THE AISLE SEAT - by Mike McGranaghan
"NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION - 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION"
National Lampoon's Vacation - Own it on Blu-Ray May 21.
This June, my new book, My Year of Chevy will be released. It's a film-by-film examination of the career of Chevy Chase. (I watched 'em all over the course of a year.) When you think of him, undoubtedly one of the first titles to come to mind is National Lampoon's Vacation, the 1983 classic that provided Chevy with his most beloved character, Clark W. Griswold. The film is being re-released in a new 30th anniversary edition Blu-Ray on May 21. It has never looked better.
The premise is simple: Clark Griswold wants to take his wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), son Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall), and daughter Audrey (Dana Barron) on a trip to Walley World, America's most beloved amusement park (and a thinly-veiled Disneyland stand-in). Despite his family's protestations, Clark refuses to fly there; instead, he buys a station wagon that he dubs “the Griswold family truckster” and insists they drive cross-country. Numerous mishaps occur, as does a detour to the home of slovenly Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid).
The masterstroke of National Lampoon's Vacation is that it spoofs the all-American, Norman Rockwell-esque vision of life. Clark Griswold yearns for that kind of perfection and simplicity, only to find it repeatedly out of his reach. The movie's humor is built upon a mounting sense of desperation; Clark is adamant about giving his family an old-fashioned good time, but the harder he tries, the more things spiral out of control. Vacation is a film about idealism vs. reality, about the way what we envision in our minds is often wildly different from how they really play out.
Vacation is also insanely funny, even today. I've seen it many times over the years, and it never fails to make me laugh. No wonder it spawned several sequels. (Vegas Vacation is also coming to Blu-Ray on May 21.) Chevy Chase had some memorable roles on screen – Fletch, Ty Webb – but Clark Griswold is the one he'll likely be most associated with, for a very good reason. He's a treat in this hysterical, timeless comedy.
(
out of four)
Blu-Ray Features:
The bonus material is essential for any serious fan of this movie. An introduction from Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, and producer Matty Simmons kicks things off. It's ported over from a previous DVD release, as is the audio commentary from those three gentlemen, as well as director Harold Ramis and co-stars Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron. It doesn't matter that they've been available before; they're terrific.
What is new to the Blu is “Inside Story: National Lampoon's Vacation,” an 85-minute A&E special that thoroughly documents the making and release of the film. You'll hear about how John Hughes' original screenplay was re-written to shift the point of view from the Griswold kids to Clark, discover how the production practically lived out the movie while shooting, and even hear about Chevy's on-set meltdown. This is an inordinately entertaining special featuring interviews from almost all the major players. (Randy Quaid was apparently busy in Canada and unable to participate.)
The original theatrical trailer is also included.
For more information, please visit the Official WB Shop, or the Official Facebook page.
National Lampoon's Vacation is rated R for language, nudity, and sexual content. The running time is 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Buy a copy of my book, "Straight-Up Blatant: Musings From The Aisle Seat," on sale now at Lulu.com! Paperback and Kindle editions also available at Amazon.com!
