I watched National Lampoon’s Vacation and I liked it. 3/5
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The road trip comedy is a staple of American cinema, and National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) is arguably the film that set the gold standard—or at least the slightly tarnished, weirdly dysfunctional standard—for the genre. Directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes, Vacation follows the Griswold family on their increasingly disastrous cross-country trek to the mythical Walley World. With Chevy Chase leading the charge as the obliviously optimistic Clark Griswold, the film delivers plenty of laughs, absurd scenarios, and classic moments.
But while Vacation is undeniably influential and features some genuinely funny sequences, it’s also a movie that feels a little uneven. The humor is a mixed bag, swinging wildly from inspired slapstick to mean-spirited gags, and some of the jokes haven’t aged particularly well. It’s a film with great highs, frustrating lows, and a final act that leaves you wondering if all of this chaos was really worth it.
The Plot: One Man’s Delusion-Fueled Quest for Fun
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is a man with a vision: to drive his family from Chicago to Walley World, the ultimate amusement park, in the ultimate family bonding experience. His wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and kids Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) and Audrey (Dana Barron) have their doubts, but Clark is determined to make this a trip they’ll never forget.
And they won’t. Not because of the wholesome memories he hopes to create, but because everything that could possibly go wrong does. The Griswolds get lost in the desert, endure the world’s most traumatizing visit with extended family, deal with a sleazy car salesman, wreck their car multiple times, and—because why not—accidentally kill a dog. By the time they finally reach Walley World, they’ve been through so much misery that Clark’s desperation leads to an inevitable mental breakdown.
The plot is basically a series of loosely connected comedic vignettes, and while that works to an extent, it also means the movie starts to feel repetitive by the time the third act rolls around.
Chevy Chase: The King of Deadpan Idiocy
Chevy Chase is the glue holding this chaos together. His portrayal of Clark Griswold is perfect: a dad so relentlessly committed to his own idea of family fun that he doesn’t realize he’s actively ruining everyone’s lives. He’s got that perfect balance of smarmy confidence and cluelessness, and when things start to unravel, his comedic breakdowns are some of the best parts of the film.
But Clark is also kind of a jerk. His single-minded obsession with the trip often makes him oblivious to his family’s suffering, and his behavior toward other women—especially the infamous “hot girl in the Ferrari” played by Christie Brinkley—feels a little slimy, even for a guy who’s supposed to be an overconfident goofball.
Beverly D’Angelo does a great job as the long-suffering Ellen, giving Clark a much-needed reality check while somehow managing to stay sane. The kids are also solid, with Anthony Michael Hall as Rusty being a particular standout.
Comedy That Works… and Some That Doesn’t
When Vacation is funny, it’s really funny. Some of the best moments are the small, observational bits—Clark trying to convince his family that they’re “making great time,” his complete inability to read a map, or his unwavering commitment to the world’s ugliest station wagon.
Other moments land purely because of how ridiculous they are. The whole Aunt Edna sequence, with Imogene Coca playing the most unpleasant travel companion ever, is a highlight. And the absurdity of the Griswolds arriving at a closed Walley World only to have Clark take a security guard (John Candy) hostage is so over-the-top that it somehow works.
But Vacation also has a mean streak. There’s a fine line between dark comedy and just being unnecessarily cruel, and this film crosses it more than once. The way Aunt Edna’s dog is killed is played for laughs in a way that feels a little too cold. The Griswolds’ visit to their hillbilly relatives—including Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie in his first appearance—is a mix of funny and uncomfortable. And some of the jokes about race, gender, and family dysfunction just don’t hold up as well in a modern context.
Final Thoughts: A Classic, But an Imperfect One
National Lampoon’s Vacation is a film that has earned its place as a comedy classic, but it’s not without its flaws. Chevy Chase is in top form, the road trip setup is endlessly relatable, and there are enough laugh-out-loud moments to make it worth watching. But the humor is inconsistent, some of the jokes feel mean-spirited or dated, and the film’s episodic structure makes it feel longer than it actually is.
For fans of ‘80s comedies, Vacation is essential viewing. It paved the way for a lot of other road trip movies and solidified Clark Griswold as one of the most iconic (and clueless) dads in film history. But if you’re coming to it for the first time, be prepared for some rough patches along the way—kind of like the Griswolds’ vacation itself.