The best part of these movies is that the kids are always different. Clark always mentions how they grow up so fast, he hardly recognizes them. Great reaction!
I get the joke but sometimes it hurts the movies. The kids are great in this one and Christmas and they weren’t bad in Vegas either but in European Vacation Audrey is annoying as hell and Russ is just bland
@@breesybird9207 First Audrey was the best. EV Audrey was just awful which is sad because Dana Hill was actually a good actress. Vegas Audrey was flatout forgettable, while I felt Russ stole the show.
@@retropyro I agree with all that, except I find this Audrey and Christmas Audrey about the same and I liked Vegas Audrey wasn't that bad, just not as good as this one and Christmas Audrey, but I totally agree with Vegas Russ stole the show!!
I see the practice didn't die off in the next decade either. I was born in 1993, and my family used to make a summer vacation trip to Florida to see my grandmother EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. and I hated it so much, mainly because my father insisted on waking us up at 4 AM to try and beat the early traffic (which never happened btw, we hit traffic every year, sometimes in the exact same spots) and make the journey in 1 day, which results in an almost 18 hour trip. Also my dad gets road rage and drives like a maniac sometimes, so half the trip is being bored in traffic and the other is being scared for your life.
I had to laugh when you asked, "who is this chick?". That was Christie Brinkley, one of the original people to be called a "super model". When this movie came out, there was not a Y chromosome in county that did not know who she was.
@Fred actually he wrote it for his girlfriend at the time, Elle Macpherson (another super model). It was only when he recorded it and made the video that it became about his soon to be wife, Christie, as well.
"Eddie's daughter who gave her the weed" was played by actress Jane Krakowski, who was in 30 Rock and Ally McBeal before that. The music for the slow-mo run through the empty parking lot was the theme song for the 1981 movie _Chariots of Fire,_ a sports drama about runners in the 1924 Olympics.
My dad took the family to Disneyland in a station wagon from San Antonio Texas the same summer this movie came out. So hilarious, my dad even had those shorts.
Chevy Chase was the epitome of physical comedy in that era. No one was able to convey that kind of message through their actions quite as well as Chevy Chase could.
The original ending had Clark going to Wally's house and making him and his dinner guests perform dance routines. The audience who previewed it were silent for the last 20 minutes and the producers and director realized they had to change it. They got John Candy but his price was $1M. They had to ask the studio for the additional money. His lines were written specifically for him. There is a documentary on the making of the movie. There is a lot of behind the scenes type stuff and is really worth the watch.
That's interesting, in the original John Hughes story "Vacation '58" published in National Lampoon, the park is actually Disneyland, and the dad accidentally shoots Walt Disney in the leg. lol
Yeah, me too. Growing up our family would go on many camping trips and on several of them it rained. My Dad would always say "Hey kids it looks like it's clearing up over there, I bet it's going to be sunny soon". And like you I miss my Dad.
My cousins all agree with me... in the 70s - 90s, my Dad looked exactly like Chevy Chase... and acted exactly like Clark W. Griswold!! And the summer this came out we took a 30 day around the entire country trip in our station wagon!! Mom only threatened to walk home once... that was when we happened to be on the opposite coast...
That car in this movie holds such a special place in my heart. I started driving in 1973 at 16, when the worst cars ever in existence were in everybody's driveway - those huge behemoths from the 1970s. Massive weight and massive engines with about 13 horsepower that started falling apart in 5½ years. We all hoped we'd get 105,000 miles out of them, but the odometer only went up to 99, 999.9 And Ellen says, "Clark, why is it still running?" when Clark first parks it in the driveway. I died. Each of these cars in my life was a sitcom all by itself.
The Family Truckster was a custom built monstrosity for the movie. It was especially made with all the awful characteristics of station wagons of the 70s.
an 80's comedy classic, so many good, funny, wholesome goofy, well written awesome 80's classic movies, was just such a wonderul decade. Cassie, audrey's young blonde cousin was acrress Jane Krakowski, probably remmber her best from TV shows Ally Mcbeal or 30 Rock. *** For clarification, The "wholesome" reference I made was in reference to 80's movies in general, not every 80' film ever made, and certainly not this movie ***
The Grand Canyon scene at 20:00 always cracks me up. Completely duplicates my family's visit to the Grand Canyon in 1968. Seemed like we drove hours to get there, and stayed 15 minutes, max. Had to get to the campground in Needles, California. Which is an even funnier story. It involves a fold out camper with no heat, 30 degree night time temps, and 40-50mph winds. I remember the dates, because the next day we rolled into LA, and the radio was filled with news of Bobby Kennedys assassination the night before.
In 1977 my family drove to the Grand Canyon from Wisconsin. When we got there it was filled with fog. We spent even less time there than the Griswolds.
@@MrDeathpilot It is very beautiful...but not a ton you can really do there. Just remember really wanting to go back to the bright lights and rides and Circus-Circus games of Vegas. Lol.
@@ct6852 We actually went to the Barringer Crater instead. That left a bigger impression on 16 year-old me. Our biggest "vacation" moment was when we got snowed in for two days in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Thinking back, that was quite an eventful trip: We also saw the Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, drove over Hoover Dam, spent a night on the Vegas Strip, went to Disneyland and spent Christmas in Santa Fe. We also went to the Roy Rogers museum, saw stuffed Trigger and actually met Roy himself while he was outside with his dog to let it pee. That was actually the second time I saw him in person, since he was also the Grand Marshal at the Rose Bowl Parade.
2nd best Grand Canyon scene in a movie. First was in Nurse Betty when Morgan Freemen insists on stopping to look at one of natures greatest wonders……AT NIGHT!!!
The basis for the movie was the short story "Vacation '58" published in the National Lampoon magazine in 1979. In that version the family is actually on their way to Disneyland and when they find it closed the dad buys a gun, finds Walt Disney's house and shoots him in the leg before being hauled off to jail.
@@RustyX2010 I can well understand why they didn't adapt that story for the film, but I wonder what the current laws say about using the names and images of real people and places in a fictional narrative film.
Anthony Michael Hall, who played Rusty, was also in 2 episodes of Community. He was the bully in the first Christmas episode who stapled a piece of paper to his forehead to show how tough he was. When Chevy first saw him on set, he did the "Russ! Oh, there you are" bit.
@@ct6852 It’s definitely worth streaming. Chevy Chase and the shows creator, Dan Harmon, didn’t get along. The show is great though. There’s the gas leak season which isn’t so great, but overall it’s definitely worth a watch.
@@ct6852 Yes, watch it. It's funny. I think the drama with Chevy made the show more interesting, to be honest. Chevy and Dan (the head writer) didn't like each other. Chevy thought the writing could be better and didn't like the long hours on the set. Dan was fired after Season 3 but was brought back immediately after Season 4 (due to physical protests by fans). Season 5 is a repilot and a couple of actors trickle off the show from there. New characters come in, though, and they are awesome. I enjoyed every single season of Community. I wouldn't watch it on Netflix or Hulu. They removed an episode from Season 2. It's one of the best and most referenced episodes in the series, too. And they removed it for a really dumb reason. Prime Video offers the full series.
@@-.._.-_...-_.._-..__..._.-.-.- I was def a big fan of The Soup. Not sure how I missed this one all those years. But I've heard more about the Chevy/Dan/McHale/Gambino mess than the actual show. Going to see a few for myself though. The fans seem pretty passionate about it.
Yeah, one of the funny things about the series of movies is that they not only change the child actors every movie, but keep changing which one is supposed to be older and which one is supposed to be younger.
In this movie the sister was dupposed to be older (and the actress is older than him/and only 15 years younger than D’Angelo) but the boy grew too much during filming. He’s three inches taller by the end of the movie.
@@Logan_Baron My favorite line in National Lampoon's "Vegas Vacation" was when Clark told his teenage kids, "You're growing up so fast I hardly recognize you anymore." 😂
My favorite part is when he had been walking in the desert and finds his family, he's like "Great to see you! Hey, anyone else thirsty? Lets get something to drink!"
Nearly 40 years after seeing this the first time this movie still holds the record of when I laughed the hardest ever. Not all of Hughes films hold up, but this will always be funny to me.
For me, this is by far the best Vacation movie of the series. A true classic. I was just about Rusty's age when this came out and I swear we had the same wardrobe.
Did you know "Walley World" was "Six Flaggs: Magic Mountain" in Southern California. The wooden roller coaster they force him to go on is "The Goliath"
Loved your reaction to leaving Aunt Edna in the rain on the back porch for her son to find. I laugh out loud at the absurdity of that whole scene. And BTW - Cousin Eddie's daughter is played by: Jane Krakowski
I have to point out, in this cut of your reaction, you laughed quite hard and often. I know Christmas Vacation, is a nostalgic favorite, but I find this one much funnier.
I like this more too, raw 80's classic comedy. Christmas Vacation gets seasonal exposure and deserved love but Vacation isn't hard tied to any tradition. Xmas only came out a few years later really but isn't as aesthetically 80's looking. Then you got Vegas which is like a live action cartoon.
Jane Krakowsky referring to french-kissing : "but Daddy says I'm the best at it..." Lost my lunch! I love Jane and had no idea it was her until I checked IMDB. So many years have passed!
I have to share…I graduated from college and my brother graduated from high school so my parent’s took us on our own Family Vacation! (We have traveled all over the US, Canada and Mexico growing up.) Flew into San Diego and drove (in a rented small car) all the way up HWY 1 & crossed over into Vancouver & the Island of Victoria…My brother & I made a pack that we would sign everything The Griswalds since the movie had premiered the year before😂😂😂 I can’t begin to tell you the crazy things my daddy made us endure….but the memories are priceless‼️‼️‼️
The screaming laughter in the theatre was so much how everyone was just in the same moment! We went over and over the two weeks and saw many of the same people too! And stayed for the 2nd showing all the time...I don't know if they still allow that these days...last time in a theatre was the 90's. Kinda miss it but not the prices of snacks...! Thanks for the renewed trip down this lane! "Ha-ha ha"..."she forgave him too easy!"
@@coyotefever105 I don't think so. There's only a few movies that I remember having this kind of audience reaction. You could hardly hear most of the dialogue above everybody screaming with laughter.
This is one of my favorite movies. I swear it reminds me of my own family cross country trips in the 80's. Instead of Chicago, we'd start from Decatur Illinois and travel all the way to Victorville California, in our Mercury Bobcat wagon. Something, and sometimes several somethings, would always go wrong. It sure felt brutal at the time, but now in my late 40's, I look back on those doomed road trips so fondly...lol.
Cassie- "This Chick" is Supermodel Christy Brinkley, one time wife to Billy Joel and inspiration for the song Uptown Girl in the beginning of the relationship (she's also in the video) and the song Big Shot toward the end of the marriage.
OMG... National Lampoon's Vacation and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles are two of the best comedies ever. So glad you watched these. I would also add The Burbs and The Money Pit to the list of comedies to check out.
The Commodores were a popular music group in the 70's. One of their biggest hits was "Easy" (Easy like Sunday morning). Lionel Richie was a part of their group.
Not gonna lie, I've been on a couple cross country trips, one to 4 corners when I was 3 or 4, one to Seattle when I was 10, and one to Devil's Tower when I was 12. Clark is right. Driving is half the fun. Now that I'm all grown up with a wife and daughter, I'd love nothing more than to spend a week driving somewhere. In fact, I drive a semi for a living. So driving will never get old to me
@@mikeyc2110 No they weren't. In Vacation, they were played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron, in European Vacation they were played by Jason Lively and Dana Hill, in Christmas Vacation they were played by Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis, and in Vegas Vacation they were played by Ethan Embry and Marisol Nichols.
4:50 The movie Dumb and Dumber paid tribute to this movie scene. 🤣 The young woman driving the Ferrari was Christie Brinkley, who was a famous model in the 80's. Of course Clark was attracted he her.. a beautiful woman in a beautiful car.😍
You really should watch Parenthood starring Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, Joaquin Phoenix ( i think it was his first movie at 13), Diane Weist, Martha plimpton, Rick Moranis and so many more famous actors. Its a really v funny movie about family.
@@rivercitymud omg I forgot about Space Camp, another great movie that made every kid my age want to go to Space Camp or got us interested in the stars. I totally forgot, sorry.
That’s 14-year-old Jane Krakowski as Cousin Vicki in her first movie. She had long runs in Ally McBeal, 30 Rock (both outstanding) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Current she’s in ZIWE, which I know absolutely nothing about. The first two were among the best TV comedies of their times.
All of them are fun, but Part 1 and Part 3 (Xmas) are the best. Vacation (1983) European Vacation (1985), Christmas Vacation (1989), Vegas Vacation (1997) and Vacation 2015 (the 2015 one is about adult Rusty taking HIS kids to Wally World, but but Clark, Ellen and his sister Audrey are have smaller roles. (The kids are different actors in all the films... and age VERY slowly LOL)
This movie is great fun as is Christmas Vacation. The song Holiday Road is a great listen on its own as well. Chevy Chase has always been one of the best physical comedians going all the way back to his SNL days.
John Hughes, who wrote and directed Planes, Trains & Automobiles, also wrote this. He also wrote, produced and/or directed Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, She’s Having a Baby, Uncle Buck, Career Opportunities, Curly Sue, both European Vacation and Christmas Vacation and the first three Home Alone movies, among others.
I’m not sure why 😅 but after this movie, every time we headed to Walmart (big chain store in US, I imagine you’ve heard of it), we said we’re gone to WallyWorld. 😂 Kids still call it that to this day! 😅😊❤
I went to Magic Mountain for the first time in 1982 and this movie take me back everytime because I on those exact same rides. Being that the movie came out in 1983 I must have been there about the same time as the filming because the trees and sunlight brightness are the same as I remember them. A great movie, the others are OK but this one broke the mold.
That running scene at the end and the Delorean scene from Back to the Future were 2 of my favorites as a kid. I randomly ended up working at both those malls year later. 😬
Funny enough, something similar to this happened to me and my brother. We live near Six Flags Great Adventure and once in our 20s, we took it upon ourselves to just drive down. Only to discover that it was later in the season and they were only open on weekends. Thankfully, we had only wasted a couple hours of our day and not two whole weeks.
Aunt Edna was played by Imogene Coca (1908-2001). She was most famous on the Sid Caesar Show. But she had a long career starting in Vaudeville when she was a child.
This is a classic. Very funny, sort of slapstick comedy. And it reminds me of another movie that has an interesting road trip. Not slapstick but VERY funny, with a little drama mixed in and surprisingly, some touching lessons and themes. "Little Miss Sunshine". I never would have watched this movie on purpose. It centers around a little girl and her kind of mixed up family. But it was one of the most touching surprising funny road trip family bonding movies I've every seen. Highly recommend it, and I think your sister would love it as well. Databyter
The fun fact un European vacation is that in every country the director got a well known actor from that country for the episodes like Eric Idle or Willy Millowitsch.
So a couple of fun facts the kid who plays Rusty in this one is Anthony Michael Hall and he was in Edward scissorhands as the bully boyfriend and he was Brian from The breakfast club. Also Wally world in this was kind of like a combination of Six Flags Great America and Walt Disney World.
I know this movie suggestion won't get the views of other movies because it's a black & white older film. But High Noon I something I think you'd really enjoy. It's a western with Gary Cooper & Grace Kelley that is fantastic. It's actually an alagory for taking a stand for what you believe in during the red menace scare in Hollywood. It's also short, fast paced, and has fantastic music.
I remember when this movie first came out. Chevy Chase said in an interview that working with Christy Brinkley was like working with a lollipop you weren't allowed to lick.
Now this is funny because I was planning on contacting you to suggest the Vacation series. Seeing you watch some of my favorite childhood movies is alot of fun for me.
The white shoes cousin Eddie gives to Clarke, Eddie is wearing the same white shoes in Christmas Vacation. The actor that spits the watermelon seed is actor Brian Doyle Murray who is Bill Murray’s real brother. Brian also plays Clarke’s boss in Christmas Vacation
I remember how my gps took me straight in the middle of a forrest, oh and through someone's garage and don't we love it when your gps tells you to make a turn straight off a bridge while driving
