National Lampoon's European Vacation
age 15+
Funny but extremely crass '80s family comedy.
- Rated: PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- Release Year: 1985
- Running Time: 95 minutes
What parents need to know
Positive role models
Violence
Sex
Language
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this comedy is overflowing with sexual references, including innuendo and nudity. Teenagers make out with other teenagers, sometimes in front of their parents. There are several brief, comically-portrayed displays of sexual force (including that of an adult to teen). Language is explicit, though always used humorously. Also, the teenage girl struggles with eating/weight issues that are exaggerated for comic effect.
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Parents say
Kids say
What's the story?
The Griswold family, who made such a mess on their way to Wally World in National Lampoon's Vacation, sets off on a similar journey in Europe. After winning a globe-trotting trip on a Family Feud-style game show, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his wife Ellen (Bevery D'Angelo) and teenage children Audrey (Dana Hill) and Rusty (Jason Lively) race through England, France, Germany, and Italy, packing in all the sights they can manage. Guided by jolly and oblivious father Clark, the family nearly kills several Brits while driving on the wrong side of the road, knocks down Stonehenge, mangles the French language, gets chased by Germans in lederhosen, and becomes involved in a kidnapping and robbery scheme that ends in a dramatic car chase. Along the way, Audrey pines for the boyfriend she lefts back home and Rusty flirts with every girl he sees.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
The movie touches on all the funny and awful elements of family travel, from bickering siblings to managing unfamiliar customs, and these things will resonate with parents more than teens. But teens will see themselves in the film too -- the girl obsessed with her boyfriend, the boy testing out his macho side -- all while struggling to get along with their parents. Some scenes are typical slapstick stuff -- poking someone in the groin, silly car chases, etc. -- and provide mild amusement. But a few scenes, like when the family loses their luggage and goes boutique shopping in Italy, are truly laugh-out-loud moments. The themes that are played for laughs, like the teen girl binging and starving herself or the adult passionately kissing the teen girl, are touchy subjects. While the movie clearly aims to poke fun at extreme behaviors, some younger viewers might not understand the complexity of the issues.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about stereotypes. What kind of stereotypes about Europeans show up in the movie? Is there anything harmful about portraying stereotypes this way? What function do stereotypes perform in our understanding of different cultures?
Talk about relationships. What kind of relationships are on display here? Do these types of relationships seem familiar? Do the people in them seem happy? What is different about the girl Rusty meets in the end compared to the other girls he meets in Europe?
Families can talk about eating problems. What was Audrey's relationship to food? Do you know any people in real life who have food or weight struggles?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | July 26, 1985 |
| DVD/Streaming release date: | April 2, 2002 |
| Cast: | Beverly D'Angelo, Chevy Chase, Dana Hill |
| Director: | Amy Heckerling |
| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 95 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual content, graphic partial nudity, and language |
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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Maybe 12+ if not 15+
This movie was good. (Not as great as the original or christmas) With that said, I have watched European Vacation but I am not allowed to see it again for a long time. It's original was R but it is now PG-13. I agree with the R rating. There isn't very much language, but there is an f-word in French. But there are 2 scenes of nudity in the movie. The 1st one was when Clark took Ellen to a naked show and bare breasts were shown for like 2 minutes. Ellen was the only girl there and she closed her eyes. The last one was when Rusty was with a girl and she took her brae off and you could see her breasts completely for about 3 seconds. And at the begging the pig in a poke host started hitting on Ellen and Audrey. Ages 12+ iffy 15+ good
What other families should know
Too much sex
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Very bad
Stupid and full of garbage you don't want in your own mind especially not your childs!!!
What other families should know
Too much sex
Too much swearing
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