History YMMV / NationalLampoonsVacation

* TearJerker: Aunt Edna was a mean old lady, but it's hard not to feel sad for her when she learns that Clark accidentally killed her dog.

* HarsherInHindsight: In the post-meltdown scene, Ellen reprimands Clark and tells him that she's afraid that he might kill the kids and/or hold up a UsefulNotes/McDonalds. There would be a mass shooting at a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre San Ysidro McDonald's]] less than a year later.

* IdiotPlot: The whole mess of a vacation would have been avoided had Clark (or even the far more rational Ellen) made a simple phone call to Walley World to confirm it was open for the season; they would have learned it was "closed for repairs." (Then again, phone call equals no movie and no fun for us, the viewers.)

* HarsherInHindsight: In the post-meltdown scene, Ellen reprimands Clark and tells him that she's afraid that he might kill the kids and/or hold up a UsefulNotes/McDonalds, the scene's become hard to laugh at over the years due to a real-life shooting at a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre San Ysidro McDonald's]] less than a year later.

* HollywoodHomely: The pointless subplot about Clark, played by Chevy Chase, lusting after Christie Brinkley's character seems even more puerile given that Ellen is played by the stunning Beverly D'Angelo.

** When Groverfirst appears near the end of the film, he asks "What's going on here?" before being held at gun point and being forced by Clark Griswold to "lie down, roll over, and stay." Frank [=McRae=] played a teacher in ''Film/RedDawn1984'', where he would ask the same question before getting shot for real.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In the post-meltdown scene, Ellen reprimands Clark and tells him that she's afraid that he might kill the kids and/or hold up a UsefulNotes/McDonalds, the scene's become hard to laugh at over the years due to a real-life shooting at a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre San Ysidro McDonald's]] less than a year later.

* WhatAnIdiot: The whole mess of a vacation would have been avoided had Clark (or even the far more rational Ellen) made a simple phone call to Walley World to confirm it was open for the season; they would have learned it was "closed for repairs." (Then again, phone call equals no movie and no fun for us, the viewers.)
** Unless whatever happened to make Walley World need the repairs took place after the Griswolds departed or Clark decided to drive them somewhere else.
*** It's also been stated the horrific vacation would have been averted if they'd just taken a plane flight.

* HarsherInHindsight: Post-recession, it's rather harder to laugh at Eddie's money troubles.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: '''[[SignatureSong Holiday]]''' '''''[[SignatureSong ROOAAAAAAAAAD!]]'''''

* HarsherInHindsight / FunnyAneurysmMoment: Post-recession, it's rather harder to laugh at Eddie's money troubles.

** [[Film/Vacation The 2015 sequel]] is getting this reaction too with people who dislike the larger amounts of crude humor in comparison to the original, and how the film is essentially just a kinda-sorta remake of the original (with one of the film's own trailers lampshading this fact) with much more heavy-handed attempts at comedy; highlighted further by the fact the 2015 movie recreates almost shot for shot the famous "flirting with a hot woman on the highway" scene, only this one has her brutally killed in a head-on collision, which many viewers found to be a ComedicSociopathy bit that leaned too heavily on the "sociopathy" part.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: '''[[SignatureSong Holiday]]''' '''[[SignatureSong ROOAAAAAAAAAD!]]'''''

%%* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu6_0H4GKHM The lounge music that plays in the hotel bar scene.]]

%%* EnsembleDarkHorse: Cousin Eddie.
* FirstInstallmentWins: Helped by intense {{Sequelitis}}, from which only ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' is found to get a pass.
** The 2015 sequel/reboot is getting this reaction too with people who dislike the larger amounts of crude humor in comparison to the original, and how the film is essentially just a kinda-sorta remake of the original (with one of the film's own trailers lampshading this fact) with much more heavy-handed attempts at comedy; highlighted further by the fact the 2015 movie recreates almost shot for shot the famous "flirting with a hot woman on the highway" scene, only this one has her brutally killed in a head-on collision, which many viewers found to be a ComedicSociopathy bit that leaned too heavily on the "sociopathy" part.

* HarsherInHindsight: Post-recession, it's rather harder to laugh at Eddie's money troubles.

* HollywoodHomely: The pointless subplot about Clark lusting after Christie Brinkley's character seems even more puerile given that Ellen is played by the stunning Beverly D'Angelo.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Helped by intense {{Sequelitis}}, from which only ''Film/ChristmasVacation'' is found to get a pass.

* DirectorDisplacement: Creator/JohnHughes wrote the first film, yet it was directed by Creator/HaroldRamis.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Clark Griswold is a psychopath with an uncontrollable temper. He commits several crimes in the film, including [[spoiler: holding amusement park employees hostage]] just so he and his family can have the trip he thinks they deserve and yet does not get arrested. He even points a fake gun at the cops! Clark almost [[spoiler: cheats on Ellen]] which is he is EasilyForgiven for. Clark [[spoiler: kills a dog]]--albeit on accident--and when his family suggests that they have suffered enough and collectively decide to go home, he lashes out at them and forces them on the trip against their wills. Clark usually has a violent outburst in his movies that is always followed by him breaking the law which makes one wonder if he is mentally ill and then makes you wonder what other things Ellen has witnessed him do over the years...

* DirectorDisplacement: Creator/JohnHughes wrote the film, yet it was directed by Creator/HaroldRamis.

* FirstInstallmentWins: Helped by intense {{Sequelitis}}, from which only ''Christmas Vacation'' is found to get a pass.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In the post-meltdown scene, Ellen reprimands Clark and tells him that she's afraid that he might kill the kids and/or hold up a [=McDonald's=], the scene's become hard to laugh at over the years due to a real-life shooting at a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Ysidro_McDonald%27s_massacre San Ysidro McDonald's]] less than a year later.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu6_0H4GKHM The lounge music that plays in the hotel bar scene.]]

* EarWorm: Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road", which serves as the movie's theme song, as well as June Pointer's "Little Boy Sweet," which serves as Christie Brinkley's theme.
* EnsembleDarkHorse: Cousin Eddie.

* HollywoodHomely: The pointless subplot about Clark lusting after Christie Brinkley's character seems even more purile given that Ellen is played by the stunning Beverly D'Angelo.

* HollywoodHomely: The pointless subplot about Eddie lusting after Christie Brinkley's character seems even more purile given that Ellen is played by the stunning Creator/BeverlyD'Angelo.

* The pointless subplot about Eddie lusting after Christie Brinkley's character seems even more purile given that Ellen is played by the stunning Creator/BeverlyDAngelo.

** The 2015 sequel/reboot is getting this reaction too with people who dislike the larger amounts of crude humor in comparison to the original, and how the film is essentially just a kinda-sorta remake of the original (with one of the film's own trailers lampshading this fact) with much more heavy-handed attempts at comedy; highlighted further by the fact the 2015 movie recreates almost shot for shot the famous "flirting with a hot woman on the highway" scene, only this one has her die violently in a head-on collision, making many viewers say "Not Funny".

* IncestYayShipping: Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall as Audrey and Russ seem closer than a normal set of siblings would be, which led to speculation they had an off-screen relationship.