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The Great Outdoors

(1988, Rated PG, Comedy, Starring Annette Bening, John Candy, Dan Akroyd)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 11.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Good cast can't help lame Man vs. Nature farce.

Themes in this movie include:   dating/crushes, family relationships, friendship, growing up, honesty, materialism
updated 08.31.09

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 11–12

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    The importance of family togetherness and open communication is stressed in dialogue (though not necessarily realized in the story). Materialism leads to selfishness and lack of joy.  In one scene a leading character orders a drink by saying "I'm driving. Club soda for me."  (Note: While the movie preaches nature's beauty and wonder, it shows it as mostly frightening and unwelcoming.)

  • Role models:

    Father-son relationship is admirable. Good parenting is exhibited by responsible, caring Ripleys; bad parenting is illustrated by the disinterested, self-involved Craigs. Teen boy and girl find romance in an admirable way.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Lots of cartoonish, slapstick violence involving a scary dog with bared teeth; numerous shots and sequences of bears with fangs, bared teeth, chasing and threatening the families. Father tells a scary story about a bear with a taste for blood attacking people in a mental hospital, and a story with flashbacks about his own encounter with a "vicious" bear. Two children get trapped in a well with bears threatening. One punch to the face.

  • Sex:

    Silly, exaggerated cuddling and sexual repartee between a husband and wife, which ends with visual of wife beginning to undress; her bare back is shown.  A few romantic kisses between a teen boy and girl. One shot of a girl being "goosed" by a pool cue.

  • Language:

    Frequent mild cursing and use of potty language: "s--t,"  "asshole," "butthead," "sonofabitch," "bastard,"  "Jesus Christ," "dick," etc.

  • Consumerism:

    Leinenkugel Beer, Kidder skis, Point Beer.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some casual drinking at meals, during leisure moments, and in a bar. Smoking in numerous scenes, including one teen shown with a cigarette, reflecting values when this film was made in 1988.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Great Outdoors

Parents need to know that numerous scenes with images of bears on the attack, fangs, and teeth bared (no matter how unrealistically and amateurishly these sequences have been filmed), as well as frequent use of potty language (lots of "ass," "s--t" in various forms) and swearing make this comedy inappropriate and potentially frightening for the youngest kids. There is also a scary dog; scenes in which two young children are lost and trapped in an underground tunnel; "ghost" stories about dangerous bears (with fantasy flashbacks) designed to frighten the kids in the story. Sexuality includes a silly foreplay scene in which a husband partially undresses his wife as they cuddle, only to get caught when another family arrives unannounced. There are some teen kisses, drinking, and some smoking (including teens).

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • How is the movie like a cartoon even though it's a live-action movie made with real people? What are some of the elements you expect in animation that the filmmakers have used here?
  • Why do you think the movie chose to exaggerate and change authentic bear behavior? How do real bears differ from those seen in this film?
  • Does anyone get hurt in this movie? Are there things that happen here that would usually hurt and/or injure a real human being?
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