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The Great Outdoors, A Must See Family Comedy

Updated on February 25, 2014

The Ripleys were planning a nice trip into the wildlife, not expecting how WILD their LIFE would really get! Especially when their rich, snooty in-laws show up unannounced and really turn this nice vacation upside down. This is a classic comedy from the late 1980s starring the famous John Candy (RIP), and Dan Aykroyd. Both men were phenomenal actors, and they really did an excellent job in this movie.

It is about a family who decides to take a vacation out into the wilderness. They get a nice little cabin near a lake resort, and are all looking forward to the adventures they will have. They are quickly shaken up when their snobby in-laws show up uninvited. What was going to be a quiet little family trip turns into one of the most memorable vacations they would ever have.

The two dads, Chet Ripley (the simple guy) and Roman Craig (the rich snobby guy), are constantly at war with each other. Roman is the type of person who likes to press people's buttons, especially Chets. He seems to get enjoyment out of all the mishaps that happen to Chet, and trust me there are a TON of mishaps during the movie. Whether its the racoons that are getting into the trash, a wild bear, missing twin girls, or an attacking bat- Chet really has his share of troubles. He is convinced that Roman is out to get him, but his wife chalks this up to another of his silly notions. Chet struggles the whole movie to enjoy his vacation, and Roman definitely makes things difficult.

There are so many great scenes, interesting characters, and even a small teen romance. I think we can all relate to the characters in this movie on some level. Most people will tell you how crazy their own families are, and I can just see my own family starring in this movie. I am so glad that I was introduced to The Great Outdoors, it is absolutely a must see family comedy.

I love The Great Outdoors, it is such a funny movie! I remember watching it with my family when I was younger. We owned it on VHS, those were the good old days. There was never a time that I watched this movie, that I didn't laugh so hard my stomach hurt! I wouldn't recommend drinking milk while watching it unless you want it coming out your nose. Seriously, there are so many hilarious scenes, if you are looking for a great family comedy this is a MUST SEE.


The movie is rated PG. There is some minor language, and some "scary" scenes (like the bears and ghost stories). Overall however, it is a great family friendly movie- full of laughter and excitement. Watching this will make you want to get outdoors yourself!

My Favorite Scenes:

  • The man who was struck by lightning 66 times
  • When Chet eats the 96 ounce steak! (The old 96er)
  • Attack of the leeches
  • The bald headed killer bear bedtime story
  • Wild bat in the house
  • ski boat gone wrong

You can see some of these scenes in the videos below, there are so many more I could name- but these were all so funny!

My Favorite Quote from The Great Outdoors:

As Chet is downing the famous Old 96 ounce steak and quite miserable (he looked so terribly full) Roman just had to add in: "If I get an extra desert down him, you think you could thrown in a couple Paul Bunyan hats for the kids?" Too funny, you should have seen the look on Chet's face.

Below you will find the movie trailer, hilarious scenes and more!

Here is the trailer, a little sneak peek into this awesome movie!

Can you imagine being struck by lightning 66 times? This was so crazy!

This was too funny, one of my favorite scenes! I love how Chet describes the bat!

This is such a funny memorable scene, I love this part!

For those of you who are also John Candy fans!

John Candy was such a great actor and will forever be missed. If you are a John Candy fan like me (the one who played as Chet Ripley) then you should definitely check out these films as well. The Great Outdoors is still my favorite, with Uncle Buck being a close second. Armed & Dangerous is another great one, and if you haven't seen Nothing But Trouble you're missing out! Background Photo Credit

Uncle Buck
Uncle Buck
Another hilarious comedy starring John Candy, loved this movie as well!
 
Armed and Dangerous
Armed and Dangerous
Its been so long since I've seen this, I'd love to watch it again!
 
Nothing But Trouble (1991) (DVD)
Nothing But Trouble (1991) (DVD)
Another must see John Candy film!
 
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