National Lampoon's Vacation

1983 Directed by Harold Ramis

Every summer Chevy Chase takes his family on a little trip. This year he went too far.

Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family on a quest to Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.

Chevy Chase Beverly D'Angelo Imogene Coca Randy Quaid Anthony Michael Hall Dana Barron Miriam Flynn John Candy Eddie Bracken Brian Doyle-Murray James Keach Eugene Levy Frank McRae Christie Brinkley Jane Krakowski John P. Navin, Jr. Mickey Jones Nathan Cook Christopher Jackson John Diehl Randy Lowell Michael Talbott Henry Gibson Harold Ramis

Alternative Titles

Férias Frustradas, National Lampoon's Vacation 1, Vacaciones, National Lampoon's Vacation 01 National Lampoon's Vacation, Vacation

comedy adventure

99 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Monday Seagull 4

It's a little embarrassing, so don't tell anyone, but sometimes I like to drive around playing that 'Real Hero' song from that cool Ryan Gosling movie...
I turn up the volume and start to wonder how much I could get that scorpion jacket for online.
My wife doesn't fail to notice my little daydream and pauses the song...
- Um, sorry to break it to you, Hot Stuff, but you're a bit more 'Holiday Road' by Lindsey Buckingham. And don't even think about getting that coat. I'd sooner see you in socks and sandals than humiliate yourself in that thing. Now please, speed it up a little. The kids are late for swimming lessons.
- Yeah, Daddy. You're driving so slow.
Review by Peter Rogers ★★★½

A comedic telling of one man, his family and his mission to get to WallyWorld.
This was a first time watch for me, as I'm far more familiar with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase is a riot here, and he has some facial expressions that rival even the great Jim Carey.
For anyone that says all modern comedies as swearing, boobs and physical humour... Well, I hate to break it to you, but they were doing it back in the 80s too!
Can't wait to complete the full series of movies.
Review by Travis Lytle ★★★½

Driven by a top-of-his-game Chevy Chase, "National Lampoon's Vacation" is a memorably enjoyable beginning to a franchise that would peak two films later. Creating the iconic Clark Griswold, Chase delivers a dad whose place in cinema is defined by a predilection for invoking Murphy's Law and an awe-shucks, regular-guy nature that translates into solid, sometimes giddy comedy.
Loading a four-person brood into the family station wagon, Harold Ramis's film follows the cross-country adventures of Clark and company as they head to the theme park, Walley World, for a much-needed vacation. Beset by issues including backwoods cousins, deceased canines, and attractive blondes, everything that can go wrong does on the way to potential domestic rest and relaxation.
The story works as…
Review by Matt Singer ★★★

Holiday rooooAAAAOOOoooaaaoooaaaooooad. Holiday rooooAAAAOOOoooaaaoooaaaooooad.
There's one scene here that now (and then too, frankly) is in such poor taste, where the Griswolds get lost on the "wrong side of town" and a bunch of African Americans steal their hubcaps and give them bad directions. It's just awful (on his commentary track, which was recorded at least a decade ago, Harold Ramis claimed he no longer would have put that scene in the movie; I can only imagine what he would have said now). That sequence alone requires *at least* a one-star deduction. Maybe two. Maybe more.
The rest has its moments. The last sequence at Walley World is the part I still love and I'm not even sure why. Maybe it taps into some kind of empty theme park fantasy. Or I just love CHARIOTS OF FIRE references.
Review by Sally Jane Black ★★½ 6

This is just a note that I realized what needs to be done to make this a truly great film: instead of making it to Walley World, the family stops at a rest stop to take a quick nap. Then proceeds the ending of Fat Girl, except with the Griswold family. Please, someone remake this shot for shot from these two movies.
Review by feedingbrett ★★★½

There was something beautiful and loathsome of a long cross country car trip; the cramped space, the numbing pain on your bottom and legs, the constant bickering with your sibling, the endless view of empty nature, the frequent rest stops, the nightly rest at a motel, the simple and tasty sandwiches, the iconic jams of your parents’ pastime tunes, the exhilaration of closely reaching the ultimate destination, exploring and experiencing something new, the awkwardly forced but warmly nostalgic photographs, the cherished mementos that are picked up along the way, the unprepared spending of emergency materials, the timely gas stops, the breeze that enters into the backseat window, the disagreement in the course of the vacation, and the uneven relationship with…

Recent reviews

Review by James Aldridge ★★

Just boring to be honest
Review by REDX459 ★★★★★

Pretty good
Review by CammyDodger ★★★★

Good ol' Roy
Review by Dan Carmody ★★

Hahahahahahah no.
I think I’m too English to appreciate this. Not to mention I have absolutely zero nostalgic connection to it. Chevy Chase’s character is just awful and most of the sketches don’t land. I laughed possibly... twice, maybe three times.
I feel like one of those people that I give bemused looks to when they tell me they don’t like Monty Python.
Review by Tanner Wink ★★★★

GRADE: was B now B+
Review by LoganMitts ★★★★★

Still one of my favorite comedies of all time. So many laugh out loud and quotable lines.
Review by Carter84 ★★★

Basically the precursor of Planes, Trains and Automobiles (makes sense since the story was written by John Hughes), it’s just a lot of fun to see all the weird situations the Griswold family have to face and the crazy reactions of Chevy Chase.
Review by RaNae Lizdenis ★★★★

I laughed in many parts a easy going film to put on when you wanna chill and wow forgot there was tits in it.
Review by Alex ★★★

There are some real highlights, but the overall tone of the thing is just so garishly cruel and misogynistic.