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The Great Outdoors (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
John Hughes (written by)
Release Date:
17 June 1988 (USA)
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Tagline:
This holiday's no picnic. more
Plot:
A Chicago man's hope for a peaceful family vacation in the woods is shattered when the annoying in-laws drop in. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Reject Radio – Episode 13: Still? Lucy Lawless?
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 10 August 2009, 9:54 AM, PDT)
John Hughes, An Appreciation
(From PopStar. 7 August 2009)
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 10 August 2009, 9:54 AM, PDT)
John Hughes, An Appreciation
(From PopStar. 7 August 2009)
User Comments:
What are hot dogs made out of?
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US TV Schedule:
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Dan Aykroyd | ... | Roman Craig | |
| John Candy | ... | Chet Ripley | |
| Stephanie Faracy | ... | Connie Ripley | |
| Annette Bening | ... | Kate Craig | |
| Chris Young | ... | Buck Ripley | |
| Ian Giatti | ... | Ben Ripley | |
| Hilary Gordon | ... | Cara Craig | |
| Rebecca Gordon | ... | Mara Craig | |
| Robert Prosky | ... | Wally | |
| Zoaunne LeRoy | ... | Juanita | |
| Lucy Deakins | ... | Cammie | |
| Nancy Lenehan | ... | Waitress | |
| John Bloom | ... | Jimbo | |
| Lewis Arquette | ... | Herm | |
| Britt Leach | ... | Reg |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Big Country (USA) (working title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
91 min
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Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Annette Bening's Film Debut
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Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Chet is throwing up, Roman (Dan Aykroyd) can be seen giving a cue for the other actors in the scene to run away.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in She's Having a Baby (1988)
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Soundtrack:
Cabin Fever
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A great comedy to settle down with after a long day. Aykroyd and Candy make a great pair in this off-beat comedy about life in the woods, and how one simple vacation turns into a dreaded day-to-day horror.
Basic Plot: John Candy and his family go up to Canada for a family vacation away from the city for several days. Seemingly fine, until they get to their cabin, the whole vacation starts to fall apart from the moment they arrive. Not only is there fish everywhere in their vacation home, but just when mom and dad think they're alone, their brother and sister in-law walk in on them, with their two daughters. From a water-skiing adventure gone wrong- to eating a whole family's worth of food (pun definitely intended.), the movie seems to continually take a turn for the worst. The subplot is Candy's oldest son, who starts to fall in love with a local, to give it that romance along with all the humor that's going on between the adults.
A fun movie to watch from 10- whenever.
I give it a 7.5 out of 10 (10 being the highest). Not one of the best movies ever but certainly funny and it has some great writing too.
A little piece of trivia:
At the end of "She's Having a Baby" right before the credits, you see the wife asking Kevin Bacon what they should name the baby... People from all sorts of films and T.V. shows voice their opinions, including some of the cast members from 'The Great Outdoors'.
And that's the end of this review.