Opening

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—— Fill the Void May 24
—— A Green Story
—— Alyce Kills May 24

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Coming Soon

—— After Earth May 31
—— Now You See Me May 31
88% The East May 31
100% The Kings of Summer May 31

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 1

audience

80

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 98,365

My Rating

Movie Info

The first film in the Vacation comedy franchise stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, an ad exec who becomes consumed with taking his family cross-country to Wally World, a California amusement park. Less a vacation than a descent into a peculiarly American kind of hell, the Griswolds suffer through an endless series of catastrophes, culminating in a run-in with the law. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

R,

Comedy

John Hughes

Aug 27, 1997

Warner Bros. Pictures

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All Critics (36) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (2) | DVD (19)

National Lampoon's Vacation is an enjoyable trip through familiar comedy landscapes.

May 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Despite plenty of gross-out gags and dumb slapstick bits, the careful viewer can occasionally detect some acrid and original satire in this 1983 film.

May 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment (1)
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

he result is not so much a comedy about American values as a 2,500 mile skid on a banana skin. The visual gags come thick and fast, and are about as subtly signposted as the exit markers on a freeway.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comments (2)
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The result is a confident humor and throwaway style that helps sustain the laughs -- of which there are quite a few.

August 30, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Times
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A perfect marriage of collaborators on both sides of the camera.

September 16, 2011 Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy
Antagony & Ecstasy

Funny family comedy, but dated and risque.

January 1, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Though lacking in narrative and comic sophistication, National Lampoon's Vacation has something arguably more important: built-in, instant audience identification. [Blu-ray]

August 9, 2010 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews
Groucho Reviews

...an enjoyable trifle that showcases Chevy Chase's low-key comic talents as well as anything else he's done. (Blu-ray Edition)

August 8, 2010 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

...a zany, lighthearted look at numbskull American tourism at its most chaotic.

August 8, 2010 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Funny, though often obvious.

May 7, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This boasts a great cast from start to finish, but the funniest moments in this film for me invariably come from Randy Quaid, who plays Chase's dumb country cousin.

August 19, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

There are plenty of funny moments in this comedy that introduced the world to bumbling everyman Clark Griswold. The second best in the series after Christmas Vacation.

October 8, 2005
Fantastica Daily

sublimely silly

February 26, 2005
Shadows on the Wall

Audience Reviews for National Lampoon's Vacation

This is for sure one of the most remember and one of the comedy movies that is the characteristic of the 80's American humour.
April 23, 2013
Lucas Martins

Super Reviewer

Directed by Harold Ramis, scripted by John Hughes, and starring Chevy Chase, this film is essentially one of the all-time greatest screwball comedies. That it's a road movie makes it even better in my eyes.

Clark Griswold is your typical all-American whose just trying to be a good husband and loving father. He and his family set out from Chicago to L.A. for what should be a great vacation, with their ultimate destination being a theme park called Wally World.

The trip ends up being anything but paradise as they family encounter a number of oddball problems and colorful events that just keeping piling on top of one another.

Chase is great, and so is Beverly D'Angelo as his wife Ellen. Their kids Rusty and Audrey are played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron, and, they're decent, but nothing amazing. The real scene stealer though is Randy Quaid as Clark's redneck cousin-in-law Eddie, who is really obnoxious and a big leech, yet still lovable, and definitely memorable. Eugene Levy also appears in a fun cameo early on. And of course, who can forget Christie Brinkley as a mysterious woman who becomes the object of Clark's desire?

There's good location shooting, decent music, hilarious one-liners, and some truly outrageous moments here, all of which add up to an American comedy classic. Bottom line: don't miss it.
September 2, 2006
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

    1. Clark Griswold: Sure, how much you need?
    2. Cousin Eddie: $52,000.
    – Submitted by Javier T (4 months ago)
    1. Clark Griswold: Excuse me, Holmes?
    – Submitted by Michael B (7 months ago)
    1. Clark Griswold: Excuse me, holmes.
    – Submitted by topher h (14 months ago)

Discussion Forum

Topic Last Post Replies
One of the greatest comedies of all time 36 days ago 0

Latest News on National Lampoon's Vacation

April 24, 2013:
New Line Puts New Vacation Movie on Hold
Those pesky creative differences are afoot.

March 28, 2013:
Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in Talks for New Vacation
Their roles are described as being "on the cameo level."

March 20, 2013:
Christina Applegate in Talks for Vacation
Is she the new Beverly D'Angelo?

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