While a remake of one of the best comedies of the ’80s is nothing to smile about, everything I’m hearing about John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s “Vacation” do-over has spurred my enthusiasm a tad. Damn you smart casting agents! Curse you intelligent development team!

While it’s good news that the film will serve somewhat as a sequel, with Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo likely reprising their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold (in cameos), hence not ‘doing over’ the original quadrilogy of films, bigger points to the production for snaring Ed Helms (“The Hangover”) to play Rusty Griswold – all growed up. I liketh.

But, as every “Vacation” fan knows, a Griswold’s only as good as the wife he’s nabbed (D’Angelo was ‘smokin back in those original films, admit it!), and in this case, New Line/Warner have chosen nattily. Christina Applegate is playing Rusty’s wife, and the mother to their children, in the new film.

Applegate, a TV fave from way back, is on a bit of a roll, what with that “Anchorman” sequel also on the way. She’s likely going to eat the role of an attractive wife, who may be losing interest in her unlucky hubby, up all nom, nom, nom style. In the film, she and her family head off on a ‘holiday’ (like the one in the original 1984 film) – to, if memory serves me right, the same place the Griswold’s went waybackwhen, Wally World.

Applegate’s done real well for herself in recent years, sneakily snagging herself a place amongst Hollywood’s female frat pack thanks to roles in such comedy hits as “Hall Pass” and “Anchorman”, and snaring laughs on the once-rating (now defunct) “Up All Night”.