In a cross country voyage, Clark Griswold takes his wife Ellen, and children Rusty and Audrey cross country to the idyllic California fun park, Wally World. Along the way, we cross paths with Cousin Eddie and his oversized rural family, and Aunt Edna, who they pick up for the ride. Chevy Chase is in full blood as the patriarch and luckily the rest of the cast steps on the gas, keeping the comedy light and breezy in this early John Hughes penned screenplay. Some gags are a little rusty, or nonplussed; mostly those involving Edna are her beloved pooch. Cameos from Eugene Levy, Brian Doyle Murray, and an especially memorable bit from John Candy keep the show entertaining start to finish. While not perfect, this is a model screenplay, and one that's been reattempted by others to much less effect. Some bits are redone a little bit better in the later Christmas Vacation, but this is a surprisingly resilient show, that stands the rest of time outside of it's era and intended audience. Funny and relatable to anyone who ever just wanted the perfect vacation. Recommended.
Review of Vacation
