VEGAS VACATION
US, 1997, 93, Colour.
Chevy Chase, Beverly D’ Angelo, Randy Quaid, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols, Miriam Flynn, Wayne Newton, Wallace Shawn, Sid Caesar, Siegfried and Roy.
Directed by Stephen Kessler.
The Griswold holiday films were initially sponsored by National Lampoon. The family travelled 0ver the United States as well is into Europe. This is their trip to Las Vegas.
The film has the usual ingredients designed for the continued fans of the series. Others, not familiar, may find it all rather laboured – and a touch absurd.
Chevy Chase is once again the rather carefree father, getting a lot of money as a bonus for his invention for preserving food. Beverly D’ Angelo is once again his long-suffering wife, but devoted, although with his penchant for gambling in this film, losing over $20,000, she begins to take a stand – but, we know, all will come right in the end and the whole family will be happy.
In many ways, the film is highly materialistic – as is Las Vegas. We see all the glitz of Vegas in the 1990s and its ethos of spending and risking and are meant to be in or if not admiration. While it is billed as a family vacationland, the family needs to be pretty well off.
There are many scenes in the casino, especially with Wallace Shawn as an antagonistic tables manager, exasperating Chevy Chase, his being willing to gamble more and more not only to win but to defeat the smirking and chuckling Shawn. In the meantime, Beverly D’ Angelo is a big fan of Wayne Newton and they go to one of his performances where he makes a play for her, singing with her, then buying dresses, inviting her to his mansion… Which she ultimately rejects and Chevy Chase, of course, uses strong arm tactics. Wayne Newton’s presence is, of course, Las Vegas promotion as is the family going to see Siegfried and Roy and Chevy Chase caught up to participate in one of their magic shows along with a tiger.
The Griswold have two teenage children, Ethan Embry and Marisol Nichols.She gets caught up with a country cousin who is a dancer and goes on some daring escapades, including dancing on neon signs and wearing provocative dresses.He on the other hand, tries to go gambling, is ejected from the casinos, meets someone who is able to get him a false identity card, and when he plays the tables, he wins big time, getting a special suite in the casino… But falling foul off some of the local gangster identities.
The other complication is the country cousins who live rather primitively outside Las Vegas. Randy Quaid appears again, embodying the hillbilly style, accompanying Griswold at the casinos, eventually lending him some money which Griswold immediately gambles again, and is a good friend. His wife and family are presented quite genially.
VEGAS VACATION
US, 1997, 93, Colour.
Chevy Chase, Beverly D’ Angelo, Randy Quaid, Ethan Embry, Marisol Nichols, Miriam Flynn, Wayne Newton, Wallace Shawn, Sid Caesar, Siegfried and Roy.
Directed by Stephen Kessler.
The Griswold holiday films were initially sponsored by National Lampoon. The family travelled 0ver the United States as well is into Europe. This is their trip to Las Vegas.
The film has the usual ingredients designed for the continued fans of the series. Others, not familiar, may find it all rather laboured – and a touch absurd.
Chevy Chase is once again the rather carefree father, getting a lot of money as a bonus for his invention for preserving food. Beverly D’ Angelo is once again his long-suffering wife, but devoted, although with his penchant for gambling in this film, losing over $20,000, she begins to take a stand – but, we know, all will come right in the end and the whole family will be happy.
In many ways, the film is highly materialistic – as is Las Vegas. We see all the glitz of Vegas in the 1990s and its ethos of spending and risking and are meant to be in or if not admiration. While it is billed as a family vacationland, the family needs to be pretty well off.
There are many scenes in the casino, especially with Wallace Shawn as an antagonistic tables manager, exasperating Chevy Chase, his being willing to gamble more and more not only to win but to defeat the smirking and chuckling Shawn. In the meantime, Beverly D’ Angelo is a big fan of Wayne Newton and they go to one of his performances where he makes a play for her, singing with her, then buying dresses, inviting her to his mansion… Which she ultimately rejects and Chevy Chase, of course, uses strong arm tactics. Wayne Newton’s presence is, of course, Las Vegas promotion as is the family going to see Siegfried and Roy and Chevy Chase caught up to participate in one of their magic shows along with a tiger.
The Griswold have two teenage children, Ethan Embry and Marisol Nichols.She gets caught up with a country cousin who is a dancer and goes on some daring escapades, including dancing on neon signs and wearing provocative dresses.He on the other hand, tries to go gambling, is ejected from the casinos, meets someone who is able to get him a false identity card, and when he plays the tables, he wins big time, getting a special suite in the casino… But falling foul off some of the local gangster identities.
The other complication is the country cousins who live rather primitively outside Las Vegas. Randy Quaid appears again, embodying the hillbilly style, accompanying Griswold at the casinos, eventually lending him some money which Griswold immediately gambles again, and is a good friend. His wife and family are presented quite genially.
At the end, Sid Caesar appears as a lonely old man who never wins – but who does win, collapses, but lets the Griswold have his money.
One of the aims of the trip to Las Vegas was for husband-and-wife to renew their vows – which, ultimately they do, and all is well – mainly in terms of the script rather than what might happen in real life.
