---
title: "National Lampoon's Vacation"
year: 1983
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-vacation"
fi1m_id: "national-lampoons-vacation"
imdb_id: "tt0085995"
tmdb_id: 11153
wikidata_id: "Q1219310"
fi1m_score: 70
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 6
published: "2026-10-04T18:25:04.524788+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T18:25:05.455259+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 Vacation (1983)

Directed by Harold Ramis · 1h 39m · MPA R · Comedy, Adventure

## Identity

National Lampoon's Vacation

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-vacation
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** national-lampoons-vacation
- **IMDb ID:** tt0085995
- **TMDB ID:** 11153
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1219310
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085995/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11153, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1219310

**Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 65 from 6 reviews

*In a sentence:* Chevy Chase is the reason we laughed and the reason we would take separate cars

> Chevy Chase makes an awkward family holiday worth joining. *National Lampoon’s Vacation* is good, uneven farce, with a sharp supporting cast and a screenplay that gives its father rather more freedom than its mother.

## Synopsis

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) sets out to take his family on a summer holiday. Ellen Griswold (Beverly D’Angelo) joins him, along with Rusty Griswold (Anthony Michael Hall) and Audrey Griswold (Dana Barron). First comes a new car and an encounter with a car salesman (Eugene Levy). Clark wants to get everyone on the road and give them a trip worth remembering, but arranging the transport is already an obstacle. His plans for the family depend on getting these preparations right.

## Review

Harold Ramis makes a family holiday into a succession of tests for a father who has confused organising the trip with guaranteeing everyone’s pleasure. *National Lampoon’s Vacation* is good, uneven farce, carried by Chevy Chase through stretches that John Hughes’s screenplay does not quite join together. Its useful insight is that a holiday can become hard work once somebody insists it must be enjoyable. Clark Griswold supplies enough of that insistence to keep the comedy going, though the film is less attentive to the people travelling with him.

Chase understands how irritating Clark can be without making him impossible company. We laughed at the new-car business because his confidence is so ill-suited to the practical task in front of him. Eugene Levy, as the car salesman, gives him someone useful to play against, and the scene establishes the pleasure of watching Clark struggle to remain the man in charge. Chase is particularly good at making self-satisfaction seem fragile; we can enjoy Clark’s discomfort without needing him to be punished.

The supporting cast is often sharper than the material it is given. Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie has an unembarrassed manner that lets an awkward encounter become uncomfortable without any great announcement that a joke is arriving. Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron, as Rusty Griswold and Audrey Griswold, give the travelling party some credibility as a family. They deserve more to do, particularly when the script starts relying on our familiarity with Clark’s behaviour.

Victor J. Kemper’s cinematography is effective in its unobtrusive handling of the performers: the jokes remain easy to read. Jack T. Collis’s production design is most useful in the new-car business, which gives Clark’s confidence something solid to attach itself to. Buying a car is a credible first task for someone who hopes a holiday can be organised into perfection. The physical preparations keep the comedy close to the everyday frustrations that make this particular sort of family farce work.

Pembroke J. Herring’s editing keeps the individual mishaps moving, but the succession of them begins to feel arbitrary. A brisk pace helps a joke land; it cannot make every new difficulty equally interesting. Ralph Burns’s music provides an agreeable push without doing much to distinguish one stretch of silliness from the next. As the film goes on, the lack of development matters: Clark can be relied upon to generate trouble, but we start to anticipate the shape of the next joke.

The greater reservation is Ellen. Beverly D’Angelo makes her credible company, yet Hughes gives too little attention to what it means for her to share this trip with Clark. There is a sourness in asking us to indulge his behaviour while allowing her so little scope beyond responding to it. A family comedy can be cruel, but when the father gets most of the comic freedom and the mother gets the consequences, the writing starts to seem lazy.

At 99 minutes, it remains a manageable evening, and the better performances earn it some patience. We recommend it to anyone who enjoys a family farce and can tolerate stretches that depend heavily on affection for its leading man. Those looking for much warmth between the Griswolds should be more cautious. Perhaps do not make it compulsory family viewing.

*Fi1m score 70, published 4 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards qualified approval of National Lampoon’s Vacation, with praise centred on the cast and the familiar frustrations of a family road trip. Chevy Chase’s comic performance earns approval, while Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie is a recurring highlight among the supporting players. The warmer responses find affection beneath the holiday mishaps, and Harold Ramis’s fast-paced silliness also earns praise, though enthusiasm for the humour varies considerably.

The spread is wide, from enthusiastic appreciation to a firm recommendation against revisiting it. Slant Magazine finds plenty of laughs but regards the structure as haphazard and the family themes as shallow. The sharpest dissent comes from The Skinny, which acknowledges some good moments but objects to the racist depiction of a Black neighbourhood and the sexist treatment of Ellen; its reservations concern whom the comedy targets, rather than simply how often it is funny.

## Straight answers

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

*National Lampoon's Vacation* is worth watching if family farce is your sort of comedy; we score it 70 out of 100. Chevy Chase makes Clark’s misplaced confidence funny, and the supporting cast helps sustain an uneven script, though the repetitive mishaps and Ellen’s underwritten role limit both the laughter and the warmth.

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

*National Lampoon's Vacation* runs 1h 39m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and adventure film.

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

*National Lampoon's 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 Vacation, and is it suitable for children?**

*National Lampoon's Vacation* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for younger children despite its family-holiday premise. That classification indicates material intended for older teenagers and adults; we cannot give a more specific assurance about violence or frightening content, so parents should not take the comic subject as a guarantee of gentle viewing.

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

*National Lampoon's Vacation* offers a louder, more uneven holiday farce than [*Monsieur Hulot's Holiday*](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday), which we recommend more readily for its careful timing and kindness towards its foolish holidaymakers. Chase supplies the appeal of the Griswolds’ trip, while Tati favours patient visual jokes about seaside rituals; those wanting quieter comedy should choose Hulot, though some routines linger.

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

After *National Lampoon's Vacation*, try [*Monsieur Hulot's Holiday*](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday) (1953, Fi1m 86): Seaside holiday rituals dismantled with patient visual jokes and considerably less shouting. Then [*Sightseers*](https://film.one/film/sightseers) (2012, Fi1m 78): Murderous holidaymakers push the resentment beneath a modest British getaway much further; and [*Hunt for the Wilderpeople*](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople) (2016, Fi1m 82): A reluctant guardian and runaway boy make irritable companionship unexpectedly moving.

### Reviews we read (6)

- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge (90/100, inferred): Byrge praises the film as a witty, affectionate and highly entertaining family comedy. He singles out the recognizable cross-country vacation mishaps and the cast’s performances, especially Randy Quaid’s inspired turn. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/national-lampoons-vacation-thrs-1983-review-1235189002/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin (3.5/5): Cabin finds the comedy frequently funny but structurally haphazard, with family themes that often feel shallow. He singles out Chevy Chase’s comic performance and the supporting characters’ moments of hilarity as highlights. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/national-lampoons-vacation/)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an enjoyable journey through familiar comedy territory. They praise Randy Quaid’s performance as Cousin Eddie, which nearly steals the picture. [Read](https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/national-lampoon-s-vacation-1200425479/)
- **Time Out**, RR (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the article text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. The available description frames the family vacation as a stereotype of middle America but gives no specific praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/national-lampoons-vacation)
- **Radio Times**, Joanna Berry (3/5): Berry considers it a decent comedy, though less funny than Animal House and better than later films in the series. She praises Harold Ramis’s fast-paced silliness and the supporting cast. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-lcmjqq/national-lampoons-vacation/)
- **The Skinny**, Long Cat Media (25/100, inferred): The writers find the film dated and not worth revisiting, despite some good moments. They particularly criticize its racist depiction of a Black neighborhood and its sexist treatment of Ellen. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/comedy/opinion/icymi-long-cat-media-on-national-lampoons-vacation)

## Details

- **Director:** Harold Ramis
- **Director:** Harold Ramis
- **Screenplay:** John Hughes
- **Cinematography:** Victor J. Kemper
- **Editor:** Pembroke J. Herring
- **Music:** Ralph Burns
- **Production design:** Jack T. Collis
- **Producer:** Matty Simmons
- **Cast:** Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold; Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold; Anthony Michael Hall as Rusty Griswold; Imogene Coca as Aunt Edna; Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie; Dana Barron as Audrey Griswold; Eddie Bracken as Roy Walley; Brian Doyle-Murray as Kamp Komfort Clerk
- **Runtime:** 1h 39m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 29 July 1983
- **Genres:** Comedy, Adventure
- **Budget:** $15 million
- **Box office:** $61 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGJplbPcJFA

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-08
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

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

## If you liked this

- *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987): Two stranded travellers turn transport failures into a warmer, more sustained comedy.
- *Monsieur Hulot's Holiday* (1953), Fi1m 86: Seaside holiday rituals dismantled with patient visual jokes and considerably less shouting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/monsieur-hulots-holiday.md)
- *Sightseers* (2012), Fi1m 78: Murderous holidaymakers push the resentment beneath a modest British getaway much further. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sightseers.md)
- *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), Fi1m 82: A reluctant guardian and runaway boy make irritable companionship unexpectedly moving. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md)
- *Little Miss Sunshine* (2006), Fi1m 78: Another family journey where parental certainty makes every practical problem considerably worse. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/little-miss-sunshine.md)

---
© 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-vacation