National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
The National Lampoon franchise was the face of comedy in the 1980’s, no doubt about it. Honestly, I initially shied away from these films because I thought they looked pretty lame if I am to be blunt. Given the fact that I really enjoyed National Lampoon’s Animal House and given the talent behind and in front of the camera, I knew I would have to give in at one point. Plus, there was a much-heralded remake of this film (which was maligned). I saw the movie, and well I can say I did not hate it. It was silly, but in a fun way. There are jokes that were actually hilarious. The script, which was written by 80’s lovable stalwart John Hughes, was pretty decent. Harold Ramis, who previously directed an 80’s favorite Caddyshack, was behind the camera for this feature and does quite well with the material that is given to him.
This film introduces us to the Griswold family, headed by patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase). He, along with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall), and daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) plan to travel to Wally World, an amusement park in Los Angeles. Clark has everything planned out to the wire, but if you think it will stay that away, think again. Many hijinks ensue on their way to family paradise; such as getting lost and given bad directions, a family meetup with Ellen’s cousin and her rather sloppy husband, Eddie (Randy Quaid). Then there is the super annoying Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca). A whole bunch of issues occur on the road, and these issues are driving Clark insane! Who can forget about the woman in the red Ferrari (played by Christine Brinkley)? Will his family make it to Wally World in one piece?
I do not think the movie would have even been adequate if it was not for the cast. These roles are natural for the unique talents that each actor/actress brought to the table. Chevy Chase made a career out of turning strait-laced characters into comedy gold. While this performance somewhat reminds me of his Caddyshack role, but it is a more relatable performance in a way, at least to me. How many times do I plan something down to the second and it turned out not to be that way? I feel your pain, Clark Griswold. In addition to the regular cast, this film is filled with awesome cameos. Eugene Levy as a shady car salesman? Awesome! Henry Gibson as a hotel clerk? Even more awesome! John Candy as one of the guards at Wally World? The most awesome cameo of all! The last 20 minutes of the film may be my favorite thanks to John Candy. He is a national treasure!
There are many kind of jokes to watch out for. There are the usual in-your-face sort of jokes, but also more subtle ones that are hard to pick up. Not every joke worked for me, but enough did where I would want to continue on with the zany adventures of the Griswold family. I heard Christmas Vacation and European Vacation are must-sees so perhaps I will give them a look. There are lines that you’ll remember for a long time, and it was a shock for me to discover John Hughes was the writer behind this R-rated, crude comedy. As a road trip film, I had a really fun time. I do not consider this to be a comedy “classic”, but it’s good enough for me.
My Grade: B
The National Lampoon franchise was the face of comedy in the 1980’s, no doubt about it. Honestly, I initially shied away from these films because I thought they looked pretty lame if I am to be blunt. Given the fact that I really enjoyed National Lampoon’s Animal House and given the talent behind and in front of the camera, I knew I would have to give in at one point. Plus, there was a much-heralded remake of this film (which was maligned). I saw the movie, and well I can say I did not hate it. It was silly, but in a fun way. There are jokes that were actually hilarious. The script, which was written by 80’s lovable stalwart John Hughes, was pretty decent. Harold Ramis, who previously directed an 80’s favorite Caddyshack, was behind the camera for this feature and does quite well with the material that is given to him.
This film introduces us to the Griswold family, headed by patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase). He, along with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall), and daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) plan to travel to Wally World, an amusement park in Los Angeles. Clark has everything planned out to the wire, but if you think it will stay that away, think again. Many hijinks ensue on their way to family paradise; such as getting lost and given bad directions, a family meetup with Ellen’s cousin and her rather sloppy husband, Eddie (Randy Quaid). Then there is the super annoying Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca). A whole bunch of issues occur on the road, and these issues are driving Clark insane! Who can forget about the woman in the red Ferrari (played by Christine Brinkley)? Will his family make it to Wally World in one piece?
I do not think the movie would have even been adequate if it was not for the cast. These roles are natural for the unique talents that each actor/actress brought to the table. Chevy Chase made a career out of turning strait-laced characters into comedy gold. While this performance somewhat reminds me of his Caddyshack role, but it is a more relatable performance in a way, at least to me. How many times do I plan something down to the second and it turned out not to be that way? I feel your pain, Clark Griswold. In addition to the regular cast, this film is filled with awesome cameos. Eugene Levy as a shady car salesman? Awesome! Henry Gibson as a hotel clerk? Even more awesome! John Candy as one of the guards at Wally World? The most awesome cameo of all! The last 20 minutes of the film may be my favorite thanks to John Candy. He is a national treasure!
There are many kind of jokes to watch out for. There are the usual in-your-face sort of jokes, but also more subtle ones that are hard to pick up. Not every joke worked for me, but enough did where I would want to continue on with the zany adventures of the Griswold family. I heard Christmas Vacation and European Vacation are must-sees so perhaps I will give them a look. There are lines that you’ll remember for a long time, and it was a shock for me to discover John Hughes was the writer behind this R-rated, crude comedy. As a road trip film, I had a really fun time. I do not consider this to be a comedy “classic”, but it’s good enough for me.
My Grade: B
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