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.

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

In 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")

Just 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!

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!