The Great Outdoors (1988)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writer (WGA):

John Hughes (written by)

Release Date:

17 June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

This holiday's no picnic.

Plot:

A Chicago man's hope for a peaceful family vacation in the woods is shattered when the annoying in-laws drop in.

Plot Keywords:

Brother In Law | Wheelchair | English Subtitles In Original | Bat | Summer Vacation

US TV Schedule:

Thur. July 30

1:00 AM

TBS

Cast

Dan Aykroyd	...	Roman Craig
John Candy	...	Chet Ripley
Stephanie Faracy	...	Connie Ripley
Annette Bening	...	Kate Craig
Chris Young	...	Buck Ripley
Ian Giatti	...	Ben Ripley
Hilary Gordon	...	Cara Craig
Rebecca Gordon	...	Mara Craig
Robert Prosky	...	Wally
Zoaunne LeRoy	...	Juanita
Lucy Deakins	...	Cammie
Nancy Lenehan	...	Waitress
John Bloom	...	Jimbo
Lewis Arquette	...	Herm
Britt Leach	...	Reg
Cliff Bemis	...	Boat Yard Owner
Paul Hansen	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Debra Lee Ortega	...	Dancing Biker Girl
Sierra Somerville	...	Girl in Arcade
Christine Spiotta	...	Woman in Crowd
Chris Bass	...	Lodge Patron
Shirley Harris	...	Lodge Customer
Christopher Kinsman	...	Irate Customer
Andy Prosky	...	Grill Chef
Brian Healy	...	Man in Crowd
Bart the Bear	...	The Bald Bear
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raleigh Bond	...	Grandpa (uncredited)
Jerry Maren	...	(uncredited)
Barry Thompson	...	Kitchen Help (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Deutch

Writing credits (WGA)
John Hughes		(written by)

Produced by
John Hughes	....	executive producer
Tom Jacobson	....	executive producer
Stephen Lim	....	associate producer
Arne Schmidt	....	producer
Elena Spiotta	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Ric Waite

Film Editing by
Seth Flaum
Tom Rolf

Production Design by
John W. Corso

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Costume Design by
Marilyn Vance

Makeup Department
Rob Bottin	....	special makeup effects artist
Alan Friedman	....	makeup artist
Steve LaPorte	....	special makeup effects artist
Ben Nye Jr.	....	makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair stylist (as Carol O'Connell)
Julie C. Steffes	....	body makeup
Rick Stratton	....	makeup artist: second unit
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Charles Newirth	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sam Epstein	....	first assistant director: second unit
Christine Larson	....	second assistant director
Stephen Lim	....	first assistant director
Walter Scott	....	second unit director
B. Scott Senechal	....	dga trainee (as Scott Senechal)

Art Department
Richard Baum	....	set dresser
Dennis J. Benda	....	stand-by greensman (as Dennis Benda)
Sharon Busse	....	set designer
Carl Butz	....	draper
Jerry Gadette	....	stand-by painter
Ricardo Gallardo	....	construction foreman
Mike Higelmire	....	lead man
Bill King	....	property master
Gary Kudroff	....	set dresser
Peter Lamppu	....	construction foreman
John Leone	....	construction foreman
Louis M. Mann	....	assistant art director (as Louis Mann)
Richard Mazzotti	....	greensman
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Hope M. Parrish	....	assistant property master
Phil Read	....	construction coordinator
John A. Scott III	....	set dresser
Tom Urioste	....	assistant property master
Greg Villalva	....	construction foreman
Ted Wilson	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Donald L. Bolger	....	boom operator (as Don Bolger)
Charles J. Bond	....	cableman (as Charles Bond)
Jim Borgardt	....	adr editor
Michael C. Casper	....	sound re-recording mixer
Melinda Cooke	....	apprentice sound editor
Blake R. Cornett	....	assistant sound editor
Dino Dimuro	....	sound mixer
Doreen A. Dixon	....	supervising adr editor
Roberta Doheny	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Engstrom	....	assistant sound editor
Mark Gordon	....	sound editor
William Hartman	....	sound editor
David M. Ice	....	sound editor (as David Ice)
David Jansen	....	assistant sound editor
Roxanne Jones	....	sound editor (as Roxanne R. Jones)
Jeffrey Kaplan	....	sound recordist (as Jeff Kaplan)
C. Darin Knight	....	sound mixer (as Darin Knight)
Steve Kohler	....	foley recordist
Andy MacDonald	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Andrew MacDonald)
James Matheny	....	sound editor
Tom C. McCarthy	....	supervising sound editor (as Tom McCarthy)
Thomas Meloeny	....	additional re-recordist (as Tom Meloeny)
James Moriana	....	foley walker (as James M. Moriana)
Gary D. Rogers	....	foley mixer
Ed Rossi	....	sound editor
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	sound editor
Tanya Sharp David	....	adr mixer (as Tanya David)
John Shouse	....	sound editor
Mary Ruth Smith	....	sound editor
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley walker (as Jeffrey B. Wilhoit)
David Williams	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Michael Burnett	....	special creature effects
Danny Cangemi	....	special effects (as Dan Cangemi)
John Frazier	....	special effects coordinator
Rocky Gehr	....	special effects (as Rocky A. Gehr)
Elmer Hui	....	special effects
Thomas Mertz	....	special effects
Frances Pennington	....	special effects (as Francis Pennington)
Mike Reedy	....	special effects shop foreman
David Wischnack	....	special effects
Jeffrey A. Wischnack	....	special effects (as Jeff Wischnack)
Dick Wood	....	special effects

Stunts
Linda Arvidson	....	stunts (as Linda Lee Arvidson)
Elizabeth Barrington	....	stunts
Steve Bolan	....	stunts
Ty Crowley	....	stunts
Laura Dash	....	stunts
Scott Dockstader	....	stunts (as Scott R. Dockstader)
Jeff Jensen	....	stunts
Robert LaPoint	....	stunts (as Bob La Point)
Daniel K. Moore	....	stunts
Gary Morgan	....	bear stunts
Robbi Morgan	....	stunts
Roger Morgan	....	stunts
Manny Perry	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Ben Scott	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Walter Scott	....	stunts
Clint Youngreen	....	bear stunts (as Clint Younggreen)
John-Clay Scott	....	stunt double: John Candy (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthew E. Alper	....	second assistant camera (as Matthew Alper)
Steve Boldruff	....	best boy grip (as Steve Boldroff)
Carl Boles	....	gaffer
George W. Borthwick	....	best boy grip (as George Wells Borthwick)
Joe Castagnoli	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Billy Clevenger	....	first assistant camera (as William Clevenger)
Dick Colean	....	camera operator
Jimmy Fine	....	lamp operator (as Jim Fine)
Roger Gebhard	....	camera operator
Kristopher Gregg	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Terry Hawker	....	grip
Susan C. Ingram	....	second assistant camera
Robin P. Knight	....	key grip: second unit (as Robin Knight)
Gemma La Mana	....	still photographer (as Gemma La Mana Wills)
John London	....	key grip
E. Scott Mayhugh	....	grip (as Scott Mayhugh)
Dennis McLean	....	grip
Richard A. Mention III	....	first assistant camera (as Richard Mention)
Rick Neff	....	camera operator
Charles E. Nippell	....	best boy electric (as Chas E. Nippell)
Richard Smock	....	lamp operator
Robert C. Thomas	....	director of photography: second unit (as Robert Thomas)
Ken Tosic	....	best boy electric (as Kenneth Tosic)
Richard R. Waite	....	film loader (as Richard Waite)
Don Whipple	....	dolly grip (as Don Whipple Jr.)

Casting Department
Nancy Mott	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gala Autumn	....	costumer: women
Elinor Bardach	....	key costumer: women
Greg Hall	....	costumer: men
Silvio Scarano	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Tom Allen	....	apprentice editor
Anita Brandt-Burgoyne	....	assistant editor
Jacqueline Cambas	....	additional editor
Jean Caperonis	....	assistant editor
Francine Fleishman	....	assistant editor
Vicki Hiatt	....	assistant editor
Penney May	....	apprentice editor
Dan Muscarella	....	color timer
Ray Sabo	....	negative cutter
Lisa M. Varney	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Emma Dikson	....	assistant music supervisor
Tarquin Gotch	....	music supervisor
Nicky Holland	....	composer: additional music
Tom Kramer	....	music editor
Maggie Ostroff	....	assistant music editor
Thomas Pasatieri	....	orchestrator
Ron Payne	....	assistant music supervisor
Dennis S. Sands	....	scoring mixer (as Dennis Sands)
John Vigran	....	scoring mixer
Bruce Robb	....	music engineer (uncredited)
Bruce Robb	....	music mixer (uncredited)
Bruce Robb	....	music producer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bob Cornell	....	transportation captain
Timothy P. Ryan	....	transportation co-captain (as Tim Ryan)
Tom F. Thomas	....	transportation coordinator (as Tom Thomas)

Other crew
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor
Jacqueline G. Arthur	....	assistant: Ms. Vance-Straker (as Jacki Arthur)
Bruce A. Block	....	filmic consultant
Paul A. Calabria	....	animal trainer (as Paul Calabria)
Allegra Clegg	....	production coordinator
Ron Filbert	....	production accountant
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Jan Garner	....	location auditor
Tim Gonzales	....	craft service
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor: second unit (as Karen Wookey)
Cheryl Harris	....	animal trainer
Willie Kapahu	....	production accountant
Christopher Kinsman	....	office assistant
Shelley Kirkwood	....	unit publicist
Rick Lowry	....	boat master
Nancy Neumann	....	studio teacher
Kenny Ortega	....	choreographer
Tom C. Peitzman	....	office assistant
Donald A. Potts	....	location manager
Doug Seus	....	head bear trainer
Lynne Seus	....	assistant bear trainer
Todd Trotter	....	assistant production coordinator
Clint Youngreen	....	assistant bear trainer (as Clint Younggreen)
Greg Knapp	....	set medic (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hughes Entertainment
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1989) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CBS Television Network (1990) (USA) (TV)
• MCA Home Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cherokee Studios  music recorded and mixed at
• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Panavision  camera and lenses
• Universal Title  opticals

Also Known As:

Big Country (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bass Lake, California, USA

Company:

Hughes Entertainment

Trivia:

This movie was originally titled "Big Country"

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: A stick being waved under the bear's chin to make it knock down the cabin door.

Quotes:

Chet: Bear... bear... Big Bear... big bear chase meeeeeeee...!

Movie Connections:

References "The Yogi Bear Show" (1961)

Soundtrack:

Dragboat

Aykroyd and Candy: a great combo

"The Great Outdoors" is what anyone would expect of a John Candy movie: completely goofy, but funny nonetheless. He plays Chet Ripley, taking his family on vacation in the wilderness. Unfortunately, Chet's unpleasant brother-in-law Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd) is also there, and he just has to make everything miserable for Chet. In some ways, this movie seems to be rehashing "Summer Rental", but with a different tone. My favorite parts were the raccoons, the bear, and The Old '96er (I don't recommend that scene for squeamish people). All in all, it just goes to show what the world lost when John Candy died. He was really great.

P.S.: Annette Bening, in her debut, plays Roman's wife Kate.