---
title: "National Lampoon's European Vacation"
year: 1985
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation"
fi1m_id: "national-lampoons-european-vacation"
imdb_id: "tt0089670"
tmdb_id: 11418
wikidata_id: "Q1538224"
fi1m_score: 40
critics_score: 36
critics_reviews: 5
published: "2026-10-04T19:17:28.371506+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T19:17:38.065542+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)

Directed by Amy Heckerling · 1h 35m · MPA PG-13 · Adventure, Comedy

## Identity

National Lampoon's European Vacation

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** national-lampoons-european-vacation
- **IMDb ID:** tt0089670
- **TMDB ID:** 11418
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1538224
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089670/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11418, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1538224

**Fi1m score: 40** · Critics 36 (early) from 5 reviews

*In a sentence:* Chevy Chase remains enthusiastic about a family holiday we would have cut short

> Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo give this family holiday comedy more goodwill than its jokes deserve. Amy Heckerling’s film has a few amiable moments, but national stereotypes and stop-start storytelling make the trip wearisome.

## Synopsis

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), Ellen Griswold (Beverly D’Angelo), Audrey Griswold (Dana Hill) and Rusty Griswold (Jason Lively) leave America for a family trip to Europe. The journey places the Griswolds among unfamiliar people and customs, with Clark bringing his enthusiasm for the holiday along with him. Their travels involve The Bike Rider (Eric Idle), Hotel Manager (Mel Smith) and Lady in the Bed (Maureen Lipman). Away from home, the four Griswolds face the complications of being American visitors abroad while having to get through the same holiday together.

## Review

*National Lampoon’s European Vacation* is a poor comedy with a likeable cast, and the cast cannot rescue it. Amy Heckerling takes the Griswolds abroad on the reasonable assumption that unfamiliar surroundings will provide fresh opportunities for embarrassment. There is plenty to work with: family friction, misplaced confidence and the difficulty of enjoying something simply because a holiday requires it. Too often, though, the screenplay by Robert Klane and John Hughes settles for presenting a national stereotype and waiting for recognition to produce a laugh.

Chevy Chase is the reason it remains watchable in stretches. His Clark Griswold has an enthusiasm that survives material which would flatten a less assured comic performer, and there is pleasure in watching him commit to it. Beverly D’Angelo brings a comparable willingness to Ellen Griswold, giving the family some warmth when the writing might otherwise leave us wanting to escape them. Both performers can make a weak passage agreeable, though neither can supply the missing joke.

We smiled at the passport-stamped opening credits, whose simple visual joke promises a livelier film than the one that follows. Once the itinerary takes over, each new destination seems to require the comedy to start again. Pembroke J. Herring’s editing leaves that episodic structure conspicuous, with little sense of one embarrassment adding pressure to the next. At 95 minutes, this ought to be a brisk diversion, yet we grew impatient with the repeated business of moving everyone along and setting up another disappointment.

Robert Paynter’s cinematography and Robert Cartwright’s production design are caught in the same sightseeing routine. The emphasis on establishing each destination gives us places to look at without making them particularly useful settings for comedy. Charles Fox’s music supplies cheerfulness, but the scenes already tell us quite plainly that we are meant to be having fun. The accompaniment becomes another thing to sit through when a gag has failed, rather than helping the film recover its pace.

Dana Hill’s Audrey Griswold and Jason Lively’s Rusty Griswold also suffer from the script’s limited curiosity about the family. There ought to be more comedy in taking these particular people away together than in working through another collection of foreign habits. Heckerling keeps the humour broad, but too many jokes can be anticipated before they have properly begun. The willing performances make that predictability more disappointing, because the cast seem ready for something less routine than the screenplay offers them.

The national caricatures are tiresome chiefly because they save the writers from observing anything closely. Holiday comedy has ample opportunity to explore the difference between what travellers expect and what they encounter, without making everyone they meet stand for an entire country. Here, the repeated reliance on clichés gradually makes the family’s enthusiasm exhausting too. Most critics have been unpersuaded, and we agree with the complaints about the stereotypes and the disconnected succession of incidents.

There are enough agreeable moments to understand why affection for the Griswolds might survive this outing. Chase and D’Angelo deserve credit for maintaining that affection without much assistance from the writing, and their company is sometimes sufficient for a scene. It is not sufficient for an evening. Anyone coming principally for Chase should be prepared for considerable waits between laughs.

*Fi1m score 40, published 4 October 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is National Lampoon's European Vacation worth watching?**

*National Lampoon's European Vacation* is hard to recommend beyond devoted Chevy Chase fans, and we score it 40/100. Chase and Beverly D’Angelo bring warmth to the family, but predictable national stereotypes and stop-start storytelling leave considerable waits between laughs across its 95 minutes.

**How long is National Lampoon's European Vacation, and what is it rated?**

*National Lampoon's European Vacation* runs 1h 35m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is an adventure and comedy film.

**Where can I watch National Lampoon's European Vacation in the US?**

*National Lampoon's European Vacation* is streaming on The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $5.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 8 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is National Lampoon's European Vacation, and is it suitable for children?**

*National Lampoon's European Vacation* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15 despite its family-holiday premise. That certificate indicates material intended for older teenagers and adults; it does not, by itself, establish how violent or frightening the film is.

**How does National Lampoon's European Vacation compare to Monsieur Hulot's Holiday?**

*National Lampoon's European Vacation* is the weaker holiday comedy; we recommend [*Monsieur Hulot's Holiday*](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday) for its patient observation and carefully timed physical jokes. The Griswolds offer broader mishaps and likeable performances, but lean heavily on national stereotypes, while Tati rewards close attention and treats foolish behaviour with greater kindness.

**What should I watch after National Lampoon's European Vacation?**

After *National Lampoon's European Vacation*, try [*Mr. Hulot's Holiday*](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday) (1953, Fi1m 86): Holiday mishaps observed patiently, with physical jokes that reward paying attention. Then [*Sightseers*](https://film.one/film/sightseers) (2012, Fi1m 78): A considerably darker British holiday comedy, with irritation allowed to become dangerous.

### Reviews we read (5)

- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (3/5): The critic says the comedy ought to be dismissed, but finds the Griswold family’s appeal hard to resist. He praises Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo’s infectious enthusiasm, while faulting the film’s clichés and national stereotypes. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-94cihw/national-lampoons-european-vacation/)
- **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (3/5): The review finds the sequel disappointing compared with the original and the later Christmas follow-up. It singles out its failure to match either predecessor. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/national-lampoons-european-vacation)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (30/100, inferred): The review finds the film graceless and uneven, with an overlong-feeling, brochure-like structure. It praises the passport-stamped opening credits as the most imaginative touch and notes that Chevy Chase helps carry the film. [Read](https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/national-lampoon-s-european-vacation-1200426515/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (10/100, inferred): Benson dismisses the film as a witless, predictable disappointment. She faults the labored screenplay and direction for wasting the cast and reducing the comedy to tired stereotypes. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-30-ca-4184-story.html)
- **Collider**, Dave Trumbore (10/100, inferred): Trumbore condemns the sequel as an awful, disjointed comedy with only a few laughs. He especially faults its reliance on stale national stereotypes and disturbing scenes played for comedy. [Read](https://collider.com/european-vacation-retrospective-this-movie-is-why-europeans-hate-americans/)

## Details

- **Director:** Amy Heckerling
- **Director:** Amy Heckerling
- **Screenplay:** John Hughes, Robert Klane
- **Story:** John Hughes
- **Cinematography:** Robert Paynter
- **Editor:** Pembroke J. Herring
- **Music:** Charles Fox
- **Production design:** Robert Cartwright
- **Costume design:** Graham Williams
- **Producer:** Matty Simmons
- **Cast:** Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold; Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold; Dana Hill as Audrey Griswold; Jason Lively as Rusty Griswold; Victor Lanoux as Thief; Eric Idle as The Bike Rider; John Astin as Kent; Paul Bartel as Mr. Froeger
- **Runtime:** 1h 35m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 25 July 1985
- **Genres:** Adventure, Comedy
- **Budget:** $17 million
- **Box office:** $49 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbF_7TiG5bg

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-08
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BG, CA, CL, CZ, DE, DK, FI, GB, HR, IN, IT, LT, NL, NO, NZ, PT, RO, RS, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Mr. Hulot's Holiday* (1953), Fi1m 86: Holiday mishaps observed patiently, with physical jokes that reward paying attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday.md)
- *The Out-of-Towners* (1970): Another disastrous trip, with more precise jokes about mounting travel misery.
- *The Castle* (1997): Another family whose unreasonable optimism proves much easier to love.
- *Sightseers* (2012), Fi1m 78: A considerably darker British holiday comedy, with irritation allowed to become dangerous. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sightseers.md)
- *Good Morning* (1959): Family friction treated with patience, warmth and a healthy respect for silliness.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation