VacationVacation paved the way for the John Hughes movie dynasty of the 1980s. Written by Hughes (who would go on to write, direct, and/or produce
The Breakfast Club,
Ferris Bueller's Day Off,
Uncle Buck,
Home Alone, and so on) and directed by Harold Ramis (
Caddyshack,
Groundhog Day,
Stuart Saves His Family), the first
Vacation movie introduces us to the all-American Griswold family: father Clark (Chevy Chase), mother Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), son Rusty (future Hughes staple Anthony Michael Hall), and daughter Audrey (Dana Barron). They all pile into the car for a cross-country road trip to Walley World, stopping along the way to view the world's biggest ball of twine. John Candy, Imogene Coca, and Randy Quaid (as yokel Cousin Eddie) pop up along the way. The movie was a big hit, and was followed by several sequels--
National Lampoon's European Vacation,
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and
National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation--but this one is still probably the freshest and funniest of the bunch.
--Jim Emerson
Vegas Vacation
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the casino, along comes the Griswold family from the popular series of National Lampoon's
Vacation movies, raising a ruckus in the now family-friendly gambling capitol of the world. Clark (Chevy Chase), the bumbling Griswold patriarch, gets into his usual quota of trouble--especially on a sightseeing trip to the Hoover Dam (where puns on the word "dam" come fast, furious, and idiotic). Meanwhile, Mrs. Griswold (Beverly D'Angelo) gets to sing an ear-piercing rendition of "Lovin' You" on stage with her idol, Wayne Newton (one of the movie's comedic highlights), while son Rusty poses as a high roller and daughter Audrey trains as an exotic dancer. Randy Quaid reprises his scene-stealing role from the original
Vacation movie, but let's face it--the series had already worn out its welcome, and this belated sequel earns a few good laughs but hardly qualifies as a worthy revival. Not bad as no-brainers go, but not up to par with the original film, and its better sequels like
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
--Jeff Shannon
European VacationAfter winning a tour package in a game show, the bickering Griswald family carve a trail of destruction through England (where they knock over Stonehenge), France, Germany, and Italy. Somehow Ellen (Bevery D'Angelo), the mom, gets kidnapped by gangsters, leading to a car chase that reunites the family, despite their differences. It's hard to believe that
National Lampoon's European Vacation is only the second of the
Vacation movies; it has the exhausted pallor of the last of a long series of sequels, drained of all zest or original ideas. The charmless smirk of Chevy Chase, mechanical in its idiocy, hangs over
European Vacation like a death mask. It's hard to believe that this hack was once the funny and sexy hero of
Foul Play. D'Angelo keeps her chin up and gives the movie whatever class it may have; she deserves better.
--Bret FetzerChristmas VacationThe third installment of the Griswold family saga is a significant improvement over their previous vacation (
National Lampoon's European Vacation). Disaster-prone dad (Chevy Chase) discovers just how dangerous the Christmas season really is, as the Griswolds' old-fashioned holiday celebration turns out to be more "Bah! Humbug!" than Christmas cheer. Chase is right at home with the outrageous slapstick and often cheerfully tasteless humor, and John Hughes's script is stuffed full of classic Christmas movie references, but Randy Quaid practically steals the film as the unemployed relative with his malicious grin and mooching lifestyle. Not exactly a holiday classic and a bit spotty, but this gag-filled comedy is just obnoxious enough for the Scrooge lurking inside everyone. And fear not, a happy ending awaits all. Watch for future star Juliette Lewis as Chase's teenage daughter.
--Sean Axmaker
