Vegas Vacation is a 1997 comedy film directed by Stephen Kessler. It is the fourth installment in National Lampoon's "Vacation" film series and was written by Elisa Bell, based on a story by Bell and Bob Ducsay.
The film stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo and Randy Quaid, with Ethan Embry and Marisol Nichols as the Griswold children Rusty and Audrey.
"Vegas Vacation" became the first theatrical Vacation film not to carry the "National Lampoon" label or a screenwriting credit from John Hughes. It also the only theatrical "Vacation" film to receive a "PG" rating.
Plot[]
| Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
At work, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) has invented a long life food preservative, earning him a large bonus check.
Clark announces to his family that he is taking them on vacation. Enthusiasm wanes, however, when Clark says they are headed to Las Vegas, Nevada, his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) and teenage daughter, Audrey (Marisol Nichols) have their doubts as Las Vegas is not known for its family-friendly atmosphere while teenage son Rusty (Ethan Embry) appears to be more eager.
Upon travelling to Vegas, they run into the "woman in the Ferrari" (Christie Brinkley) who appeared in the first film. Clark is the only one who sees her, but then notices that she now has a child.
Upon arriving in Vegas, the family embarks upon a series of mishaps and adventures. Clark crosses paths with Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), the husband of Ellen's cousin Catherine (Miriam Flynn). Eddie and his family now live in the desert just north of Las Vegas, on what used to be an atom bomb test site.
While on a group tour of the gigantic Hoover Dam led by guide Arty (John P. Finnegan), Clark foolishly leaves the group after accidentally creating a leak in the dam's inside walkways, and is forced to climb the scaffolding to the very top of the dam to get out, because his cries for help cannot be heard over the roaring water of the spillway. Later that night they attend a Siegfried & Roy show.
The next night, tickets to a Wayne Newton concert and a dress for Ellen are sent in the mail. They go to the concert, only to realize that Newton had sent the dress, and while singing, he has Ellen go on stage and sing with him.
The next day, the family decides to go their own ways just for the day. Clark goes to a casino and becomes addicted to gambling, usually losing to an overzealous dealer (Wallace Shawn) who takes great pleasure from Clark's misfortune.
Rusty gets a fake ID from a Frank Sinatra look-alike and becomes a winning high roller, taking on the pseudonym "Nick Papagiorgio," Audrey starts hanging out with Eddie's wild and gorgeous exotic dancer daughter Vickie (Shae D'Lyn) and her friends and Ellen begins spending time with Wayne Newton, who has feelings for Ellen.
Meanwhile, Clark gambles away the family's $22,600 bank account, causing Ellen to get upset and claim that they are not spending a "Family Vacation" together, and leaves. Then, Russ and Audrey depart too. Russ goes off gambling for cars and wins four. Ellen goes to eat with Wayne Newton, and Audrey goes to a strip club with Vickie and begins to dance like a stripper, leaving Clark alone without money.
Eddie (who has money buried in his front yard) tries to come to the Griswold family's rescue in return for everything the Griswolds have done for him and his family over the years.
Clark and Eddie go to a local casino to get their money back, but Clark ends up running out of Eddie's money too. Then, Clark realizes he no longer cares about getting his money back, but he needs to get his family back.
Clark then gathers up his family from around Vegas and they gamble their last two dollars on a game of Keno. They take a seat next to an older man (Sid Caesar) who compliments Clark on his lovely family, and hints that he has been lonely all of his life. Out of guilt, Clark tells the man to consider himself part of the Griswold family for the night. The man happily accepts Clark's kind words, and both parties begin the game.
At first, the Griswolds are hopeful, but as they realize they have already lost the game, they sadly sit for moments in silence. Suddenly, the man next to them ecstatically declares that he's won the game.
As he continues to express joy, he suddenly begins to slip in and out of consciousness while Ellen sends Rusty for help. He awakens one last time and whispers a message to Clark, before dropping his winning ticket and falling one final time.
Puzzled, Clark tells Ellen that the man said "take the ticket." When the casino security guards and paramedics arrive, they declare the man officially dead. They tell the Griswolds his name was Mr. Ellis and commented on how sad his loneliness was to them.
As Mr. Ellis is carried away, a janitor approaches with a carpet cleaner, walking straight for the winning ticket on the floor. Though it appears Clark is going to allow it to be lost, at the last moment, he pulls the ticket out of the path of the carpet cleaner.
With them winning the Keno game, Clark and Ellen get remarried. Afterwards, Clark hands Eddie $5000 and explains "we were very fortunate last night." They all drive home in the four cars Rusty won on the slot machines: a red Dodge Viper, a maroon Ford Mustang, a black Hummer H1 and a white Ford Aspire.
Cast[]
- Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
- Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold
- Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie
- Ethan Embry as Russell "Rusty" Griswold
- Marisol Nichols as Audrey Griswold
- Miriam Flynn as Cousin Catherine
- Shae D'Lyn as Cousin Vicki
- Juliette Brewer as Cousin Ruby Sue
- Wallace Shawn as Marty the Blackjack dealer
- Julia Sweeney as Mirage Desk Clerk
- Wayne Newton as himself
- Siegfried & Roy as themselves
- Toby Huss as Young Frank Sinatra impersonator/Fake ID salesman
- Christie Brinkley as "Girl in the Red Ferrari" (from the first film)
- Sid Caesar as Mr. Ellis
- Jerry Weintraub as "Gilly from Philly"
Production[]
"Vegas Vacation" was filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the busy tourist season, from mid-June through late September 1996.
Extensive footage was shot at The Mirage Resort, and included the resort's diving dolphins and its Siegfried & Roy show.
Other filming locations included Casa de Shenandoah, the home of entertainer Wayne Newton, who also appears in the film. Scenes were also filmed at the Klondike Hotel and Casino & on soundstages at the Las Vegas Video Sound Film Production Center.
Marisol Nichols and Ethan Embry became the fourth different set of actors to play the Griswold children, Audrey and Rusty. This fact is referenced early in the film when Clark Griswold comments that he hardly recognizes his children anymore.
The role played by Toby Huss was similar to a number of MTV commercials from the early 1990s that featured Huss as a Las Vegas crooner.
The Sid Caesar death scene is reminiscent of the Jimmy Durante death scene in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in which Caesar also starred. His character was one of the witnesses to Durante's character's death.
Reception[]
Box Office[]
"Vegas Vacation" opened at #4 at the box office, grossing $12,837,927 during its opening weekend.
Critical Reception[]
"Vegas Vacation" received negative reviews.
It has garnered a rating of just 13% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews.
Theatrical Trailer[]
Vegas Vacation (1997) Trailer