Johnson Family Vacation (2004)

AAA can't help the roadside emergency that is the JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION. Even the on-board navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson and his family's cross-country trek to their ... See full summary »

Director:

Christopher Erskin

Writers:

Todd R. Jones, Earl Richey Jones

Stars:

Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Nate Johnson / Uncle Earl
Vanessa Williams	...	Dorothy Johnson
Solange Knowles	...	Nikki Johnson
Bow Wow	...	D.J. Johnson
Gabby Soleil	...	Destiny Johnson
Shannon Elizabeth	...	Chrishelle Rene Boudreau
Steve Harvey	...	Mack Johnson
Aloma Wright	...	Glorietta Johnson
Shari Headley	...	Jacqueline
Jennifer Freeman	...	Jill
Philip Bolden	...	Mack Jr. (as Philip Daniel Bolden)
Rodney Perry	...	Cousin Lump (as Rodney B. Perry)
Christopher B. Duncan	...	Stan
Lorna Scott	...	Gladys
Kevin P. Farley	...	Stall Guy (as Kevin Farley)

Storyline

AAA can't help the roadside emergency that is the JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION. Even the on-board navigation system has a meltdown on Nate Johnson and his family's cross-country trek to their annual family reunion/grudge match. Reluctantly along for the ride are Nate's wife, who's only in it for the kids; their rapper-wannabe son; their teenage daughter who's fashioned herself as the next Lolita; and their youngest, whose imaginary dog Nate just can't seem to keep track of. Can the Johnsons survive each other and all the obstacles the road throws at them to make it to Caruthersville, Missouri? Can they find Missouri?

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Plot Keywords:

cross country | family relationships | on the road | highway travel | roadtrip | 

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Taglines:

Wrong turn in Arizona. No brakes in Colorado. Arrested in Kansas. It's the ultimate family trip.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual references, crude humor and brief drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arrivano i Johnson

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,804 (South Africa) (9 July 2004)

Gross:

$31,179,516 (USA) (13 August 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, Hallway Pictures, Bird and a Bear Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Solanges Knowles' (Beyoncé Knowles' sister) makes an ad lib reference to her sister during a cell phone conversation in her first scene of the movie. Her character's little sister in the movie is named "Destiny" an obvious reference to her sister's former group Destiny's Child.

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Goofs

In the sack race scene, the "Lakers" logo on the back of DJ's jacket is backward.

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Quotes

Nate Johnson: You know son,the only reason i'm hard on you is well because one day you'll wear the pants in your own family, people will depend on you, and how can they do that if your pants are all hanging of your behind? I mean have you thought about what you gonna do if this whole rap thing dudn't work out?
D.J. Johnson: well, i was thinking about law school
[nate smiles in agreement]
D.J. Johnson: or medical school
[nate nods again in agreement]
D.J. Johnson: but then mom says she'll help me incorporate
[nate looks over at dorothy who's sleeping]
D.J. Johnson: ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Half Past Dead 2 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me"
Written by Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford
Performed by Barry White
Courtesy of The Island Def Jam Music Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

stalls out

In "Johnson Family Vacation," which is little more than an all-black version of the National Lampoon Vacation movies from twenty or so years ago, Nate Johnson loads his wife and three kids into the car and drives from their home in Los Angeles to a family reunion in Missouri. Along the way, of course, the family meets with a series of comic misadventures that threaten to prevent them from reaching their destination.

Despite the derivative storyline, the early scenes in the film exhibit a kind of playful spirit that bodes well for the rest of the movie. This is due in no small measure to Cedric the Entertainer, who, unlike so many of the comics who appear in these types of movies, doesn't feel the need to stand apart from the material in order to draw attention to himself. Indeed, it is the laid-back, unfussy way in which he delivers his lines that makes them so funny. He is also blessed with an attractive supporting cast that includes Vanessa Williams as his long-suffering wife and Bow Wow as his mouthy but generally good-hearted teenage son. The movie even includes some clever little satirical jabs at the accoutrements and symbols of modern-day black culture as Nate, the traditionalist, who listens to '70's soul on his worn-out 8-tracks, goes toe-to-toe with his adolescent gansta' rap adolescents.

But as the Johnsons tootle their way across country in their souped-up SUV, we begin to notice that the film itself has stalled out. About halfway through, it dawns on us that the movie isn't really going anywhere, that it is merely playing out variations on incidents we've seen earlier in the film, and that the set pieces and situations aren't nearly as interesting or outrageous as they should be. This is truly a pity because, given the attractive cast, we really want to like "Johnson Family Vacation" more than we ultimately do.

Still, all things considered, this makes for a reasonable diverting, mindless time at the movies, and Cedric the Entertainer's moniker has rarely seemed so apt.