Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo return as Clark and Ellen Griswold in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, a sequel to the original Vacation movie and a precursor to the Christmas classic Christmas Vacation. Like the other films, this edition contains different cast members to play the roles of Audrey (Dana Hill) and Rusty (Jason Lively) from the Griswold children. The only Vacation movie that doesn’t feature cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), European Vacation is a hilarious movie nonetheless. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the comic book genius behind such films as 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 life 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 won an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe. As usual, Clark is giddy with the prospect of hosting the perfect family bonding experience. But Audrey is mortified at the prospect of leaving her boyfriend. However, the Griswolds go to Europe.
Immediately, Clark’s dream vacation begins to unravel. The first hotel the family stays in is a half-star landfill with a communal bathroom, and Clark gets stuck on a circular road where Big Ben and Parliament endlessly passes. Eric Idle of Monty Python fame delivers a pair of brilliant appearances as a jealously friendly motorcyclist. In one of the funniest scenes in the film, Clark crashes his car into the motorcyclist, who later apologizes for being hit while releasing a bloody leak posing as a “mother’s flesh wound.” When Clark hits another motorist, he and the family receive the man’s bumper as a souvenir.
As the Griswold clan travels across continental Europe, especially France and Germany, they run into various cultural pitfalls and misunderstandings. Rusty causes a dog to plummet to death from the heights of the Eiffel Tower, and Clark causes a riot in a small Bavarian township. The best line of the film is when Audrey tells Clark that in Germany “sex” means “six”, so, while looking for a relative of Griswold who lives in apartment six, she greets some surprised residents by announcing: ” Hello, my family and I am looking for sex! “
In due course, the stress of their disastrous vacation becomes unbearable and each member of the family is inevitably led in a different direction. But the family comes together once again when one of them is kidnapped by a pair of petty criminals in hopes of seizing the family’s vacation fund. Can Clark save the day? Can you keep the family together? More importantly, will the Griswolds finally be able to experience the perfect vacation?
Written by Robert Klane, former screenwriter for the television series MASH and creator of Weekend At Bernie’s (1989), the script for European Vacation is entirely indicative of the author’s comedic talents. It well deserves to be mentioned at the same time as the other movies in the Vacation franchise, but overall, it probably ranks near the bottom (along with Vegas Vacation). However, that’s more of a testament to the collective strength of the four films. This is a thoroughly funny movie in its own right, and well worth the time of those who have enjoyed the Griswolds’ most recent exploits at Christmas and Vegas Vacations …