Vacation (2015)

Name: Vacation

Written and Directed by: Jonathan M. Goldstein John Francis Daley

Based on the Characters by: John Hughes

Produced by: Chris Bender David Dobkin

Executive Producers: Richard Brener Samuel J. Brown Toby Emmerich Marc S. Fischer Jeff Kleeman Steven Mnuchin Dave Neustadter

Line Producer: Jeff Kleeman

Director of Photography: Barry Peterson

Production Designer: Barry Robison

Edited by: Jamie Gross

Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh

Art Director: Jeremy Woolsey

Costume Designer: Debra McGuire

Set Decorator: Margaret Hungerford

Casting by: Lisa Beach Sarah Katzman

Studio: Pixar Animation Studios

Production Companies: Annapurna Pictures RatPac Entertainment BenderSpink Big Kid Pictures

Producer/Release: 20th Century Fox

Airdate: July 29, 2015

Length: 99 minutes, 48 seconds Budget: $31 Million

Box Office: $104.9 Million

Pixar Movie Number: 3149

Vacation is a 2015 American comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (in their directorial debuts). It stars Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Beverly D'Angelo, and Chevy Chase. It is the fifth installment of the Vacation film series, serving as a soft reboot. It has an approval rating of 26% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $104 million on a $31 million budget.

The Whole Story
Rusty Griswold is now an adult working as a pilot for a low budget regional airline called Econo-Air, and shares a stale relationship with his wife Debbie and their two children, their shy and awkward 14-year-old son James, and their intimidating 12-year-old son Kevin. The gloating from his friends Jack and Nancy Peterson about a family trip they had in Paris doesn't help his situation. He desires to relive the fun of his family vacations and holiday gatherings from his childhood. These memories prompt him to abandon his family's annual trip to their cabin in Cheboygan, Michigan and instead drive cross country to Walley World, just like he did with his parents and sister. For the trip, Rusty rents a Tartan Prancer, an ugly, over-complicated Albanian SUV.

Along the way, the Griswolds take many detours. The first is Memphis, where it's revealed that the otherwise mild-mannered Debbie was an extremely promiscuous Tri Pi sorority sister in college nicknamed 'Debbie Do Anything' even when they meet a sorority member named Heather. To prove that she was the rebellious student, Debbie soon runs an obstacle course whilst drunk and fails miserably. While staying at a motel, James meets Adena, a girl his age that he saw while driving on the highway, but she is scared away by Rusty's failed attempts to be a "wingman".

In Arkansas, they are led to a supposedly hidden hot spring by a "helpful" local, eventually realizing that it's a sewage dump. They return to their SUV, only to see it's been broken into, their luggage and cash stolen, and then sprayed with graffiti.

They stop in Texas to get help from Rusty's sister, Audrey, and her husband, Stone. Rusty begins to suspect problems in his relationship with Debbie due to her seeming acceptance of Stone's obviously outward sexual advances, but she rebuffs his suspicions. One night, Stone walks in on the couple and makes a show of his attractive body and oversized genitalia.

Spending the following night at an Arizona campsite, Rusty and Debbie sneak away to attempt to have sex at the Four Corners Monument, where officers from all four states confront the couple and each other, allowing them to escape. James finally asserts himself against Kevin with encouragement from Adena, who they encounter again. The next morning, after nearly getting killed by a suicidal Grand Canyon rafting guide, the SUV runs out of gas in the middle of the desert. Rusty's misunderstanding of the key fob causes it to explode, leading Rusty to think about the disastrous trip and walk off dispirited and alone. After being tracked-down by a seemingly unstable truck driver, who they think has been stalking them throughout the trip, he instead returns Debbie's missing wedding ring and gives them a lift to San Francisco, where they spend the night at a bed and breakfast run by Rusty's parents, Clark and Ellen. They intend to fly home the next day, but Rusty and Debbie confront each other about their stale marriage and decide to start over again.

With some encouragement from Clark the next morning, Rusty borrows his father's Wagon Queen Family Truckster and drives Debbie and the boys to Walley World to ride their newest roller coaster, Velociraptor. After spending the entire day waiting in line, they are cut off by Ethan, a rival of Rusty's, and his family before the announcement of the park's closing. A fight breaks out, which the Griswolds win, forcing the other family to flee. The Griswolds finally board the ride, but it stalls halfway up a loop, and they are rescued after several hours.

Rusty uses his airline connections to book a vacation in Paris alone with Debbie, while sending the boys home where the Petersons will look after them. On the plane to Paris, they are seated in jump seats next to a lavatory. Exasperated, Debbie learns that it will be a 12-hour flight.

Voice Cast
Ed Helms as Rusty Griswold Christina Applegate as Debbie Fletcher Griswold Skyler Gisondo as James Griswold Steele Stebbins as Kevin Griswold Chris Hemsworth as Stone Crandall Leslie Mann as Audrey Griswold-Crandall Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold Catherine Missal as Adena Ron Livingston as Ethan Charlie Day as Chad Norman Reedus as Trucker Keegan-Michael Key as Jack Peterson Regina Hall as Nancy Peterson Elizabeth Gillies as Heather Monroe Tim Heidecker as Utah Cop Nick Kroll as Colorado Cop Kaitlin Olson as Arizona Cop Michael Peña as New Mexico Cop Hannah Davis as The Girl in the Red Ferrari David Clennon as Co-Pilot Colin Hanks as Jake Ryan Cartwright as Terry John Francis Daley as Robert

Home Media Release
Vacation is released on Blu-Ray, DVD and HD DVD November 3, 2015.

Principal Photography
Principal photography began on September 16, 2014, in Atlanta, Georgia. On September 16, scenes were filmed on location at the Olympic Flame Restaurant.

On September 30 and October 1, 2014, scenes were filmed on location at The Twelve Oaks Bed and Breakfast in historic Covington, Georgia. The Twelve Oaks was staged as Christina Applegate's character's sorority house, Triple Pi, and the location of her attempt to run the obstacle course once more to prove that she is the Chug Run champion.

Other scenes were shot around Piedmont and 6th avenues from October 6 to 8, including at the Shellmont Inn. On October 22, 2014, scenes were filmed at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Scenes for Walley World were filmed at Six Flags Over Georgia. The coaster in this movie called Velociraptor is originally the Ninja, created by the Dutch coaster designer Vekoma BV.

In a similar vein to the original film's "Wagon Queen Family Truckster", the film features a custom-designed minivan named the "Tartan Prancer". Dubbed the "Honda of Albania", it is a heavily modified Toyota Previa and features unconventional styling elements such as a mirror-image front and rear clip, complete with two sets of headlights (pulled from the Land Rover LR3/Discovery) and rearview mirrors, as well as dashboard buttons marked by nonsensical symbols. As part of a promotional tie-in with the film, Edmunds.com released a tongue-in-cheek review comparing the Tartan Prancer against the 2015 Honda Odyssey.

DVD Menu

 * Play
 * Scene Selections
 * Languages
 * English (and Descriptive Audio Service)
 * French
 * Spanish
 * Special Features

Aspect Ratios
2.35:1 (CinemaScope)

1.85:1 (Full Open Matte)

1.33:1 (Standard Deviation)

Previews

 * The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Theatrical Trailer (In Theaters November 20th)
 * Paper Towns Trailer (Look for It on DVD)
 * Daddy's Home Trailer (In Theaters December 25th)
 * The Divergent Series: Allegiant Teaser Trailer (In Theaters March 2016)

Language Dubs

 * Vacation (2015) Language Dubs

Other Languages

 * Vacation (2015) Other Languages

Quotes

 * Vacation (2015) Quotes

Credits

 * Vacation (2015) Credits