Plot: What’s it about?
If you were to take a poll of all of my immediate family members, I’m guessing that National Lampoon’s Vacation would be near (if not the top) the top of the list. Why? It’s simple, actually…every family out there considers themselves to be the Griswold’s – and mine is no exception. Most all of us have had to bear the ordeal of meeting family we don’t like, take trips that sound fun on paper, but later turn out to be disasters and a little too much “family time” can be just enough to push anyone over the edge. This is no better illustrated than in this movie. Director Harold Ramis has delivered a timeless movie, like most of his, that just seems to make “sense” to everyone. With Caddyshack, my all-time favorite movie, he showed us that snobs and slobs could get along. Movies like Stripes, though filled with dated 80’s humor, were funny and with his masterpiece of Groundhog Day; he showed us that even the same day can be repeated. Though his more recent efforts haven’t been nearly as entertaining as his earlier ones, this stands out as being in his pantheon of great movies. Oh, and the great Club Paradise, who could forget that too!
But I digress…
Vacation is the story of the Griswold’s. Clark (Chevy Chase), Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall…this time), Audrey (Dana Barron…this time) and Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo). Clark is a “ … genius with food additives … “ and wants nothing more for his family than to show them a great time on their family vacation. But unlike so many other family vacations, the Griswold’s aren’t going to take a plane out to sunny California; no they’re driving cross-country. Why, you ask? Why to go to Wally World, of course! Wally World is, of course, the movie’s equivalent to Disneyland (Disneyworld) and by the movie’s end we think that Clark is the only one who really wants to go; not his family. Having an almost obsessive upbeat and positive attitude, he gets his family to be excited about the whole deal and it’s off they go. Naturally, Murphy’s Law is in full effect here and anything that can go wrong does. They get their hubcaps stolen in East St. Louis, they run in with Ellen’s cousins (led by the funniest man alive, Randy Quaid) and get stuck taking their Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) to Phoenix (only for her to die along the way) and once they get to Wally World, well, let’s just say that it doesn’t live up to all their dreams.
Part of what makes the movie so much fun is that we can all relate to it. We’ve all been on the “trip from hell” and all remember it, but Clark is trying to show his family a good time, though he just doesn’t know when to throw in the towel and quit. The supporting cast is just as funny, Brian Doyle Murray makes a cameo appearance, Randy Quaid is perhaps the most memorable character as his loveable Cousin Eddie and John Candy has a great role in the end as a security guard. Suffice it to say that the players here make the trip worth remembering as well as the story. Now if you’ll notice that I added …this time to the names of Rusty and Audrey (played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron). Here’s why. Of the four Vacation movies, every one had a different actor to play the kids. First Rusty got older, then younger. It’s almost insane as we can’t tell which way they were going. Of course the parents, Clark and Ellen, remained the same as played by Chase and D’Angelo; but it’s something that we let go. If you’ve never seen the movie, then you’re in for a treat. The humor isn’t that dated and even today in the age of computers and cell phones, families must take vacations. This is everything that goes wrong with one.
Video: How does it look?
I distinctly remember a chat transcript with Warner Brothers about their upcoming titles. One member asked a question as to a re-release of this movie in widescreen and their response was something like “ … is there a demand for flat (1.85:1) comedies in widescreen?” The answer was “Yes” and just a year later, we have a new edition of Vacation with a brand new digital transfer and the first time in widescreen. I’ve never seen the movie in it’s original widescreen glory and though there isn’t that much of a difference, there are a few instances in which I noticed things that I had not before. Nevertheless, the new transfer is a clear step up as the original DVD had a sub-par transfer. For a movie 20 years old, the colors look particularly bright and vivid. There are few scenes where some artifacts get in the way and one outdoor scene has some edge enhancement, but for the most part the transfer more than makes up for the previous edition. I’m sorry to say, but if you already own this on DVD, get your wallet out because you’ll have to re-buy it.
Audio: How does it sound?
Now as far as the audio goes, it’s mono all the way around (the disc contains four mono tracks in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese). Not that this is a bad thing, as the jokes are mainly physical and a new 5.1 mix really wouldn’t do a whole lot for this movie. Personally, I’d rather a movie look good than sound good. But that’s just me. The mono track doesn’t sound too dated, but we lose all the surround effects that might be associated were the movie made today. In any case, no viewer should be disappointed as even the ending credits (with the song “We Were Dancin’…”) sound pretty good. No complaints here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Granted, there aren’t a whole lot of supplements on the disc, but we are treated to a “Griswold Family Commentary” though Beverly D’Angelo is suspiciously absent (it was rumored that she and Chase hated each other). Still the track is pretty good and though controlled by Ramis, Chevy Chase tries to get all of his jokes in. They seem to have some fond memories of their time on the movie and any movie-lover will want to give this a listen. There is a one-minute introduction, and not funny at that, introduction by Chase, Quaid and Producer Matty Simmons to “welcome us to the disc”. As mentioned before, it’s not funny; skip it. And a “Family Truckster Featurette Gallery” is among the more interesting features on the disc. Simply click on one of the parts of the family trickster (i.e. the baggage will give you footage of Aunt Edna, etc.) and you’ll be treated to a handful of scenes that focuses on that particular character. The original theatrical trailer is included as well. Overall, the definitive edition of Vacation has arrived. You’ll need to add this to your collection.
