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''National Lampoon's Vacation'' film series is a
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...
series initially based on John Hughes' short story "Vacation '58" that was originally published by '' National Lampoon'' magazine. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of five main films, two of which are not sponsored by ''National Lampoon'', and one spin-off. In recent years, the series has been the inspiration for various advertising campaigns featuring some of the original cast members. The series portrays the misadventures of the Griswold family, whose attempts to enjoy vacations and holidays are plagued with continual disasters and strangely embarrassing predicaments.


Films


Original series


''National Lampoon's Vacation'' (1983)

''National Lampoon's Vacation'' was directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes. The film follows Clark and Ellen Griswold as they take their two children, Rusty and Audrey, on a cross-country trip from their home in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, to the
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
theme park Walley World. Planned out by Clark, the trip begins to go awry after the family gets lost in St. Louis. From there, they make it to
Coolidge, Kansas Coolidge is a city in Hamilton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 80. History The city of Coolidge was named after ''Thomas Jefferson Coolidge'', the former president of the Atchison, Topeka a ...
, where they spend the night at the home of Ellen's cousin Catherine and husband Eddie. There they are forced to take Ellen's Aunt Edna and her dog to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...
. Along the way to there, Clark accidentally drags the dog from the back of the car and Edna dies during a long day of driving. Dropping her body off at cousin Normy's house in Phoenix, they eventually make it to Walley World only to find that it is closed, causing Clark to take matters into his own hands.


''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' (1985)

''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' was directed by
Amy Heckerling Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American filmmaker. An alumna of both New York University and the American Film Institute, she directed the commercially successful films ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982), ''National Lampoon's Europ ...
and written by John Hughes and Robert Klane. After becoming the winning family on a game show called "Pig In A Poke", the Griswolds win a two-week trip to Europe. The vacation begins in London, where they visit sights such as
Big Ben Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The officia ...
,
Houses of Parliament The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north ban ...
and
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
. Having trouble with driving on the left side of the road, Clark ends up in many accidents and unknowingly knocks down
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connec ...
. From there they stop in France, where their camcorder gets stolen; in
West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
, where they spend the night at the home of strangers they mistake for their relatives; and in Italy, where they become involved with a thief's robbery and kidnapping. In addition, they also have many run-ins with a bicycle rider. This is the first of two ''Vacation'' films to not feature the
Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...
"Cousin Eddie" character. The second film is the 2015 ''
Vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for specific fes ...
''. In the opening "Pig in a Poke" sequence as well as the closing credits, the family's name is spelled as "Griswald" as opposed to "Griswold". Clark's passport during the opening credits also shows his last name as Griswald.


''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' (1989)

''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' was directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik Jeremiah S. Chechik (born 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is the director of such films as ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'', '' Benny & Joon'', '' Diabolique'' and '' The Avengers''. Chechik was nominated for Worst Director at the 19 ...
and written by John Hughes. The film follows Clark's attempt at delivering "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever". As Clark's parents, aunt, and uncle, Ellen's parents, and Catherine and Eddie's family begin arriving early, he becomes obsessed with ensuring that everything goes right. Meanwhile, he is also expecting a large Christmas bonus check from Frank Shirley that will cover a surprise backyard swimming pool that he already ordered. However, when the Christmas bonuses are cut, he instead receives a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club, causing him to snap and go crazy. The film's success resulted in a sequel, '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2'', centered on Eddie's family.


''Vegas Vacation'' (1997)

''Vegas Vacation'' was directed by Stephen Kessler and written by Elisa Bell, based on a story by Bell and
Bob Ducsay Bob Ducsay (born c. 1962) is an American film editor, screenwriter and producer. He is known for his work with Stephen Sommers, Rian Johnson and Brad Peyton Brad Peyton (born May 27, 1978) is a Canadian film director, writer, and produce ...
. After receiving a large bonus check from Frank Shirley for the success of one of the preservatives that he worked on, Clark takes his family on vacation to
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...
. Immediately hitting the blackjack tables, he begins to blow all his money, resulting in them breaking off in their own directions. While he tries to regain his money through the help of his cousin-in-law Eddie, Ellen becomes infatuated with Wayne Newton as Rusty wins big at the dice tables and Audrey turns to go-go dancing with her cousin Vicki. The film is notable for being the first (and to date, only) installment to receive a PG rating from the MPAA and the first to be made without the involvement of John Hughes.


''Vacation'' (2015)

''Vacation'' is a 2015 theatrical installment of the series written and directed by
John Francis Daley John Francis Daley (born July 20, 1985) is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and musician. He is known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama '' Freaks and Geeks'' and FBI criminal profiler D ...
and Jonathan Goldstein. Following in Clark's footsteps, a grown-up Rusty Griswold (
Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sitcom '' The Off ...
) surprises his wife, Debbie ( Christina Applegate), and their two sons James ( Skyler Gisondo) and Kevin (Steele Stebbins) with a cross-country road trip back to Walley World, in an effort to recreate the family vacations he had with his parents and sister ( Leslie Mann). It is the first entry since the original to receive an R rating.


Spin-off


''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2'' (2003)

''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure'' is a
made-for-TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
spin-off film directed by
Nick Marck Nick Marck is an American television director. He has worked on a number of episodes from the television series ''Veronica Mars'', ''Northern Exposure'', ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''The Wonder Years''. Some of his other directing credits ...
and written by
Matty Simmons Martin Gerald Simmons (October 3, 1926 – April 29, 2020) was an American film and television producer, newspaper reporter for the ''New York World-Telegram and Sun'', and Executive Vice President of Diners Club, the first credit card company. ...
. After a workplace accident involving a chimpanzee, Eddie Johnson is given a free vacation for him and his family to an island in the South Pacific by his boss Professor Doornitz to avoid a potential lawsuit from Eddie. But when he tries to catch a shark during a family boat trip, they become lost and eventually shipwrecked on an isolated island. It can be considered a sequel to ''
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' is a 1989 American Christmas film, Christmas comedy film and the third installment in National Lampoon (magazine), ''National Lampoon'' magazine's National Lampoon's Vacation (film series), ''Vacation'' f ...
'', although it is more of a spin-off than a direct chapter in the ''Vacation'' series, because
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
and
Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
do not appear. It stars
Randy Quaid Randy Randall Rudy Quaid (born October 1, 1950) is an American actor known for his roles in both serious drama and light comedy. He was nominated for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in ''The Last Detail'' i ...
and Miriam Flynn, reprising their roles as Cousin Eddie and Catherine, with
Dana Barron Dana Barron is an American actress who is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' which she reprised in 2003's '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adv ...
returning as Audrey Griswold. Ed Asner appears as Eddie's uncle Nick.


Short film


''Hotel Hell Vacation'' (2010)

''Hotel Hell Vacation'' is a short film directed by Bryan Buckley. On their way to visit Rusty and his family at a vacation rental, Clark and Ellen decide to have a romantic getaway at a hotel before they get there. Everything goes wrong and they hastily make their way to Rusty's rental. The film was a campaign ad for
HomeAway HomeAway was a vacation rental marketplace. It operated through 50 websites in 23 languages through which it offered rentals of cabins, condos, castles, villas, barns, and farmhouses. Founded in February 2005 and headquartered in Austin, Texas ...
that originally aired in part during the broadcast of
Super Bowl XLIV Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champions New Orleans Saints and the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Indianapolis Colts to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
and in entirety on Homeaway.com. While it was sanctioned by Warner Bros., it was not sponsored by the National Lampoon label.


Television


''The Griswolds'' (2022)

In December 2019, a television spin-off series entitled ''The Griswolds'' entered development. The series is set to be aired on
HBO Max HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
, though it has not been officially picked up, with former Rusty actor Johnny Galecki serving as executive producer.


Cast and crew


Principal cast

* A indicates the actor portrayed the role of a younger version of the character. * A indicates the actor or actress lent only his or her voice for his or her film character. * A dark gray cell indicates the character was not in the film.


Additional crew


Production


Development

After the success of '' National Lampoon's Animal House'' in 1978, it was decided that another story from the '' National Lampoon'' magazine should be adapted into a film. One of such stories chosen for development was John Hughes' "Vacation '58" that was originally published in the September 1979 issue of ''National Lampoon''. Hughes wrote the screenplay for the first ''Vacation'' film as "a fairly straight adaptation of the short story", with the exception of the ending that was rewritten and reshot after being "thoroughly despised by preview audiences". In addition to Hughes, ''Vacation'' involved the crew of many people connected to ''National Lampoon''. The film was produced by ''Lampoon'' co-founder and ''Animal House'' producer,
Matty Simmons Martin Gerald Simmons (October 3, 1926 – April 29, 2020) was an American film and television producer, newspaper reporter for the ''New York World-Telegram and Sun'', and Executive Vice President of Diners Club, the first credit card company. ...
, and directed by ''Lampoon'' alumnus and ''Animal House'' co-writer Harold Ramis. Released on July 29, 1983, ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' proved to be a financial and critical success. Simmons went on to produce two sequels, with scripts by Hughes. While involved with the early stages of a third sequel, ''Vegas Vacation'', Simmons resigned from production due to creative differences. As a result, the film was made without the "National Lampoon" title. During an interview on the TBS series ''
Dinner and a Movie ''Dinner and a Movie'' is an American cooking and entertainment television program aired on TBS from 1995 to 2011. Each episode included a movie and the preparation of a creative dinner to go with its theme, generally via a pun. For example, ...
'',
Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
revealed that due to the success of ''Animal House'', the original ''Vacation'' was envisioned as a raunchier R-rated comedy targeting young adults. This was principally the reason for nudity such as D'Angelo's shower scene, and Chase's profanity-laced tirades and pool scene with Christie Brinkley. However, the movie's success with larger family audiences who identified with Chase's everyman-father character caught the filmmakers by surprise. As a result, the subsequent sequels prior to the 2015 R-rated revival were toned down and family friendly, with PG-13 or PG ratings.


Casting

Along with
John Belushi John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his c ...
, who starred in ''Animal House'',
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of '' Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
had previously performed in '' The National Lampoon Radio Hour'' and in the stage show '' National Lampoon Lemmings'', both of which were spin-offs from ''National Lampoon'' magazine. In each of the main films of the series, the Griswold children are portrayed by different actors. This is usually attributed to the fact that after
Anthony Michael Hall Michael Anthony Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor best known for his leading role as Johnny Smith in '' The Dead Zone'' from 2002 to 2007. He also rose to fame starring in films with ...
declined to reprise his role in ''European Vacation'' in order to star in '' Weird Science'', director
Amy Heckerling Amy Heckerling (born May 7, 1954) is an American filmmaker. An alumna of both New York University and the American Film Institute, she directed the commercially successful films ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982), ''National Lampoon's Europ ...
requested both children be recast. Chase has indicated that it was his idea to continue recasting the children by explaining: "I always wanted to make the joke, 'Geez, I hardly ever get the chance to see the kids anymore. I hardly know who they are. We should go on a vacation'. That was funny to me: the idea that Clark was such a great family man, but still didn't even recognize his own children".


Unproduced scripts

Shortly after making ''European Vacation'', Chase and
Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broad ...
began to write a script for a follow up called ''National Lampoon's Australian Vacation''. According to Idle: "We spent some time working together on it. It had some nice shark gags, but I can't pretend it was in any way finished". The concept of ''Australian Vacation'' resurfaced in the 90s as a potential fifth installment of the series, but nothing ever came of it. Prior to the confirmed plans of
New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
rebooting the series, Chase made note that he has developed another sequel tentatively titled ''Swiss Family Griswold''. In 2011, Chase revealed that he and
Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
have been working on the idea: "There's a cruise, there's a fire on the ship, we think the whole ship's on fire and we jump —- it's just a little fire —- and we end up on an island where we meet Randy somewhere who's been left there from an old '' Survivor'' series".


Remake turned sequel

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after ...
(owned by Warner Bros., which released the previous films) confirmed a new ''Vacation'' film in 2010. The film, titled simply ''
Vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for specific fes ...
'', was ultimately released on July 29, 2015, exactly 32 years after the original film was released into theaters. It was produced by David Dobkin and written by
John Francis Daley John Francis Daley (born July 20, 1985) is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, and musician. He is known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama '' Freaks and Geeks'' and FBI criminal profiler D ...
and Jonathan Goldstein. The film is a direct sequel to the previous films (picking up years after the events of ''Vegas Vacation''), starring
Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sitcom '' The Off ...
as Rusty Griswold, as he takes his own family to Walley World. Leslie Mann appeared as Audrey Griswold. Original series stars D'Angelo and Chase appeared in cameo roles. The film also starred
Chris Hemsworth Christopher Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He rose to prominence playing Kim Hyde in the Australian television series ''Home and Away'' (2004–2007) before beginning a film career in Hollywood. In the Marvel Cinemat ...
, Charlie Day and Christina Applegate.


Continuity and recurring elements


The Griswold children

Aside from the obvious issues with the characters' physical appearances due to being played by different actors, Rusty and Audrey both age on a
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time—de ...
. It is assumed that each film takes place in the year they are actually filmed, as no other indication of time is mentioned and the characters' clothing, cars, and environment are contemporary to the time of each film's release. In most of the films it is never mentioned which of the two children is older. Rusty and Audrey appear to be in their early teens in ''Vacation'' (1983), and in their mid-teens in ''European Vacation'' (1985) two years later (at one point in the film, he specifically mentions that he is fifteen years old). However, in ''Christmas Vacation'' (1989), while she appears to be in her late teens, he looks younger than he did in the preceding films. In ''Vegas Vacation'' (1997), both are in their late teens to which Clark tells the kids, "I hardly recognize you anymore!" The next shot freezes for a moment on the kids sitting silently, making fun of the discontinuity.
Dana Barron Dana Barron is an American actress who is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' which she reprised in 2003's '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adv ...
, who was then in her late thirties, reprised the role of Audrey in ''Christmas Vacation 2'' (2003). Rusty is also portrayed as an adult with a wife and daughter in ''
Hotel Hell Vacation ''Hotel Hell Vacation'' is an American online comedy short film released on February 7, 2010 on HomeAway's website. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo reprise their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold. It was the first time Clark and Ellen had been ...
'' (2010). However, in ''
Vacation A vacation (American English) or holiday (British English) is either a leave of absence from a regular job or an instance of leisure travel away from home. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances or for specific fes ...
'' (2015), Rusty is portrayed by
Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sitcom '' The Off ...
and has two sons with no mention of a daughter.


The Girl in the Red Ferrari

In the first ''Vacation'' film, Clark sees a golden-haired beauty driving a red
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
played by model and actress Christie Brinkley. Clark later encounters her at a hotel, with her attempts to seduce him resulting in an embarrassing failure on his behalf. In ''Vegas Vacation'', Clark once again drives alongside the same woman (again played by Brinkley) when en route to Eddie and Catherine's current location, mouthing the question "remember me?" After she responds that she does, Clark spots a baby in the backseat of her car, clearly indicating she's now a mom and possibly married — much to Clark's disappointment where she just shrugs her shoulders when Clark mouths a question. A new girl in a red Ferrari played by model Hannah Davis appears in the 2015 ''Vacation''. This time, while driving down the highway, the girl pulls alongside Rusty and makes flirtatious gestures at him before swerving into the other lane, being hit head on and killed by a semi-truck.


Eddie and Catherine Johnson

Eddie and Catherine are seen with the following children in their respective films: Vicky, Dale, Daisy Mable, Eddie Jr, and Junior (''Vacation''); Rocky and Ruby Sue (''Christmas Vacation''); Denny (''Vegas Vacation''); and Clark "Third" Johnson — the namesake of Clark Griswold (''Christmas Vacation 2''). In addition to those seen, several others are mentioned or alluded to throughout the series. While the Johnsons do not appear in the 2015 ''Vacation'', Eddie is mentioned once. Since Clark refers to Eddie as his cousin-in-law in ''Christmas Vacation'', hence generally being referred to as 'Cousin Eddie' - it's presumed that Catherine is a cousin of Ellen. This is confirmed in ''Vegas Vacation'' when Ellen directly asks Clark how often she gets to see her "cousin", Catherine.


Walley World

Walley World is mentioned in subsequent films following ''Vacation'': * In ''European Vacation'', Clark tells his wife and children to be open-minded and respectful of other countries' cultures, reminding them ''"This isn't Walley World, it's a country"''. Clark and Rusty also wear Walley World sweaters at certain points in the film. * In ''Christmas Vacation'', Clark and Eddie can be seen drinking eggnog out of glasses shaped like Marty Moose's head (with the cartoonish oversized antlers serving as handles). * In ''Hotel Hell Vacation'', Rusty can be seen wearing a Marty Moose T-shirt. * Walley World once again makes an appearance in the 2015 ''Vacation''. In the film, the park appears to be updated with new attractions and modernized signage, including a statue of Marty Moose taking a selfie.


Clark's tirades

Clark is usually very easy-going and optimistic, even in the face of adversity and his family's seeming lack of appreciation for his efforts on their behalf. However, when he is pushed beyond the limit of his patience, he tends to lose his temper and go on furious tirades, as seen in the first ''Vacation'', where he scolds his family for not wanting to continue the trip and after finding that Walley World is closed for repairs. In ''Christmas Vacation'', Clark went into a tirade against his boss Frank Shirley not giving him a Christmas bonus, angry at his relatives because of their wanting to leave following the squirrel incident, and rants to Frank about him cutting the Christmas bonuses.


"This is our first..."

Ellen has a tendency to mention about her family's first action in some films. In ''Vacation'', Clark pulled a BB gun on Russ Laskey where Ellen mentions "We're not violent people, this is our first gun!" Clark then quotes "No it's not"! In ''Christmas Vacation'', Eddie actually abducts Frank Shirley from his house on Melody Lane and brings him to the Griswald household with a ribbon on his head and a dog chain on his wrist and ankles where he rants that he had never been treated like this in his life. Ellen then quotes "I'm sorry, this is our family's first kidnapping!"


Reception


Box office performance

When released in 1983, ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' was a significant box-office hit. The film earned over $61 million in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
with an estimated budget of $15 million. Without being adjusted for inflation, the profit earned by the individual ''Vacation'' films follow behind '' National Lampoon's Animal House'' as the highest-grossing films of the National Lampoon brand.


Critical and public response


Legacy

In 2000, readers of '' Total Film'' magazine voted ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' as the 46th greatest comedy film of all time. The film was also nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs list in 2000. ''Christmas Vacation'' has additionally become a television staple, especially during the holiday season, as it has often been labeled as a contemporary Christmas classic.


Other media


Old Navy ad campaign (2012)

In November and December 2012, series regulars Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo were featured in a set of
commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
for
Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...
. Joining them in one commercial were
Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
(from ''Christmas Vacation''), Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall (from ''Vacation''), and Jason Lively (from ''European Vacation''); that
spot Spot or SPOT may refer to: Places * Spot, North Carolina, a community in the United States * The Spot, New South Wales, a locality in Sydney, Australia * South Pole Traverse, sometimes called the South Pole Overland Traverse People * Spot (produ ...
featured three Rustys and three Audreys (including a "new Rusty" and a "new Audrey", both of whom were children).


Ford Mustang ad campaign (2020)

In 2020, Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo reprised their roles as Clark and Ellen in a Ford commercial for the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The commercial spoofed the house lighting scene.


''The Goldbergs''

Christie Brinkley reprised her role as the Girl in the Red Ferrari, while
Anthony Michael Hall Michael Anthony Hall (born April 14, 1968), known professionally as Anthony Michael Hall, is an American actor best known for his leading role as Johnny Smith in '' The Dead Zone'' from 2002 to 2007. He also rose to fame starring in films with ...
played a theme park security guard in the seventh season of the television series '' The Goldbergs''.


Other appearances

In the ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their ch ...
'' episode "
Boys Do Cry "Boys Do Cry" is the 15th episode of the fifth season of the American animated sitcom '' Family Guy''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 29, 2007. The episode follows the Griffin family after Lois gets a job as ...
", there is a scene where a woman is driving next to Peter and gets hit by a truck, which mimics the Christie Brinkley car scene from the first ''Vacation''; Lois responds "Eh, you marry
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...
, it's gonna happen one way or another". In "
Blue Harvest "Blue Harvest" is the hour-long premiere of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''Family Guy'' and the first part of the series' '' Laugh It Up, Fuzzball'' trilogy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on Sept ...
", the Griswold Family is seen driving past the Death Star during the battle at the end. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo reprise their roles here. In 2008, Christie Brinkley spoofed her role as "The Girl in the Red Ferrari" in a
DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. I ...
commercial that recreated the swimming pool scene from ''Vacation'' by inter-splicing footage from the original film. In 2015, Christie Brinkley reprised her role as "The Girl in the Red Ferrari" as the mom in an
Infiniti QX60 The Infiniti QX60, formerly called the Infiniti JX until 2013, is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV with three-row seating produced by Infiniti, the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Nissan. It is underpinned by an elongated Nissan Mur ...
TV spot, in which she comments about another blonde beauty driving by in a red convertible.
Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Mark in '' Empire Records'', Preston in ''Can't Hardly Wait'', The Bass Player in ''That Thing You Do!'', and as Bobby Ray in ''Sweet Home Al ...
, who played Rusty in the 1997 ''Vegas Vacation'', plays the dad.


In popular culture

On December 25, 2014, in Clark, NJ, signs for the Garden State Parkway Exit 135 were vandalized from "Clark and Westfield" to "Clark Griswold", making national news headlines. Australian hip hop artists, Hilltop Hoods issued a single "
Clark Griswold ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' film series is a comedy film series initially based on John Hughes' short story "Vacation '58" that was originally published by '' National Lampoon'' magazine. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists ...
" (July 2018) featuring Adrian Eagle, which reached the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
top 50, and won the ARIA Award for Best Urban Release in
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
.


See also

* List of National Lampoon films


References


External links


"Vacation '58" by John Hughes
reprinted by ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
''
"Christmas '59" by John Hughes
at ClarkGriswoldCollection.com {{Warner Bros. franchises Warner Bros. Pictures franchises Comedy film series American film series Films about vacationing Film series introduced in 1983