A Less Obvious Choice

Previously, I listed 16 Candles and The Breakfast Club as two of my five favorite John Hughes movies. Today I'm announcing number three and I'm going a little less obvious. It's a big film, but not one necessarily associated with Mr. Hughes. I think it's because Molly Ringwald isn't in it.

But Anthony Michael Hall is.

And Chevy Chase. I do believe I've even posted a picture of myself next to a picture of Chevy in this movie. Not because I'm in love with him, but because we have so much in common. Like this haircut. The only difference is that my bangs were plastered to my forehead and his were swept to the side.

Have you guessed number three on my list yet? Give yourself 50 (worthless) points if you guessed Vacation!


Side note: Subtract 50 (worthless) points if you answered 'Curly Sue' or 'Beethoven'. Or 'Beethoven's 2nd'. Or 'Beethoven's 3rd'. Or any of the 'Beethoven' movies for that matter. They're really not my favorites.

Vacation. Where do I begin to describe my love for this movie? The plot? Genius. The music? Genius. Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie? Gen. I. Us.


Side note #2: I wish with all my heart and soul that a non-live version of the song 'Holiday Road' was available on iTunes. C'mon Lindsey of Fleetwood Mac. License the darn thing so I don't have to sing it a capella on every family vacation I take. My family begs you.

Side note #3: It's worth mentioning that it was during 'Vacation' that I first realized how much I physically remember a Miss Christie Brinkley. 


Side note #4: Yes. I was delusional as an eleven year old, just like I am now. At this point in our relationship, an information nugget like that shouldn't be shocking.

A brief plot summary: Clark W. Griswold takes his family on a cross country drive to visit a theme park.

My favorite lines from the movie:

Ellen Griswold: Are you happy now, Clark? She's deaf.
Clark Griswold: Oh what the hell - it was fun anyway.

Rusty Griswold: Mom, my sandwich is all wet.
Ellen: They're all wet … oh God! The dog wet on the picnic basket.

Audrey Griswold: She breathed on me! A dead person breathed on me!

Clark: Ed, this is not the car I ordered. I distinctly ordered the Antarctic Blue Super Sports Wagon with CB and optional rally fun pack.

Ed, the car salesman: The Wagon Queen Family Truckster … you think you hate it now, but wait til you drive it.


Motorcycle Cop: Here's the leash, sir. I'm going back to get the rest of the carcass off the road.


Clark W. Griswold: 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 goddamn smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah' out of your assholes! I gotta be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy shit!

Side note #5: A cleaner version of this speech was yelled by me to my children at Disney World in 2007. Family vacations bring out the best in parents, don't they?

Ahh … Vacation. Enjoy it with your family today. Pin It Now!