it has, but not as much as a regular comedy film should have. And the comedy scenes are not of great laugh or hilarious they are rather stale. I do not know how come this movie get above seven rating in IMDb.
All in all I will not recommend it to a person who has a decent level of sense of humor.