Every summer I waste about four hours watching Summer Vacation (1985, 17% RT) and The Great Outdoors (1988, 44% RT). That's right, combining their RT score still yields a failing grade. But these shows are mini vacations when you're stuck inside hiding from the heat and mosquitoes. The beach or the mountains? A simple choice between two VHS cassettes.

A lesser beach vacation is Back to the Beach (1987, 71% RT) with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Critics liked it better, but bring some crackers, because this show brings a lot of cheese. I can enjoy it once every 5 years.

National Lampoon's Vacation is certainly a standard bearer in this genre, but I consider that a road trip movie, not a vacation movie, ironically.

Other mini-vacation movies I like are Grown-ups and Weekend at Bernies, but by the time I finish the John Candy Summer Chronicles, I'm usually good till Planes Trains in November.

If you've wasted your time this far, which do you like better: Great Outdoors or Summer Rental?

Being a Florida guy I like summer rental better. And being from Tampa where it was filmed adds some nostalgia.

Philo B 93 said:

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Every summer I waste about four hours watching Summer Vacation (1985, 17% RT) and The Great Outdoors (1988, 44% RT). That's right, combining their RT score still yields a failing grade. But these shows are mini vacations when you're stuck inside hiding from the heat and mosquitoes. The beach or the mountains? A simple choice between two VHS cassettes.

A lesser beach vacation is Back to the Beach (1987, 71% RT) with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Critics liked it better, but bring some crackers, because this show brings a lot of cheese. I can enjoy it once every 5 years.

National Lampoon's Vacation is certainly a standard bearer in this genre, but I consider that a road trip movie, not a vacation movie, ironically.

Other mini-vacation movies I like are Grown-ups and Weekend at Bernies, but by the time I finish the John Candy Summer Chronicles, I'm usually good till Planes Trains in November.

If you've wasted your time this far, which do you like better: Great Outdoors or Summer Rental?

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Summer Rental is a classic. Good family fun and clean PG humor.

Great Outdoors has its moments but its 2nd fiddle.


But you might be forgetting one of the best summer vacation family comedies - "RV" with Robin Williams.

I also like "What About Bob" which mostly takes place at their summer vacation home.

Summer Rental had Kerri Green in it. My younger self appreciated that.

I'll rewatch RV. I've seen it once, and I remember liking it, but I don't actually remember the movie. The other two are not only vacation movies, they're 80s movies.

Another semi-modern road trip movie I like is Wild Hogs. I thought it was lame until I became the same age as the characters.

aTmAg said:

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Summer Rental had Kerri Green in it. My younger self appreciated that.

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Agree, but as a grown man, I am now a big fan of the mom.




Also, always loved Rip Torn as Scully, and his floating bar/restaurant "The Barnacle".

The Great Outdoors was always my favorite

Yoda said:

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aTmAg said:

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Summer Rental had Kerri Green in it. My younger self appreciated that.

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Agree, but as a grown man now, I am now a big fan of the mom.

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The mom in Summer Rental was only 29 when it was filmed. She was 12 years older than Kerri Green.

Yep. I looked that up over the last few years when it dawned on me she was way too good looking to end up with John Candy, and I wanted to find out who she was.

29? never would have though that.

And Summer Rental for me, hands down. "Cinco Sculley's catches of the day!"

Do you even know what hotdogs are made of?
Lips and *******s!

Great Outdoors all the way!

I've never seen Summer Rental but have watched The Great Outdoors countless times and will always enjoy it.

One that hasn't been mentioned is One Crazy Summer.

I enjoy Summer Rental, but give me Great Outdoors. Pretty sure that was the most quoted movie in my family growing up.



Side note: I've seen Great Outdoors countless times, but it just dawned on me like a month ago that Annette Bening played Aykroyd's wife.

Great Outdoors for sure. Also, does revenge of the nerds 2: nerds in paradise count as a vacation movie?

Great Outdoors is one of my favorites. So quotable and the look on Dan Akroyd's face when the bear busts the door down and when it is towering over him gets me every time. Lol.

aggieforester05 said:

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One that hasn't been mentioned is One Crazy Summer.

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This one definitely belongs on the list. I can't rank them, I love them all equally.

sounds ripe for a texags stupid summer vacation themed movie poll.

NOT summer blockbusters... but actual vacation themed movies. However we all know National Lampoons Vacation would win unless you exempt it as a road trip movie.

aggieforester05 said:

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One that hasn't been mentioned is One Crazy Summer.

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I pretty much have that movie memorized.

Chili dawg!

There was that recent-ish Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Kevin James summer family lake cabin trip movie called Grown Ups. Oh and Steve Buscemi.

It wasn't bad. Had some pretty funny moments. Not in the same league as Summer Rental or Great Outdoors though.

Dangit... I have to watch all of these now!

Great Outdoors
Summer Rental
One Crazy Summer

and I'll add Summer School to the list.

Summer School is a super fun film, but don't we have to disqualify it merely for the fact it is the antithesis of a summer vacation film? I mean, those poor kids are stuck in school all summer. Though the door is cracked open a bit when factoring in Mr Shoop's frequent field trips.

Yoda said:

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Summer School is a super fun film, but don't we have to disqualify it merely for the fact it is the antithesis of a summer vacation film? I mean, those poor kids are stuck in school all summer. Though the door is cracked open a bit when factoring in Mr Shoop's frequent field trips.

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They went to the beach.

I prefer The Great Outdoors.

Gomer95 said:

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Great Outdoors is one of my favorites. So quotable and the look on Dan Akroyd's face when the bear busts the door down and when it is towering over him gets me every time. Lol.

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The bald headed bear of Claire County

All great movies but I'd rank them -

1) Great Outdoors
2) Summer Rental
3) Summer School

I think Dan Ackroyd as Roman Craig is some of his best acting. The character is great and he just nailed it.

Summer school though is peak Courtney Thorne Smith and Kirstie Alley (plus Fabiano Udenio).


Speaking of Cortney Thorne Smith - Revenge of the Nerds 2 is a great Spring Break movie so maybe that could be a new category.

Every time I trim my nose hair I say, " like a rack of yard tools at Sears"

"Good evening. How's it going? Listen, girls... uh... as your father, I feel it incumbent upon me to set the record straight on the validity of the tale which Uncle Chet shared with us this evening. I know that a terrifying story like that coming from the mouth of a recognized authority figure could be traumatizing for kids like yourselves; I know that, because I had a similar experience with my uncle Roy and a story he used to tell, about a family who went into the woods and was attacked by a band of escaped Army psychiatric patients who'd been subjected to violent, hellish, torturous behavior-modification experiments. It seems they escaped from the metal boxes the Army kept them in, found his family in the woods, fell upon them, slaughtered them and ate them. Now that story - phew - it gave me nightmares not to be believed. Well I thought that Uncle Chet's story upset you in the same way. I'm here to say that there actually is NO bear, and that all that Uncle Chet was saying was just a yarn... spinning for our... entertainment. And even if there were a bear out there, I'm in the house. To protect you. So uh... no more thinking about bears. Alright? No more thinking about unpleasant things. We're gonna close our eyes and dream about nice things. About cuddly, soft, fluffy things. Okay? Super. Good night. Sleep tight."

Summer Rental and Summer School we're both directed by the legendary Carl Reiner, if that means anything.

I don't look at a 20oz+ steak without thinking of The Great Outdoors

Scullys catch o the day

Both are great summer movies

Also enjoyed Meatballs as a nice summer movie

MookieBlaylock said:

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Scullys catch o the day

Both are great summer movies

Also enjoyed Meatballs as a nice summer movie

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Yeahs summer camp movies is another subgenre (no slasher films though).

Heavyweights is great. I watched that a couple of months ago for the first time in years. I didn't think it was going to hold up now that I'm in my 40s, but I still liked it.

Summer Rental is on HBO... watching with the wife and my 2 youngest right now.

Edit: "He's a life guard... right now both of his gonads are screaming 'me first'!"

Awesome!

Bruce Almighty said:

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Heavyweights is great. I watched that a couple of months ago for the first time in years. I didn't think it was going to hold up now that I'm in my 40s, but I still liked it.

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Its a crime that Lars never made it into any more movies

I tell people "I am with you" in a bad north european accent at least 4 times a week.