Movie Review: National Lampoon's Vacation

WARNING: The Following review contains Strong Language from the dialogue reference. Readers description advised.

 Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my Movie Review.

Well, we’re in summer my friends, ever since we love to be in summer, there’s one thing that we always like to do, is having a vacation, relaxing home or going out somewhere to taking a break from businesses. It was just a jobs we can take a vacation, but also others like school around in June to late August. So, I felt like to do a Movie Review to talking about one of my favorite movie in the 80s, to having a vacation with family.

“National Lampoon’s Vacation” is a 1983 road trip black comedy film that was directed by Harold Ramis, produced by Matty Simmons and written by John Hughes.

The idea came from John Hughes when he worked on National Lampoon magazine, at the time in a struggling experience of blizzard at Chicago in 1979, John Hughes wrote a short story simply called “Vacation 58”, where it tells about the family’s struggling road trip to Disney. This makes a lot of attention to Hughes that he wanted his short story to be adapted to the movie. So he teams up with his producer Matty Simmons (who also works on National Lampoon magazine as a publisher) for their passion project, they originally going to be on Paramount to showing their project to Jeffrey Katzenberg, but it was rejected due to being too episodic, too consequential, even though the first of which will be in for the location. So after being rejected they’re looking for another distributes, thankfully Hughes’s agent suggested Warner Bros for the film, despite the doubt, but one of the executive Mark Canton like that idea, this it was greenlit for a road trip movie, along with having Harold Ramis jumping in as a director and Chevy Chase threw his hat in a ring for his role, while both Ramis and Chase had to rewrote the first draft to more focus on the father rather than the son. Making this as Ramis’s second film he ever directed since Caddyshack and probably for coincidence that this is the second Ramis’s film starring Chevy Chase since the aforementioned Caddyshack.

When this movie hit the road trip on July 29th 1983, it beloved by critics and the audience for its fun movie in a rollercoaster ride of road trip, with RottenTomatoes gave it 94% from 48 reviews. And the movie was also a success at the box-office to earning $61.4M over the budget of $15M.

As for my experience, aside my parents may remembered watching this movie, aside their number 1 fave is “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (which I enjoy that one too, maybe il review that for my Christmas Special), it was the time when even though I enjoyed Christmas Vacation, the only thing’s missing that I wanted to watching it is the one that started all, which, like many films that were famous, NL’s Vacation was no stranger to spawning sequels some are good like the aforementioned Christmas Vacation, but some are either mediocre or downright worse. But lets go to the first one that I’ve wanted to see it and… I enjoy to watching it all the time, either physically or digitally.

So, with all that said, will the road trip will be a fun ride to reaching to Wally World, or is this a ride of hell that make us losing our minds?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

Its a pretty straight forward story about a road trip to reaching to the theme park, but also definitely worth from its humor writing.

The movie begins where we introduce Clark Griswold with his son Rusty, they arrived at car dealership for changing the family station wagon for their vacation to visiting Walley World at southern California with Clark’s wishful Antarctic Blue Sports Wagon, but alas, he got himself a “Wagon Queen Family Truckster” after his previous car is crushed after the perma trade. So why they have that questionable looking station wagon? Clark wants to having a road trip to seeing his kids Rusty and his daughter Audrey since he haven’t seeing his kids after short times, despite his wife Ellen suggested to go flying, which Clark sticks to road trip. Its up to the Griswolds to have a family ride in their road trip with their points from visits in different states and a small quest to reuniting their family cousin-in-law, to hopefully it won’t be chaotic whatsoever.

Its a nice and rather straight forward family road trip story, which its pretty nice to having family gathering together for the trip, but much like in reality, aside we like to have some pitstops from checking in or hit the brake to motels, they also have to dealing with obstacles to either trying their best to saving their money, being lost, violation from the law (which they somehow got away) or going loose-loose between the family together. Its always a struggle to be gathering and fun together for a long trip, especially for road trip from home state to arrival state like California. Despite the trip in rollercoaster ride, there’s also a subplot involving when Griswolds’ family cousin-in-law are asking for a BIG money (big like $52K) due to Eddie Johnson’s request after being laid off due unsafe metal plate on his head and probably too lazy to finding a new job, the latter will be a problem that if you’re unable to finding a job, you’ll unfortunately losing your home from foreclosure. Im not a lawyer expert, but getting a job is always our Number 1 in order to make money to saving your livelihood and your asses. But of course, while the story is good and relatable. While there some are well-written and relatable, but there are some didn’t make any sense, mainly when Griswolds are weirdly and somehow got away from the law from speeding, stealing money or other dangerous acts. Since this is the movie with National Lampoon, there’s always gotta have some humors, and I will say, the jokes with visual gags and humor dialogue are both pretty good and funny that I love to replaying some scenes, like in saloon scene in Dodge City when Clark acts like cartoony man with old west accent to insulting a bartender before gets “shot” by gun blank, there’s one scene where they got lost and crashed into Monument Valley (aka the desert out of nowhere in between Utah and Arizona when Clark idiotically explains about the placement of big signs when its in front of his car to a crash or my personal favorite, Clark’s losing his marbles in the 3rd act, even before the third act, we can definitely feel his build up of frustration from trying to concentrating on the road (despite getting distracted by a Babe in Ferrari 308 GTS).

While it may have some flaws like the aforementioned distracted by babe in Ferrari (which it wouldn’t be until the third act), but the story are both pretty good and funny from get-go, especially with some fun humors and probably some memorable lines.

The Presentation

As I said before the movie’s budget is $15M and I gotta say, not-so low budget, the movie looks pretty good and beautiful.

For starter, they filmed in two states in US, they first started filming in Boone, Colorado for 55 days (along with in South Colorado), after that, they filmed in Arizona with various locations, such as Monument Valley (despite it sandwiched between Arizona and Utah), Sedona, Flagstaff and the famous Grand Canyon (even though we can see it briefly for the latter after Clark stole the money due to credit card situation. Aw well.), St. Louis, Missouri (when Clark took the wrong path into a not-so nice spot in St. Louis) to eventually to Callifornia for the entrance like Santa Anita Park (the place is a racetrack for horse racing) and Six Flag’s Magic Mountain for the depiction of Walley World. And I will say, the filming locations are pretty good and beautiful to see the views of the background where the Griswolds are going, they’re pretty to look at, almost like we wishing to having our own road trip to see completely different outside of your home state (or in my case that im in Canada, home province).

Of course, some places are remodeled under different names from either traditionally or in post production via matte paintings, especially for the latter that they changed from Magic Mountain to “Walley World” with fictional mascot characters. But of course, there are some rides are uses in Magic Mountain that are use from boat swinging, the ride twister, a merry-go-around bikes and the actual MM’s roller coasters from wooden one Twisted Colossus as “Screamy Meemy” to steel one “La Revolucion” as “Whipper Snapper”. Speaking of roller coasters, when they filmed in the roller coasters, it was a struggle for the actors, n fact, you can see some actors felt sick they’re in the ride, whether its the first or multiple takes, which they’re completely off on their verge of throwing up, especially some were genuinely scared while filming or even one of them had to take a sickness pills which would passing out on a near bench after the filming ride. Yeah, the third act in a theme park was definitely a struggle to filming in a roller coaster rides, which I probably feel bad for them for their experience. Its always better stick to ride once or maybe even take a smaller roller coaster ride, I remember back then when I used to be on a small roller coaster rides in “La Ronde”, which I thankfully don’t trying the larger rides, otherwise il be both dizzy, throwing up (if its after the lunch) or passing out if its too much, im just saying, but I know we’ve seen plenty of people look like they’re lost after the big roller coasters.

Another interesting production they’ve ever done is when they build a fictional car, in particular, the infamous “Wagon Queen Family Truckster”. This funny ugly looking Station Wagon is meant to be based on Ford LTD Country Squire. It was designed by George Barris to make a car to purposely look ugly with metallic pea green, but nearly covered by wood panels, eight headlights, a front grill being nearly covered with two small opens, a fuel filler’s door is located on the front instead from the rear sides like any common cars and the silliest one of all, an airbag made out of garbage bag. Despite of its silly looking car, but I think I considered it as underrated, which I would like to see this laughing stock station wagon sit next to Delorean DMC 12 time machine, the Burton’s Batmobile, Herbie the Volkswaggen Beetle or even Speed Racer’s Mach 5. And maybe I like to have a Hot Wheels diecast based on this station wagon (Who’s with me?)

Speaking of car, some driving filming scenes where done with driver stunts, though its not like a famous car chase scenes, but pull some soft and risky stunts ranging from reckless driving when Clark is sleeping while driving in the middle of the night, a driving with Ferrari 308 GTS for getting attention from distraction with either speeding or driving on the opposite lane from incoming truck or even jumped off from the banking over 50 yards in the middle of nowhere of Monument Valley. In a fascinating fun fact, the stunt coordination was done by none other than Dick Ziker, the same stunt coordinator who the car stunt with a cannon in the movie that I’ve covered 2 years ago, the 1976’s Carrie. However, when there’s a driving stunt scenes, you can see there’s only one person who only drives in the car, while inside the car in filming we can see Griswolds, which is easily a gaffing filming when I easily noticed, but yes, I know is to prevent the risk for anybody who’re in the car while doing the stunts.

One last thing I also have to mention, while the soundtrack are good too, along with nice choice of music, including my favorite movie’s signature song, Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham (along with the end credit, Dancin’ Across the USA), there’s one song the has been credit with nowhere to be found is “Im so Excited” by The Pointer Sisters. This song is only played in the theatrical version, which if you ever bought a modern physical copies or some digital version, that song is replaced by “Little Boy Sweet” by June Pointer (the OG third and young sister of The Pointer Sister before she passed away in 2006) whenever we see the Ferrari babe in the driving scenes. I wasn’t so sure how that works, but my only guess they unable the regaining the right for modern release on either DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K or even digitally. That unless if im lucky that I bought one on Microsoft store that I bought the original version that has Im so Excited.

Aside of some issue, the movie’s presentation is well done with some stunts, a car design, a fictional theme park from renamed in post production and even a beautiful place in filming.

The Characters

Even though we mainly focusing on Griswolds, leaving other characters left in afterthought, but at least they’re fun to showing up either for humor and probably some plot conveniences.

Lets start off with our main family man, Clark W. Griswold (played by Chevy Chase), the father and the family patriarch of the movie where he likes to bringing kids to Walley World for a family vacation in road trip. This especially the case that, as I said before, he just wants to have a family gathering along for fun, since, like in real life, we always want to see the kids, despite we’re forced to going back to our jobs, making seeing our kids, pretty briefly without noticing some changes, which is something Clark is relatable as a family like a father, especially to bringing kids in reality on their adventure of road trip to California. But of course, he could also be in struggle ranging from trying to saving the money (along with losing one credit card out of nowhere, which he’ll unfortunately stole the money in the hotel), getting distracted by pretty Ferrari babe (without a warning like speeding, driving on the other lane or even his favorite sandwich got peed. Ewww…) or of course, losing his pressure if something isn’t going on his way (we’ll get to that later). But of course, despite of obstacles and being relatable, but he’s also both fun and memorable character with Chevy did a good job as a father who just wants to have fun or even losing his composure. But yes, I am aware, while he’s fun actor, but he could also be walking nightmare with some clashes back in his days in SNL or later on, despite his problematic behavior, he still did a good job of his performance (for the most part from behind the scenes from either other movies or even shows, but long story).

Next up, we have Ellen Griswold (played by Beverly D’Angelo), the mother of the family who, unlike Clark, while she’s sweet and pretty, but she could also be authoritative to telling Clark to pay attention or facing consequences. Yeah, its no stranger ranging from Clark wants to have fun for the vacation, while Ellen, despite likes to have fun too, but she’s much more being a warning factors for all the troubling situations, even if most of the times, she attempts to keeping cool without the situations are going haywire, kinda like real life mothers (for the most part…). But of course, Beverly did a nice work of her role as a caring and warned mother, though she does have some fun moments.

And lastly, we have the kids, Rusty and Audrey Griswolds (played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron), these kids are straight forward, watching for how the parents are going throughout the road trip, especially with some points that they’re gotten mature (probably due to hanging out with the family cousin-in-law), even if they could have a sibling problem. Sure they do have a separate personalities from Rusty bring straight and lovable son to Clark (since we’ve seen some chemistry between of two), while Audrey is either unlucky and kinda whiny at some moment. Sure, they do have some humor moments with good’ol punchlines, especially after the accident in Monument Valley from Rusty got stabbed his brain and Audrey weirdly having a period. One weirdly and interesting fact is that, its no stranger that some movies has improvisation, and Anthony Hall went one moment without the script, there’s a father and son scene after the crash, when Clark explains his childhood and the vacation plans, while Rusty chugs the whole beer down, yes, Anthony Hall, who was young, drank the whole beer down. Yeesh, I wonder how Ellen thinks when he drank it down. But of course, both Hall and Barron did a fun work of their roles for being natural and some funny lines.

As for outside of Griswolds, while they have a small screen appearances, but they’re also pretty good for its humor or even for the plot.

First, there’s the cousins-in-law family known as Johnson Family, there’s Eddie (played Randy Quaid, who’s the brother of Dennis and the uncle of my favorite modern actor Jack Quaid) who’s a slacking father for jobless troublesome while living in homestead, Catherine (played by Miriam Flynn) who, like Ellen, a sweet mother who likes to keep the family cool, despite their struggles, the kids, Dale (played by John P. Navin Jr.) who’s straight kid who likes to collecting “Nudie Magazine day!”, Vicki (played by Jane Krakowski in her onscreen acting debut) the daughter who said she’s the best of French Kissing and smokin’ pot (which somehow likes to giving away to Audrey. Ohh boy…), and last but definitely not the least is Aunt Edna (played by the late Imogene Coca), a cranky and annoyingly honesty old lady who’s asked to go to Phoenix, Arizona to the cousin Normy, talk about being an old Karen if the Griswolds isn’t going on her way, especially for her favorite trusty and aggressive dog Dinky.

There’s the Ferrari babe (played by model Christine Brinkley, also her onscreen debut), a pretty girl in her trusty Ferrari 308 GTS who made Clark distracted by her, which wouldn’t be until they eventually talking together in the hotel at Phoenix, Arizona, which at first, she may look like a sweet babe to clearing out, until she’s like one those horny young adults who’s looking for fun (more on that later), even though she’s a model on her first onscreen appearance, but il give a credit that she did a fair work of her performance.

And here’s a couple remaining ones, there’s Ed (played by Eugene Levy) who’s a car salesman who’s meant to giving Clark a sports wagon, but mistaken and badly gave him the wagon what we have here, Roy Walley (played by the late Eddie Bracken) who’s obviously the fictional version of Walt Disney, especially that he looks like Disney himself, and Russ Lasky and Grover (played by the late John Candy and the late Frank McRae) who’re the security guards in Walley World from the last minute reshoot due to poor reception on test screening.

While its no stranger that we always wanting to rooting for the Griswolds for the road to Walley world, but they, along with others, are both great, fun and relatable, especially for fun performances.

SPOILER ALERT for those who haven’t seen the movie, if you don’t mind

The final act is definitely showing its true color of Road to Hell.

After paid almost every money to get their damaged car back, they went straight to hotel in order to get more money. Unfortunately, when the hotel clerk refuses about the credit card deemed “missing” (when Clark uses his, while Ellen’s card has lost that its in the bag after it was dropped while exiting Colorado) and the rejection of personal check, Clark secretly stole the money when the clerk walked away to eventually driving away to leaving Grand Canyon, but then there’s another bad news, as they’re getting close to Phoenix, Edna has tragically died in sleep out of nowhere, leaving Clark has no choice but to carrying the body to Normy’s house (despite Norman was gone in flight). Unfortunately, everything is nothing but full of mishaps that Ellen felt its not gonna go very well, along with kids lost their hope to Walley World, causing Clark completely Snapped;

“I think you're all FUCKED in the head. We're ten hours from the FUCKIN' fun park and you want to bail out! Well I'll tell you something, this is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun! I'm gonna have fun, and you're gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much FUCKIN' fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our goddamn smiles! You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of your ASSHOLES! Hahaha!! I gotta be crazy, I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose! Praise Marty Moose! HOLY SHIT!”

Yeah, father of the year, ladies and gentlemen, but man, I love that dialogue…! Anyway, after Clark exploded of rage, Ellen isn’t very pleased over his attitude for consideration, but Clark pretty much doubling down on her that he wants to have fun so badly and walked out to the bar to probably clearing his mind. That is until the Ferrari Babe shows up to comfort him, despite Clark lies at her that he owns the hotel nationally, which somehow works to impressing her to have fun, where she goes to skinny-dip in a swimming pool, which Clark awkwardly joins in, until he screams from the cold water, which caught alert to Ellen and his kids, before he knew he must be busted for swimming naked with Ferrari babe, which after accept the mistake with the babe, he went Ellen to both apologizing and admit his frustration for trying too hard in road trip, which Ellen forgives, along with admitting for taking too much pressure, so, she likes to have fun with Clark to swimming in topless (despite she imitates Clark from cold water). After all the madness and reconciliation, they finally reached to Los Angeles, California to crossing the finish line at Walley World, which looks like they’re now ready to by the ticket to entering the amusement park, but they reached to ultimate Black Flag… It was closed for clean up, and once again… Clark is snapped…!

“We watch his program. We buy his toys, we got to his movie- He owes us! Doesn’t he owe us, huh? He owes The Griswolds, right? FUCKIN’ A Right he owes us!”

So after another rant, he drives off (with Ellen and his kids) to buying something secret in sporting goods at Santa Monica, they going back to the park to entering that they need to get in the ride, right before they’re interfered by the guard Russ Laskey, demanding them to leave the place, but Clark refuses by unveils his bag to be his pistol looking BB Gun, holding him in hostage to activates some rides for their fun experience, along with Grover being forced to lay on the ground like a dog (Poor Grover, talk about forcing him to act like he wants puppy treats). Upon of Griswolds fun ride and holding Lasky in hostage (despite that its just a BB Gun), they were immediately caught by LAPD’s SWAT team, arresting them for trespassing and holding hostage, but it wouldn’t be until Not-Walt-Disney named Roy Walley comes in to wondering what’s going on, which Clark comes out to have a talk to talk together, sharing a similar lives of their road trips and asking if Roy has a similar problem if the kids are upset when its closed, Roy, understand for relatable past experience of won’t they won’t they, Roy opens his heart to Griswolds by refusing to filing criminal charges, even if it didn’t make any sense, but all Griswolds want is a heart to heart with Not-Disney, the Griswolds, Walley and SWAT team are having fun together to the roller coaster, and, speaking of Disney, after having a blast in the theme park they’re ready to flying back to Chicago (which shows as the last picture at the end credits) and they lived happily ever after.

Quite of heck of a ride in their desperation to have a happy ending to get in a theme park, despite the closure, but at least they have a trust with hearts. Which im pretty sure its a lot better than the original.

In the original ending tape when they arrived that its closed, Clark drives at Roy’s family house to kidnapping him in hostage, demanding him to re-open the place. However, after the test screening, it wasn’t received well upon judging, even though the tape of the original ending taping has been discussed, but without been issued in any format. So the ending has been rewrite, reshoot along with hiring John Candy for being hostaged before Roy Walley arrived. Which I think its a good change, cause having Walt Disney look-a-like being held in hostage just came off as a bad taste, its a well deserve of changing.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, National Lampoon’s Vacation is without a doubt one of the most fascinating, relatable and entertaining movie in Lampooned fashion.

Sure, there are some flaws that didn’t make any sense from got away from the law, music changes in later releases, some empty seats in stunts, and couple others. But everything else is enjoyable with pretty good writing in both stories and humors, the characters fun and relatable, the presentation looks fantastic and beautiful and this is no stranger one of the 80’s classic comedy family road trip movie, even if its a black comedy movie, but you know the drill.

While I know my parents loves Christmas Vacation, while I like that one, but we can never forget the one that started all, especially we gave an appreciation to the great late Harold Ramis and John Hughes, even though they’re no longer with us, but its a pretty damn good movie together. This is definitely a must-watch film if you’re in a mood of vacation with your friend and family. Its always have a family gathering around together, have a road trip and have a great time for our dreams to going into the theme park. Well, that is unless you’re ended up in a road trip of chaos like Griswolds do, but still, highly recommend to watch.

For my rating, since I love to rewatching this movie, im gonna give this one a Perfect 10/10, along with earning the The Trophy of Success.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil. Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.