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Our take
National Lampoon's Vacation is a road-trip comedy in which a father's determination keeps putting his family in danger. Strong swearing, sexual daydreams, reckless driving, a teenager given beer, and an older relative's death played for laughs make the humour adult. A gun appears during the trip. We put it at around M and up, with a parent nearby for the dated stereotypes and jokes about harm.
Uplifting themes
The family does keep showing up for each other, in a stubborn way. The method is still yelling, lying, and bad driving. Use that gap when you talk after Clark loves his kids and will not quit the trip. He also steamrolls everyone and models panic as leadership. Do not hold him up as a holiday planner
Story (may spoil tone)
Clark Griswold is on a quest to take his family to the Walley World theme park for a vacation, but things don't go exactly as planned.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Car wrecks, a pet left in harm's way, and a BB gun pointed at a person…
Car wrecks, a pet left in harm's way, and a BB gun pointed at a person sit under the jokes. Clark keeps driving through danger as if it is part of the holiday. The tone is slapstick, but the harm is easy to clock
Language Lots of strong swearing, especially the f-word in a long roadside rant.…
Lots of strong swearing, especially the f-word in a long roadside rant. The s-word, a-word, hell, and damn pile on as tempers rise in the car. It comes in bursts, not one slip
Sex / nudity Clark and Ellen are interrupted while trying to have sex, and there is…
Clark and Ellen are interrupted while trying to have sex, and there is another suggestive moment in a tent. Ellen's breasts are briefly visible in a shower scene and again by a pool. Clark also ogles a woman he meets on the road
Drugs / alcohol Clark gives his teenage son a beer and tells him to keep it from his mo…
Clark gives his teenage son a beer and tells him to keep it from his mother. The film treats the moment as bonding, which makes it worth discussing
Frightening A mugging with what looks like a real gun, wild driving, and a late par…
A mugging with what looks like a real gun, wild driving, and a late park standoff keep the trip from feeling cozy. The scares are comic, then suddenly not. Anxious teens may hate the city stop
Child peril / abuse The kids ride through crashes, a scary neighborhood, and a standoff whe…
The kids ride through crashes, a scary neighborhood, and a standoff where a gun comes out. They are not the main targets, but they are in the car for all of it. Younger teens will notice how little cover they get
Bullying / discrimination Strangers shout crude insults at the family in a tense city stop, and t…
Strangers shout crude insults at the family in a tense city stop, and the comedy leans on ugly period stereotypes. It is brief and meant as shock. The meanness is still there even when the film thinks it is a gag
Gore / death / weapons A body is handled after a death on the road, and a BB gun is treated li…
A body is handled after a death on the road, and a BB gun is treated like a holiday toy. You do not get wound close-ups. The unease is the corpse becoming a travel problem
Dangerous behaviour Reckless driving, a BB gun pointed at someone, and a parent sharing bee…
Reckless driving, a BB gun pointed at someone, and a parent sharing beer with a teen are all played for laughs. These are clear behaviours to discuss with younger viewers
Grief / bereavement An older relative dies during the trip, and the family treats the body…
An older relative dies during the trip, and the family treats the body and funeral plans as a dark joke. The casual reaction may upset viewers more than the death itself
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- Dad keeps the holiday going even when people are hurt or scared. When is stubbornness just selfishness?
- A teen is offered a beer as a father-son moment. What would you want your own kid to do in that seat?
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National Lampoon's Vacation
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