Vacation (1983)
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A family's cross-country road trip to an amusement park descends into a series of escalating mishaps and comedic disasters.
The story
Clark Griswold, seeking to bond with his wife Ellen and their children, decides to take the family on a cross-country expedition from the Chicago suburbs to the southern California amusement park Walley World. While Ellen prefers to fly, Clark insists on driving in a newly acquired 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster.' The journey quickly becomes fraught with complications as the family encounters various mishaps, from being harassed by vandals to dealing with a demanding relative. As the trip progresses, the family faces increasingly absurd obstacles that test Clark's resolve to reach their destination and provide the perfect vacation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Griswold family embarks on a road trip from Chicago to Walley World in a 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster.' Along the way, they encounter various mishaps: they are harassed by vandals in Missouri, Clark is confronted by a motorcycle cop after accidentally killing Aunt Edna's dog, and the family becomes stranded in the desert after a car crash. After a series of escalating incidents, including the death of Aunt Edna and a frantic search for a way to pay for a hotel, the family finally reaches Walley World. They find the park closed for repairs, leading to a tense standoff with security. However, the park owner, Roy Walley, recognizes Clark's desperate desire for a perfect vacation and allows the family to enter the park as his guests. The film concludes with a montage of the trip's highlights.
- First release year
- 1983
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Harold Ramis
- Writers
- John Hughes · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Chevy Chase · Clark W. Griswold; Beverly D'Angelo · Ellen Griswold; Anthony Michael Hall · Russell "Rusty" Griswold; Dana Barron · Audrey Griswold; Imogene Coca · Aunt Edna; Randy Quaid · Eddie Johnson; John Candy · Russ Lasky; Christie Brinkley · the unnamed woman in the red Ferrari
- Genres
- comedy; road film; adventure; satirical
- Themes
- family dynamics; the pursuit of the perfect vacation; humiliation
- Tone and mood
- comedy; satirical; screwball
- Setting
- A cross-country journey across the United States, from the Chicago suburbs to Southern California.
- Premise and plot tags
- road trip; family adventure; amusement park
- Franchise connections
- Vacation
- Reception
- The film was a box-office hit and received generally positive reviews for its humor and performances, though some critics found it poorly paced.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 55 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Production trivia
- The 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster' was created specifically for the film.; The original ending involved the Griswolds taking Roy Walley hostage.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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