Sleevenotes:

Chevy chases the blues away on the holiday of a laughtime. Driving his family on a cross-country car trip from Chicago to a Californian theme park, the wacky inventor is driven mad when the journey becomes a catalogue of hilarious disasters. A comical rollercoaster ride from the National Lampoon's scream team.

Review:
Chevy Chase hit the big time with this movie that will be remembered as one of the funniest movies of the decade. His portrayal of 'The Last True Family Man', Clark Griswold, is sublime and warranted the three sequels to this instalment. With a script that could quite easily have slipped into typical 80's crudeness he manages to put a hold on some of the tackiness and reel this back into one heck of a funny family comedy. So many of the scenes are so memorable that numerous people cite a different one as their favourite and only prove that the movie as a whole is hysterical. I personally think that the scene at the beginning where Chevy buys his new car from Eugene Levy is an example of comedy perfection the like of which is sadly not often seen. You've almost certainly seen this film before but hey, I doubt there's anything better on television tonight so get the video out again.

Funniest scenes:
Clark and Rusty collecting the family truckster from the superb Eugene Levy - "You think you hate it now but wait 'till you drive it."

Clark asks for directions while his car gets stripped of it's hubcaps and covered in graffiti - "Roll 'em up."

Eddie offers Clark a beer when they drop by on their journey - "I bet you could use a cool one huh?" - before handing him the half drunk can and opening a new tin for himself. Inspired.

Eddie prepares a barbeque with no meat - "Real tomato ketchup Ed?" - before they receive the good news about Aunt Edna...

Clark flirting with Christie Brinkley while eating a sandwich covered in dog pee.

The bike-cop gives Clark a lecture on animal cruelty - "Poor little guy probably kept up with you for a mile or so..."

Clark's man-to-man talk with Rusty - "Good talk son"

The Griswolds figure out how to get Aunt Edna's dead body home - "Can't weigh more than a hundred pounds..."

Christie Brinkley stripping off and jumping in the hotel pool. Of course.

The emotional arrival at Walley World - "First ones here".

The psychotic return to Walley World with a gun shortly afterwards.

Top lines:
Ellen: "Are you happy now Clark? - She's deaf."
Clark: "Oh what's the difference, it was fun anyway. Let's have a drink, what do you say. Pardon me Sir..."

Vicki: "I'm going steady and I french kiss"
Audrey: "So? Everybody does that."
Vicki: "Yeah, but Daddy says I'm the best at it."

Rusty: "You got Asteroids?"
Dale: "No but my dad does. Can't even sit on the toilet some days."

Aunt Edna: "Why don't you just ask him for the money Eddie? He sure as hell can't take a hint."

Ellen: "Clark this tent smells."
Clark: "Edna, this is your tent."

Clark: "What do you say honey - despite all the little problems it really is fun isn't it?"
Ellen: "No - but with every new day there's fresh hope."

Ellen: "I honestly don't think you're gonna find the Grand Canyon on this road."
Clark: "Jesus - it's only the biggest god damn hole in the World!"
Aunt Edna: "Clark watch your language!"
Clark: "Make that the second biggest."

Clark: "Audrey when they close the road they put up big signs. Like this one..."

Rusty: "Gee dad, you must have driven this thing off fifty yards!"
Clark: "Ah, it's nothing to be proud of Rusty... Fifty yards... Uh, hmm."

Assistant mechanic: "You must have got manure for your brains!"
Clark: "Well, I'm from out of town."

Ellen: "I hope you kids learned something about life and death."
Audrey: "Yeah - don't die unless somebody's home."

Ellen: "What do you think?"
Clark: "I think you're all fucked in the head. We're ten hours from the fucking fun park and you want to bail out. Well I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much fucking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our god damn smiles! You'll be whistling zipadeedoodah out of your assholes! I gotta be crazy. I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose. Holy shit!"

Clark: "Swimming waitress - you understand that Rus?"
Rusty: "Yeah I understand. You think mum will buy it?"
Clark: "Good talk son..."

Ellen: "We're not really violent people. This is our first gun."

Lasky: "Has your father ever killed anyone before?"
Rusty: "Oh just a dog. And my Aunt Edna."
Clark: "You can't prove that Rusty."

Fletch UK Rating: 9 out of 10

Links:
imdb.com
yahoo movies
laker jim's griswold world
walley world