#21: National Lampoon’s Vacation

Release Date: July 29th, 1983

Format: Streaming (Plex)

Written by: John Hughes

Directed by: Harold Ramis

3.5 Stars

It’s interesting to watch Vacation 40 years after its initial release. In its script, you can see John Hughes straddling the line between the nihilism and anger of the ‘70s, with the rapidly approaching idealism and conservatism of the ‘80s. This original inception of Clark Griswold is a selfish egomaniac, but he also loves his family and wants to provide them the type of memories he has from his childhood in the 1950s. This was probably millions of boomer white dudes in 1983.

The movie works really well, and it’s really funny. The tone and pacing is consistent too, something that ‘80s comedies really struggled with, Caddyshack in particular (to name another ‘80s Chase movie). Actually, all of the other Vacation movies struggle with tone and pacing as well. The original is probably the only movie in the series that is a “good” movie. I feel like the others in the series have scenes you tolerate as you wait for a handful of scenes that are much better and funnier.  Not the original Vacation, though. Everything kind of works here.

I think my favorite scene is when Clark is driving and he sees Christie Brinkley in her red Ferrari in his rear view mirror. Helen and Audrie and Russ are all asleep, so Clark messes up his hair and tries to look cool as she passes (nevermind his entire family is in his pea green station wagon). After she passes, Clark floors it, and there’s this shot from behind of the wagon pulling out into the passing lane as he desperately tries to catch up to her. I don’t know why, but that’s the funniest shit in the world to me.