National Lampoon’s Vacation and its ensuing franchise is a more-or-less-fondly remembered institution of 1980s America. The film served as an important stepping-stone for a certain John Hughes, for chrissakes, and its injection of crass, dark humor into the story of a typical family’s attempt at a wholesome road-trip vacation was melted permanently into a generation of impressionable young minds. A product of the coke-y, harsh vibe that seemed to dominate popular comedy at the time, National Lampoon’s Vacation was subversive, gross, and politically incorrect. These are different times.
Marjorie Skinner is the Portland Mercury's Managing Editor, author of the weekly Sold Out column chronicling the area's independent fashion and retail industry, and a frequent contributor to the film and... More by Marjorie Skinner