European Vacation (1985)

Director:

Amy Heckerling

Writers:

John Hughes (screenplay)
John Hughes (story)

Release Date:

26 July 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Romance

Tagline:

For over two thousand years, Europe has survived many great disasters. Now for the real test. Chevy Chase & his family are coming from America!

Plot:

The Griswalds win a vacation tour across Europe where the usual havoc ensues.

Plot Keywords:

Germany | Italy | Vacation | Tourist | Stonehenge

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chevy Chase	...	Clark Griswold
Beverly D'Angelo	...	Ellen Griswold
Dana Hill	...	Audrey Griswold
Jason Lively	...	Russell 'Rusty' Griswold
John Astin	...	Kent Winkdale
Sheila Kennedy	...	Game Show Hostess #1
Paul Bartel	...	Mr. Froeger
Cynthia Szigeti	...	Mrs. Froeger
Malcolm Danare	...	Son Froeger
Kevi Kendall	...	Daughter Froeger
Tricia Lange	...	Game Show Hostess #2
William Zabka	...	Jack
Wendy Goldman	...	Stewardess
Angus MacKay	...	Announcer at Court
Julie Wooldridge	...	Princess Diana

Also Known As:

National Lampoon's European Vacation (UK) (video box title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | German | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | USA:R (original rating) | Finland:K-7 (2006) | Finland:K-8 (1986) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Canada:PG (Manitoba)

Filming Locations:

Bressanone, Bolzano, Trentino - Alto Adige, Italy

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the closing credits, there is a picture of a dog with a gun held to its head. This is from the cover of a January 1973 issue of National Lampoons magazine.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Clark first hits the bike rider with his car, he is nursing his left leg, but later, at the hotel in Rome, he has a cast on his right leg.

Quotes:

Ellen Griswold: Look back there!
Clark Griswold: Yeah, it's a hooker...
Ellen Griswold: Look who she's with!
[Clark looks back, Rusty is with the hooker]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Family Truckster (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Ca plane pour moi

One vacation you'll wanna miss

John Hughes wrote a lot of great comedies in the '80s. "European Vacation" is not one of them. The follow-up to Hughes' first big hit "Vacation" (1983), is about as predictable, unfunny and annoying as they come -- no matter how much you love the dumb but romantic Clark and Ellen Griswold (Chase and D'Angelo).

I greatly enjoyed "Vacation" as well as the third film, 1989's "Christmas Vacation," but the Griswold's trip to Europe is bland and forced. Perhaps because this was Hughes' first attempt at a sequel that he didn't get it, but it's really dumbfounding how uninspired and devoid of a story "European Vacation" is. There is no through story: the Griswolds win a game show for being "greedy little pigs" and go on a tour of Europe through England, France, Germany and Italy. Even the screwball physical humor that is the trademark of the first loses all effect because you see it coming, which is part director Amy Heckerling's fault. The "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" director sets everything up too predictably.

Maybe it was Hughes taking a cheap shot because he was put up to the sequel. "European Vacation" takes great pride in insulting Americans (recall the greedy little pig game show they win), especially tourists, represented by the cornball Griswold family. It also pats itself on the back implicitly saying "oh us Griswolds, we're always getting into something because our dad is an idiot." Then in nearly comic fashion it ends with a tribute to America and how grateful the Griswolds are to return to such a better country. If Hughes was going for satire and meant to do it in the form of a bad movie, well maybe I should award this 8/10 stars.

It's not just the unfunniness, but "European Vacation" boasts the two worst actors to play kids Rusty and Audrey (Jason Lively and Dana Hill). They're both annoying and obnoxious, with the unattractive and loud-mouthed Audrey blubbering about the boyfriend she's left behind nearly the entire film. Hughes even goes as far as to have her comment about missing him right as she observes a giant bratwurst. Quite tasteful. Speaking of, breasts are flashed in two different scenes for no good reason (unless it was to comment on Americans' love of gratuitous nipples in their comedies).

I will give the film one of its two stars thanks to Eric Idle of the Monty Python crew, whose cameo at a few different points in the film where he recites lines directly from "Holy Grail" is about the funniest part. If Hughes intended for us to find one of the film's only non- American actors as the only funny part, then another tip of the hat to him for ripping open the underbelly of Hollywood comedy in the '80s. Still, would it have hurt for him to do that while making it entertaining?