National Lampoon's Vacation
National Lampoon's Vacation, sometimes referred to as simply Vacation, is a 1983 American road trip comedy film directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brinkley in her acting debut with special appearances by Eddie Bracken, Brian Doyle-Murray, Miriam Flynn, James Keach, Eugene Levy and Frank McRae. It tells the story of a family that goes on a cross-country trip to an amusement park as hilarious hi-jinks occur along the way. The screenplay was written by John Hughes on the basis of his short story "Vacation '58," which appeared in National Lampoon.
Plot
Clark Griswold, wanting to spend more time with his wife Ellen and children Rusty and Audrey, decides to lead the family on a cross-country expedition from the Chicago suburbs to the southern California amusement park Walley World, billed as "America's Favorite Family Fun Park". Ellen wants to fly, but Clark insists on driving, so he can bond with his family. He has ordered a new car in preparation for the trip, but the dealer claims that it will not be ready for six weeks. Clark is forced to buy the 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster', an ugly, oversized station wagon, after the car he brought to trade in has been hauled away and crushed.
More details
| author | John Hughes |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | Arizona Chicago Colorado Kansas Missouri |
| director | Harold Ramis |
| editor | Pembroke J. Herring |
| genre | adventure comedy |
| keywords | amusement park animal cruelty arrest bb gun bond cash register chicago metropolitan area chicago suburbs clark griswold credit card crush drive family vacation ferrari 308 gts force grand canyon hotel bar hotel clerk kansa kill lapd long los angeles police department monument valley morning motorcycle cop new car nothing obsess rescue road trip security guard southern california station wagon stranded in the desert swat swat team utah young woman |
| musicBy | Ralph Burns |
| producer | Matty Simmons |
| publisher | Warner Bros. |
| recordedAt | Arizona Chicago Colorado |
| theme | black comedy road movie satirical |