I don’t know if there was a funnier man working in movies during the eighties than Chevy Chase. He had string after string of hilarious movies. Starting with the classic Caddyshack in 1980 through Fletch, Spies Like Us and Christmas Vacation, he always delivered. Sadly, once that calendar turned to 1990, his magic was lost. Luckily, during that special decade, he put together some legendary work. While Caddyshack is probably his funniest film and Fletch is my favorite, National Lampoon’s Vacation is a solid third in the Chase hierarchy of humor.

Vacation is the classic road trip film. However, unlike most road trip films, this one doesn’t involve college kids, high school kids, mismatched opposites or convicts. This film focuses on the loving Griswold family during their quest to reach The Happiest Place On Earth (please don’t tell Disney), Wally World. Instead of flying the family to California, Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) decides it would be fun to spend time with his family and take the Family Truckster across country. Boy, was he wrong.

The film starts with Clark and Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) in the process of picking up their new car for the big trip. As is the case throughout the film, things don’t turn out as anticipated. The Griswold’s car didn’t arrive at the dealership and their old car has already been destroyed. They are forced to accept the salesman’s (Eugeune Levy) less than stellar option of the Family Truckster.

After some family debating, the Griswolds are off to Wally World with many adventures sure to follow. The first takes place after a wrong turn in St. Louis. Their car is vandalized and they are forced to pay for poor directions, along with a poorly cooperating bed at the hotel. The next stop is Dodge City, Kansas where the family learns a few things about the Old West. Up next for the Griswolds is a stop at Cousin Eddie’s (Randy Quaid) luxurious farm (that may be a stretch). There we meet Eddie’s entire family and the Griswolds are treated to some interesting things. At this point, Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) makes her first appearance, as does Dinkums, her dog. Needless to say, the Griswolds don’t really enjoy their stay, nor their new travel companions-Edna and Dinkums.

Along the rest of the way, the Griswolds face the hardship of death (twice), a trip into the vast Southwestern desert and the never-ending pursuit of Christy Brinkley. Well, at least Clark pursues her. All of this excitement finally ends when the family holds the security guards hostage at Wally World in order to achieve their dream.

The acting is surprising good in Vacation. Chevy Chase plays the bumbling idiot better than anybody. His role of Clark is sweet with a little bit of naughtiness just to make him exciting. Beverley D’Angelo is wonderful as Clark’s long-suffering wife, Ellen. She loves her “Sparky,” but is equally irritated by him. Both kids, Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and Audrey (Dana Barron) put in great performances as well.

Along with the Griswold family, there are some other wonderful characters in the film. Randy Quaid is probably the star of the film as disgusting Cousin Eddie. He’s gross, filthy and hilarious. Imogene Coca as Aunt Edna is also great as the rude and annoying Aunt Edna. Several other smaller roles are excellent as well. Brian Doyle-Murray, Eugene Levy and John Candy all put in small, yet wonderful performances. Of course, don’t forget Christie Brinkley’s first role as the object of Clark’s affection. She does an adequate job at acting, but an incredible job at looking beautiful.

National Lampoon’s Vacation has been available on DVD for years. However, it was a poorly produced version. It was a pan and scan version and there were no extras. Well, finally all of the Vacation films received the proper “upgraded” treatment to celebrate the original’s 20th anniversary and a new DVD was released with plenty of treats.

The first thing you will notice is the improved picture quality. It’s crisp, clear and presented in widescreen. The sound is also a dramatic improvement. It almost makes you feel that you’ve traveled back to 1983 and are watching the film at the theater. Of course, the theaters in 1983 are probably not as nice as your own personal home entertainment system. Like most new releases, the trailer is included as is a cast and crew list. Obviously, those are not a reason to purchase the DVD, but they’re for posterity.

As with most “anniversary” DVD editions there are plenty of extras and Vacation is no exception. Included is a brand new introduction featuring Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and the producer of the film, Matty Simmons. Honestly, the introduction adds nothing to the picture. It’s a quick two-minute intro that’s only purpose is to serve as an intro. However, there is a commentary track that does add quite a few insights to the film. Chase, Quaid and Simmons are joined by Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron and the director, Harold Ramis. Surprisingly, Ramis, Hall and Barron provide the best information. It also saddens me to say this, but Chase is completely useless during the commentary. As I mentioned earlier, his career has certainly fallen off recently and nowhere is that more evident than on this commentary. He is still using the same old jokes that my friends and I quote religiously. It’s somewhat funny when we do it, but it’s just sad when Chase tries to relive old times. The final bonus is the “Family Truckster Featurette Gallery.” It features six different portions of the movie or stories about the production of the film. Unfortunately, the navigation is a bit annoying and you aren’t able to play all of the shorts at one time. Also, the stories aren’t too interesting. I actually only enjoyed two of the stories: the history of the Family Truckster and one of the Christie Brinkley interviews.

So, is National Lampoon’s Vacation a purchase that you should make? I would answer yes. While the extras really add nothing to the film, with the possible exception of the commentary, the picture quality and sound are a dramatic improvement. Most importantly, it’s one of the funniest movies every made and it belongs on your shelf. If you like the film, this DVD is a must for your collection.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older