Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss is a 1988 comedy Made-for-TV Movie directed by Dick Bartlett, written by Jean Shepherd, and starring James B. Sikking and Jerry O'Connell. Another installment in the Parker Family Saga (along with A Christmas Story and It Runs in the Family (1994)), this time centered around the family's annual road trip to the titular Haven of Bliss and its fishing lake. Subplots include Ralph getting his first summer job and the family dog Fuzzhead going missing.
The film was a co-production between Disney Channel and WGBH for PBS's American Playhouse.
Tropes for the film:
- The Alleged Car: The Parker family's 1947 Chevrolet Fleetmaster. The gas station attendant calls it an antique and, judging by the other cars on the road, it's about a decade old during the timeframe of the film, which was practically ancient for a vehicle in 1950s America. The Chevy regularly backfires; the starter spring sticking necessitates rocking the car up and down to free it; overheating is a regular occurrence; the fuel line is leaking; plus the Old Man asking for the heaviest motor oil when it's low probably means the worn engine is burning it.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Randy's obnoxiousness aggravates Ralph more than once.
- Are We There Yet?: Uttered by Randy more than once.
- Beware of Vicious Dog: The unseen Luke the Meir's Hound at the gas station sends all the family running.Gas Station Attendant: Hell, they ain't many of them around no more; They're illegal in most states.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Randy is much more of one here than in A Christmas Story.
- Chaotic Car Ride: It gets that way at points.
- Creator Cameo: Jean Shepherd plays Ralph and his friend's fearsome looking first boss, Mr. Scott. His dog Daphine also played Fuzzhead.
- Does Not Like Spam: Randy refuses to eat anything except peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
- Everytown, America: The setting of Hohman, Indiana is based on Jean Shepard's boyhood home of Hammond, Indiana.
- The '50s: A nostalgic version.
- The Film of the Book: Based on Shepard's short story of the same title originally published in Playboy in 1968 and collected in Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories three years later.
- Flyover Country: Takes place in northern Indiana and Michigan.
- Greasy Spoon: John's Lunch, the kid's Local Hangout, despite the bad food and unfriendly owner.
- Hawaiian-Shirted Tourist: It's not a very loud one, but the Old Man on the trip.
- Local Hangout: For the Old Man, it's The Bluebird Tavern. For the kids, it's John's Lunch, a Greasy Spoon.
- Mythology Gag: There are a few brief incidental appearances of characters, places, and events from other stories Jean Shepherd wrote: Mrs. Parker places a missing dog poster in the box office of the Orpheum movie theater, with the marquee advertising the ill-fated Dish Night promotion; she also makes Ralphie wave good-bye to his future prom date Wanda Hickey as they depart on their vacation; on the road, the Old Man refuses Ralphie's help with replacing a flat tire, indirectly referencing one of the more famous scenes in A Christmas Story
- Nostalgic Narrator: Jean Shepherd.
- Road Trip Plot: The whole focus of the second half of the film.
- Soul-Crushing Desk Job: The Old Man has one of these, making his vacation very important to him.
- Stock Footage: The opening credits uses clips from Metropolis.
- Tempting Fate: Mom says how well everything is going compared to last year moments before a flat tire. The Old Man berates her for it.
- Unconfessed Unemployment: After losing his first job, Ralph lies to his family that he quit in order to go on vacation with them.
