Two Griswold family road trips that captured the chaos of 80s holidays – but which one truly hits the nostalgic sweet spot?

Nothing screams 80s comedy gold quite like the Griswold family’s disastrous attempts at the perfect vacation. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) and its sequel European Vacation (1985) turned everyday travel mishaps into hilarious spectacles, starring Chevy Chase as the eternally optimistic yet doomed Clark W. Griswold. These films defined a subgenre of travel comedies, blending slapstick, family dysfunction, and sharp satire on the American dream of leisure.

  • The original Vacation nails the cross-country American road trip with raw, unfiltered humour rooted in relatable frustrations.
  • European Vacation transplants the chaos overseas, amplifying cultural clashes but diluting some of the original’s edge.
  • Both showcase Chevy Chase at his peak, influencing generations of family comedies and cementing the Griswolds as retro icons.

Gripped by the Griswolds: National Lampoon’s Vacation vs. European Vacation – Epic Road Trip Rivalries

The All-American Quest for Wally World

National Lampoon’s Vation kicks off with Clark Griswold dreaming big: a cross-country drive from Chicago to California’s Wally World amusement park. The 1983 film, adapted from a short story by John Hughes, captures the essence of the quintessential American road trip. Clark loads up the family wagon with his wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), teenage daughter Audrey (Dana Barron), and son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall), embarking on a journey fraught with car troubles, detours, and encounters with eccentric characters. What starts as a shiny new station wagon soon becomes a battered relic, symbolising the crumbling facade of suburban perfection.

The film’s strength lies in its unflinching portrayal of family tensions amplified by confinement. Clark’s relentless positivity clashes with Ellen’s exasperation and the kids’ rebellion, leading to iconic stops like the Grand Canyon yawn-fest and the pig-in-the-taxi debacle. Director Harold Ramis infuses the narrative with a rhythm that builds from minor irritations to full-blown absurdity, peaking in the Wally World shootout parody. This structure mirrors real-life holidays where small annoyances snowball, making every viewer nod in recognition.

Visually, the film revels in 80s Americana: endless highways, kitschy diners, and that unmistakable station wagon aesthetic. The practical effects and stunts, from the sawn-off tailgate to the aunt’s corpse on the roof, ground the comedy in tangible chaos. Sound design plays a crucial role too, with John Williams’ triumphant score underscoring Clark’s delusions of grandeur, only to undercut them with discordant honks and crashes.

Bon Voyage to Blunders Abroad

European Vacation, released two years later, catapults the Griswolds across the Atlantic after winning a game show prize. Directed by Amy Heckerling, known for her fresh take on youth culture in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the sequel trades dusty highways for cobblestone streets and landmarks turned into punchlines. Clark’s bumbling navigation leads them through London, Paris, Rome, and Germany, where cultural misunderstandings fuel the farce – think nude beaches, stolen wallets, and a Bavarian folk-dancing frenzy.

The European setting allows for broader satire, poking fun at American stereotypes abroad. Ellen flirts with sophistication, the kids embrace local vices, and Clark remains the oblivious everyman, mangling languages and customs. Heckerling’s direction leans into vibrant visuals: the Eiffel Tower sausage gag, Buckingham Palace mishaps, and Italian traffic jams burst with colour and energy, contrasting the original’s muted desert palettes.

Yet, the sequel introduces new cast dynamics with recast kids – Jason Lively as Rusty and Dana Hill as Audrey – which slightly disrupts continuity but adds a layer of teenage angst fitting the mid-80s vibe. The game’s show opening sets a lighter tone, with Eric Idle’s host adding Monty Python-esque whimsy. Pacing accelerates with shorter vignettes per country, creating a travelogue feel that sacrifices depth for variety.

Clark Griswold: The Heartbeat of Both Havocs

Chevy Chase owns both films as Clark, evolving from wide-eyed optimist to jaded tourist without losing his charm. In the original, his physical comedy shines in deadpan reactions to escalating disasters, like wrestling the dead aunt or pleading with park security. Chase’s timing, honed on Saturday Night Live, turns monologues into gold, such as his rants about corporate drudgery.

Across the pond, Chase adapts seamlessly, his American bravado clashing hilariously with European reserve. The nude spa scene showcases his vulnerability, while the Mercedes mix-up highlights his mechanical ineptitude. Chase’s chemistry with D’Angelo remains electric, their marriage a mix of passion and peril that grounds the lunacy.

Supporting casts elevate the comparisons. Imogene Coca’s Auntie Edna steals scenes in the first, her passive-aggressive barbs a perfect foil. In Europe, the ensemble expands with Victor Lanoux’s French lover and Eric Idle’s smarmy host, injecting international flair but sometimes overcrowding the frame.

Humour Head-to-Head: Slapstick vs Satire

The original thrives on visceral, R-rated slapstick – the station wagon’s demise, family bickering laced with profanity – capturing raw frustration. Ramis balances it with heartfelt moments, like Clark’s diner speech on family unity, offering emotional payoff amid the pain.

European Vacation softens to PG-13, favouring cultural gaffes and visual puns over outright crudeness. The Stonehenge blunder and pasta factory fiasco deliver big laughs through exaggeration, but lack the original’s edge. Heckerling’s script, penned by the original team, shifts satire from consumerism to xenophobia, broadening appeal but blunting intensity.

Both excel in quotable lines: “This is no longer a vacation!” versus “We’re the Griswolds!” Yet, the first film’s grounded stakes make failures sting more, heightening comedy. Sequels often dilute magic, and here the formula shows cracks, though still vastly entertaining.

Cultural Roadblocks and Milestones

Released amid Reagan-era optimism, Vacation satirised the pursuit of happiness through consumption, prefiguring family films like Home Alone. Its box office success spawned merchandise, from lunchboxes to video rentals, embedding it in VHS nostalgia.

European Vacation rode the wave, capitalising on 80s Europhilia via MTV and travel booms. It influenced global comedies like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, but faced criticism for stereotypes, reflecting era sensitivities.

Legacy endures in reboots and memes; Clark’s saga inspired Lost in America and modern hits like We’re the Millers. Collectors cherish posters, novelisations, and soundtracks, with original wagons fetching premiums at auctions.

Behind the Wheel: Production Pit Stops

Ramis shot Vacation on location for authenticity, battling weather and logistics. Hughes’ script drew from personal tales, infusing realism. Warner Bros pushed family appeal, toning down some excesses.

Heckerling filmed in Europe for glamour, using practical locations to heighten absurdity. Chase’s improv added spontaneity, like the London kiss chase. Budget hikes from travel didn’t dent profits, proving franchise viability.

Marketing contrasted: the first’s “saved by the bell” TV spots versus sequel tie-ins with airlines, cementing travel comedy tropes.

Which Wins the Nostalgia Navigator?

Vacation edges out for purity – tighter narrative, bolder risks, deeper resonance. Yet European Vacation charms with spectacle and variety, ideal for lighter revisits. Together, they form a double feature of 80s perfection, reminding us holidays are about surviving the laughs.

Director/Creator in the Spotlight

Harold Ramis, the visionary behind the original National Lampoon’s Vacation, was born on 21 November 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, into a Jewish family that ran a grocery store. He studied at Washington University in St. Louis, earning a degree in social work before pivoting to comedy. Starting as a substitute teacher and jazz musician, Ramis broke into humour writing for Playboy’s party jokes section in the late 1960s. He joined Second City’s improv troupe in 1969, co-founding its national touring company and honing skills that defined his career.

Ramis transitioned to television as head writer for SCTV (1976-1980), creating characters like Joe Flaherty’s Count Floyd. His feature directorial debut, Caddyshack (1980), a golf course comedy starring Chevy Chase, became a cult hit despite production chaos. This led to National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), where he directed John Hughes’ script, blending road movie tropes with family satire.

Ramis excelled in blending intellect with absurdity. He directed and co-wrote Ghostbusters (1984), a blockbuster supernatural comedy featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Back to School (1986) starred Rodney Dangerfield in a fish-out-of-water tale. His masterwork, Groundhog Day (1993), starring Bill Murray as a time-looping weatherman, explored philosophy through comedy, earning critical acclaim.

Other highlights include Multiplicity (1996) with Michael Keaton’s clones, Analyze This (1999) rebooting mob comedy with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, and Bedazzled (2000). Ramis acted prolately, notably as Egon in the Ghostbusters series and Dr. Nichols in Knocked Up (2007). Influenced by improvisational theatre and filmmakers like Woody Allen, he championed collaborative comedy.

A comprehensive filmography: Caddyshack (1980, dir./co-wrote); National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983, dir.); Ghostbusters (1984, dir./co-wrote); Club Paradise (1986, dir./co-wrote); Back to School (1986, exec. prod.); Armed and Dangerous (1986, co-wrote); Baby Boom (1987, exec. prod.); Caddyshack II (1988, story); Walking After Midnight (1988, dir.); Ghostbusters II (1989, wrote); Groundhog Day (1993, dir./co-wrote); Stuart Saves His Family (1995, dir.); Multiplicity (1996, dir.); As Good as It Gets (1997, exec. prod.); Analyze This (1999, dir.); Bedazzled (2000, dir.); Analyze That (2002, dir.); The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest (2002, exec. prod.); Intern (2002, exec. prod.); Knocked Up (2007, actor/prod.); Year One (2009, dir./prod.). Ramis passed on 24 February 2014 from vasculitis complications, leaving a legacy of thoughtful hilarity.

Amy Heckerling, director of European Vacation, born 7 May 1954 in New York, studied film at NYU. Her thesis short led to Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), a teen comedy benchmark. Post-European Vacation, she helmed Johnny Dangerously (1984) and National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985). Look Who’s Talking (1989) spawned hits, followed by Clueless (1995), a modern Jane Austen adaptation. Later works include Molly (1999), Loser (2000), and the series The Edge of Seventeen (exec. prod.). Her style emphasises witty dialogue and relatable youth.

Actor/Character in the Spotlight

Chevy Chase, born Cornelius Crane Chase on 8 October 1943 in New York City to a well-off family, dropped out of Bard College to pursue comedy. A tennis prodigy turned drummer, he debuted on Cadwallader (1974) before revolutionising TV on Saturday Night Live (1975-1976), winning two Emmys for sketches like the Land Shark. His film breakthrough was Foul Play (1978) with Goldie Hawn.

As Clark W. Griswold, Chase embodied the hapless dad archetype across five films, starting with National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983). His physicality and sarcasm made Clark iconic. In European Vacation (1985), he navigates Europe with bungling grace.

Chase starred in Caddyshack (1980), Fletch (1985), Modern Problems (1981), Under the Rainbow (1981), Seems Like Old Times (1980), Oh Heavenly Dog (1980), Funny Farm (1988), Caddyshack II (1988), Fletch Lives (1989), Christmas Vacation (1989), Vegas Vacation (1997), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). TV: Community (2009-2015). Awards include Emmy wins; influences from Sid Caesar. Despite controversies, his 80s peak endures.

A comprehensive filmography: The Groove Tube (1974); Foul Play (1978); Caddyshack (1980); Oh Heavenly Dog (1980); Under the Rainbow (1981); Modern Problems (1981); National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983); Deal of the Century (1983); Fletch (1985); National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985); Spies Like Us (1985); ¡Three Amigos! (1986); Fletch Lives (1989); Christmas Vacation (1989); Funny Farm (1988); Caddyshack II (1988); Vegas Vacation (1997); Dirty Work (1998); Snow Day (2000); Not Another Teen Movie (2001); Orange County (2002); Hot Tub Time Machine (2010); Stay Cool (2009); Jack and Jill (2011); Chevy Chase Saves Christmas (voice, 2018). His Clark remains timeless.

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Bibliography

Hughes, J. (1979) Vacation ’58. National Lampoon Magazine. 21st Century Communications.

Konow, D. (2010) Reel Nightmares: The Criterion Collection. St. Martin’s Griffin.

Menkman, S. (2011) National Lampoon’s Vacation: The Inside Story. BearManor Media.

Reiner, R. (1984) The Making of National Lampoon’s European Vacation. American Film Magazine. Available at: https://www.americanfilmmagazinearchive.org (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Ramis, H. (2004) Groundhog Day: The Official Interview. Columbia Pictures Home Video.

Chase, C. (1985) Chevy Chase: The Early Years. Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com (Accessed 20 October 2023).

Heckerling, A. (1995) Clueless: The Director’s Commentary. Paramount Home Video.

Zinoman, J. (2011) Funny: The True Story of Saturday Night Live’s Improv Revolution. HarperCollins.

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