Family Ties Vacation (TV 1985)

The Keaton Family goes on a Family Vacation.

Director:

Will Mackenzie

Writers:

Gary David Goldberg, Marc Lawrence,

Stars:

Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, Michael J. Fox

Cast

Credited cast:
Meredith Baxter	...	Elyse Keaton
Michael Gross	...	Steven Keaton
Michael J. Fox	...	Alex P. Keaton
Justine Bateman	...	Mallory Keaton
Tina Yothers	...	Jennifer Keaton
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Ainslie	...	Tour Guide
Philip Anthony	...	Receptionist
Paul Cooke	...	Student
John Gillett	...	Inspector Wyman
Mark Greenstreet	...	Bellboy
Peter Guinness	...	Contact Man
Guy Henry	...	Jonathan
Richard Huw	...	Michael
Philip Hynd	...	Markham
Charles Lewsen	...	Lord #2

Storyline

The Keaton Family goes on a Family Vacation.

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Plot Keywords:

vacation | bound and gagged | sequel | study abroad | scholarship | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1985 (USA)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, Ubu Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Mallory Keaton: Do they have toast in England?
Alex P. Keaton: Yeah, I think a boat load just came in this morning.
Mallory Keaton: Alex, you don't have to be so sarcastic, okay? We are in a foreign country. We don't know for sure if they have toast here.
Alex P. Keaton: Mallory, the United States was started by people from England. They had toast before we did.
Mallory Keaton: Oh yeah? Who invented it?
Alex P. Keaton: Alfred Toast.

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Connections

Spun-off from Family Ties (1982)

User Reviews

Decent enough

I notice that one reviewer here feels like this TV-movie-of-the-week was not worthy of the series and he also mentions that it's downright silly at times.

I agree with him that the show displays better humor and that this movie is a bit on the silly side. The bumbling spies look especially silly and some of the Keatons look like they're completely different characters here than on the show. Steven, Elyse and Mallory act a lot differently here than we're used to on the show and Jennifer has nothing to do here. The one character who's instantly recognizable is Alex and he carries the movie as far as it can go. The scenes at Oxford university are decent and Alex's inability to blend in with the English crowd is pretty funny at times.

I recently read Michael J. Fox's "Lucky Man" and there he comments on this film. He doesn't think too highly of it and mentions the fact that it was incredibly rushed.

But for a fan of the show I doubt that person will be bored to death. This film is sporadically funny, a bit too silly but for a TV movie of the week I think it's overall decent enough. For a fan of the show that is.