Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo return as Clark and Ellen Griswold in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, a sequel to the original Vacation film and a precursor to the holiday classic Christmas Vacation. Like the other films, this edition contains different cast members to play the roles of Griswold’s children, Audrey (Dana Hill) and Rusty (Jason Lively). The only vacation movie that doesn’t feature Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), European Vacation is nonetheless a hilarious movie. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the comedic genius behind movies like Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982), Johnny Dangerously (1984), and Clueless (1995), European Vacation remains a fun and entertaining film even twenty years after its release. .
Like its predecessor, European Vacation follows the lives of the Chicago-based Griswold family. When they appear on the hit TV show Pig-In-A-Poke, they inadvertently beat an intellectually superior family and win an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe. As usual, Clark is excited about the prospect of hosting the perfect family experience. But Audrey is mortified at the prospect of leaving her boyfriend. However, the Griswolds leave for Europe.
Immediately, Clark’s dream vacation begins to unravel. The first hotel the family stays at is a half-star dump with a communal bathroom, and Clark gets stuck on a loop road where he endlessly drives past Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. A pair of brilliant guest appearances are hosted by Eric Idle of Monty Python fame, who plays the role of a jealously friendly biker. In one of the funniest scenes in the movie, Clark crashes his car into the biker, who then apologizes for being hit while letting out a bloody leak that he passes off as a “just flesh wound.” When Clark hits another motorist, he and the family are given the man’s bumper as a souvenir.
As the Griswold clan make their way across continental Europe, especially France and Germany, they run into various pitfalls and cultural misunderstandings. Rusty sends a dog plummeting from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and Clark causes a riot in a small Bavarian town. The best line in the movie is when Audrey tells Clark that “sex” means “six” in Germany, so while looking for some of Griswold’s relatives who live in apartment six, she greets some surprised residents and says, ” Hi, my family.” and I’m looking for sex!”
In due course, the stress of their disastrous vacation becomes unbearable and each member of the family is inevitably pulled in a different direction. But the family comes together once again when one of them is kidnapped by a pair of petty criminals hoping to make off with the family’s vacation fund. Can Clark save the day? Will she be able to keep the family together? More importantly, can the Griswolds finally have the perfect vacation?
Written by Robert Klane, former writer of the MASH TV series and creator of Weekend At Bernie’s (1989), the script for European Vacation is fully indicative of the author’s comedic talent. It’s nice that it’s mentioned at the same time as the other movies in the Vacation franchise, but overall, it probably ranks among the last (along with Vegas Vacation). However, that is more a testament to the collective strength of the four films. This is an absolutely hilarious film in its own right, and well worth the time of those who have enjoyed the most recent exploits of the Griswolds at Christmas and The Las Vegas Holidays…