‎National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) directed by Harold Ramis • Reviews, film + cast • Letterboxd

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

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

comedy adventure romance

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 this 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 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…
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.

Recent reviews

Review by Buddydacinedog ★★★★

A classic of comedy. The humor sticks so often and with such quotable lines that this film holds up over repeat viewings.
Review by Solid Gold ★★★

My sister-in-law (who genuinely is one of the loveliest and most unselfish person I’ve ever met) hates Chevy Chase.

Really hates him. Like, has to get up and leave the room if he comes onscreen. Swearing as she goes.... “... Fucking Chevy ...fucking Chase... fucking aunt... etc”

Now i understand someone hating, loathing and despising people. Of course I do: people are generally scum. I hate people. But many individual people are ok.
Chevy Chase always came across to me as a harmless goon, much like the Clarke Griswold character that, I can appreciate, divided opinions.But he never seemed that annoying.

Maybe he’s a Nazi, or kicks small animals or is rude to his mother, I don’t know. I don’t…
Review by Rebecca Nicole Williams

Rented VHS
Review by Rebecca Nicole Williams

Rented VHS
Review by Falastino ★★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Fängt sehr schwach an, wird mit der Zeit aber etwas origineller und traut sich dann doch einiges. Vor allem die Sequenzen mit der feschen Dame und der toten Oma unterhalten gut, der Großteil der Gags zündet aber leider nicht.

Trotzdem, allein für das erste Outfit des Cousins hätte der Film einen Oscar verdient.
Review by Nathan Scott ★★★

If road-trip movies have taught me one thing, its absolutely do not make any stops along the way, its bound to be trouble, simply drive to your destination, make a quick fuel stop if you need too, and call it a day. Vacation is a very episodic type of film, you have one incident that occurs and somewhat solved, move on, repeat over and over until the Griswolds reach Wally World. This film serves as quite a milestone for the family comedy genre, as like my family, can always fear we will have a "Griswold moment" on any family trip we take. Its a lot of fun, and im a little embarrassed to say this is my first watch as I am more familiar with Christmas Vacation, but this is a terrific first entry, and who cant love Chevy Chase's iconic facial expressions.
Review by 🎬 Robert Beardsley ★★★½

Petty good, but not as good as other Chevy Chase vehicles.

Robtometer: 74%
Review by Dean ★★

Yeah this wasn't nearly as funny as I remembered. Kind of unpleasant actually.
Review by Bozz14 ★★★★

National Lampoons Vacation is a comedy I have grown up with from a very young age and it's just as funny now as it was back then. Admittedly, the film fizzles out towards the end but there is enough brilliance in the first 3/4 that makes up for this (praise must go to one of the greatest mental breakdown scenes in the history of comedy)

Chevy Chase's comedic timing is so on point and without him this film certainly wouldn't be anywhere near as funny as it is (Randy Quaid must also receive some of the credit).

National Lampoons Vacation is a great comedy and one that will always hold a special place in my heart.

Praise Marty Moose!