Once upon a time, John Hughes wrote a short story about a middle-class Midwestern family just trying to make it to Disneyland but had to deal with luggage falling off the car, an annoying great Aunt, a dead dog, driving off a cliff, mechanics ripping them off, dad robbing a motel, sibling rivalry, a staggering amount of anti-Indigenous racism, and a showdown involving a dad buying a gun and threatening to hold Mr. Disney hostage unless he opened up the park. This story is what eventually became “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” and the Griswolds quickly became America’s most relatable family. Anyone who has ever taken a cross-country road trip with their family can attest that something always goes wrong, but the luck of the Griswolds makes Charlie Brown look like Indiana Jones.
Directed by Harold Ramis, “National Lampoon’s Vacation” is one of the best examples of a domino comedy, where stakes keep getting higher and more absurd as time goes on, to the point where you completely understand why a dad would hold an entire theme park hostage. National Lampoon had been trying to chase the success of “Animal House” for years and the combination of familial romps in “Vacation” with the raunchy, R-rated humor National Lampoon was known for was their ticket to the top. Over time, it’s become heralded as a classic and a staple of the “If it’s playing on cable, I won’t change the channel” subgenre of cinema.
And with good reason — it’s a damn funny road movie.