Alternate Versions
When originally released in theaters, the song "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters was present, but quickly withdrawn, having June Pointer's "Little Boy Sweet" replace it; hence why it does not appear on the soundtrack. Mistakenly, the song is credited (as should be) but not featured in the film on VHS or DVD, just when shown on TV. "Summer Hearts" by Nicolette Larson was apart of the original ending to the film, and only remains on the soundtrack.
CBS edited 3 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere.
The TV version includes some alternate lines, including:
- The man they ask directions from responds with "Who do I look like, Christopher Columbo?" instead of his R-rated response.
- Eddie's daughter credits her science teacher, not her father, with saying she's the best at french kissing.
- When they lose the small suitcase while driving, in the movie version, Clark says the only thing that can't be replaced that was lost is Ellen's diaphragm, which is changed to birth control pills for the edited version.
Nearly every version of this film released on home video and seen on TV has a familiar scene altered and shortened: when Ellen is finished with her shower and lies down on the bed to talk with Clark, it is possible to see her underwear for a split-second. The 1984 VHS release, and only this release, contains that same scene except much more of her underwear and legs can be seen. Also the scene is just slightly longer. Copies from 1986 and 1999 have a significant portion of the bottom of the screen missing.
Some prints play different music during Christie Brinkley's scenes.
When aired on Comedy Central, Clark's insult for Cousin Normy was changed from "jackoff" to "horse's ass". And some of Clark's goofy prayer for Aunt Edna was edited inexplicably.
When aired on Comedy Central, these scenes were deleted and/or altered.
- When Clark asks a pimp for directions and he tells Clark a dirty response was cut.
- Clark and Ellen's conversation in the car about what they did during a trip to Florida in college was cut and just lead to Clark saying "the damn wheel's all screwed up".
- Ellen coming out of the shower now shows her buttoning up her shirt where in the video release, her breasts were visible, but not here.
- The scene where Dale shows Rusty his stack of nudie books "this high" was cut, as was the scene where Vickie showed Audrey her shoe box of weed, including the part where Vickie gives Audrey a few joints before letting her in the Truckster.
- After Clark forgot to untie Dinky from the bumper and the cop found out, his response of "explain this you son of a bitch" was changed to "explain this you sedistic bum".
- The scene where Clark and the family pull into a cafe that delivers food to the car and Clark takes the tray, hits it against the window and drops it onto the pavement was cut.
- When Clark trots through the desert, the watcher's comment of "what an asshole" was changed to "what an airhead".
- Clark's speech of the trip to Walley World was now a quest was altered to remove the words 'fuck' and 'assholes' and 'shit'.
- The scene where they have just left Chicago and Clark sings "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" was cut and just lead to the scene at the gas station where Clark tried to find the gas tank.
- And the original song that plays whenever Christine Brinkley drove by was changed to "I'm so excited" in all encounters, except when the family is eating at a picnic and Clark spots her at a truck stop.
- When aired on Fox Family, all profanities including 'hell' and damn' were removed and some scenes not in the above version were still intact and some were intact but altered.
In the 2003 DVD, "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters has been taken out from the scenes where The Girl In The Ferrari is driving alongside Clark. Instead, "Little Boy Sweet" (which was originally in one scene of the film) replaces "I'm So Excited".
