National Lampoon's Vacation

I'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.

Clark 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 :)

Spending time with the family - something you dread and love at the same time. Well mostly - something you miss at times too though. And something that not everyone is able to squeeze in - so when the Griswolds (or is it Griswalds as they are called in the sequel?) have an opening they use the time to go on vacation. And while they could have used an airplane and flown to their desired destination - that would have nullified the movie and so many great gags it does hold for you.

Luckily they do not forget any family member (named Kevin or otherwise), but they only are four people so ... there's that. They do occasionaly lose some luggage/baggage - literally. Apart from that, the movie does not care about being politically correct at all. There is a scene in the "ghetto" with quite a lot of stereotypes. Apparently they would not do this today ... well some have regrets that they shot that (production team if I got that right).

You also have jokes about incest and cheating - the girl in the Ferrari will probably stay in your dreams ... if you are either into the car and/or the female driving it. So much fun on the road, most of it feels even real. Situations that could happen one way or the other ... and almost exactly like that. Really good comedy ... only topped by the Christmas inspired sequel that came a few years later.

I 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.

I 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!