I remembered “National Lampoon’s Vacation” as being fairly hilarious when it debuted in 1983. Back then, it had newness going for it, director Harold Ramis was on a roll (“Ghostbusters”), and Randy Quaid created a backwoods cultural “icon” with his hilariously skeevy cousin Eddie. There was supermodel Christie Brinkley in a red Ferrari, a hit song by superstar rock band Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham (“Holiday Road”), and the Americana-nostalgia topic of the ubiquitous 1960s–70s middle-to-lower class, whole-family-crammed-into-a-gas-guzzling-station-wagon summer road-trip vacation.
Film Review: ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’
'National Lampoon’s Vacation' is almost a national treasure
Ultimately, I think the reason the film resonates is because of a tangible sense of family nostalgia: a little pang in the chest from that silly but sweet “Holiday Road” song, and that ghastly green station wagon navigating America’s truly beautiful landscapes (and super tacky roadside attractions) from large lake to shining sea.
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By Mark Jackson
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