National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) – John Hughes Revisited

Last Updated on September 23, 2021

Welcome back to John Hughes Revisited! This week, we’re packing up the car and hitting the road as we embark on a trip to Walley World with the Griswold family in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)! Released 38 years ago, National Lampoon’s Vacation stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, the ultimate over-the-top dad who is determined to give his family the time of their lives — even if it kills them. It’s the story of a man who only gets two weeks off a year and overcompensates by giving his family what he thinks they want. This time, Hughes was only in the writer’s chair with Harold Ramis taking on directing duties. The satirical film was Hughes’ big break as a writer in Hollywood. Within a year, he’d be making his directorial debut with Sixteen Candles.

Co-starring Beverly D’Angelo as the ever-patient Ellen Griswold, Dana Barron and a young Anthony Michael Hall as the Griswold kids, Audrey & Rusty, along with John Candy, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie and of course, Christie Brinkley as ‘The Girl in the Ferrari’ – the film was a massive box office success. In addition, it spawned multiple sequels, including National Lampoon’s European Vacation two years later, and the Yuletide classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Join us as we examine this classic comedy’s legacy and the massive success it had on Hughes’s career as a writer-producer and eventual director!