The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors.
1988 Universal Pictures & Hughes Entertainment.
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Annette Bening, Stephanie Faracy
Director: Howard Deutch
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This is one of eight movies that starred both Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, and it was also Annette Bening's first major motion picture role.

Chicago's very own Chet Ripley (Candy), his wife Connie (Faracy), and their two sons are on vacation at a Wisconsin lake resort, complete with the backwoods cabin with numerous things wrong with it (dead fish in the shower, missing toliet seats).

And then, the Craig family shows up unannounced. Connie's sister Kate (Bening), her husband, the know-it-all investment broker Roman (Aykroyd), and their spaced-out twin daughters crash the resort, having cancelled their previous plans of a vacation in Europe. Roman drives a Mercedes, and loves to make people aware of his wealth, and his alleged expertise on just about everything. He also spoils Chet's vacation enough that he's ready to pack up his family and go home, even though one of his teenage sons is trying to romance a local girl named Cammie (Lucy Deakins).

There is a reason why the Craigs have crashed the Ripleys' vacation: a bad investment has wiped out all of their money, and Roman was planning to ask Chet to loan him $25,000.

When Roman and company aren't annoying Chet and his family, they are encountering grizzly bears, find out that the guest of honor of a 110th birthday party died enroute, but was still brought to the party regardless, and Chet devours a 96 ounce prime steak to impress Roman and earn everyone a free meal. Oh yes, everyone ends the film by dancing to Wilson Pickett's "Land of a Thousand Dances", which doesn't add much to the plot, but it's still a fun scene.

Also, rural raccoons can recognize Illinois license plates, and reason that Chicago residents eat much better than local citizens. Did you know that? I surely didn't!

Recommended movie.