Caffeinated Clint
“Vacation”, the on-again off-again on-again restart of the Chevy Chase-led franchise, is back on track with filming to kick off before the end of the year.
The first new Griswold jaunt since 1997’s “Vegas Vacation” is finally (it’s been a year since we’ve heard anything new on it) inching before the cameras – and we’ve some coolish script spoilers for you!
The script was crafted by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein; the “Horrible Bosses” duo will also direct. Ed Helms and Christina Applegate headline. Tim Suhrstedt, the DP on the striking-looking “Little Miss Sunshine”, is the cinematographer. David Dobkin, of “Wedding Crashers” fame, produces the film – serving as somewhat of a Nolan-esque shepherd to the reboot.
But a good cast and crew is no substitute for a cool concept… so what have you got for us “Vacation 2.0”?
Here’s ‘Extender Man’ with the scoop :
Rusty (Ed Helms), wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) and sons Kevin and James are off to Astroland – as opposed to Wally World, which is where the clan were headed in the ’80s original – this time (sans Clark and Ellen; Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo will cameo). Like the original flick, we’re staying in the states – so expect some interesting Americana stop-offs along the way (hello Grand Canyon!).
Like Clark’s clan, this is a family of four.
Kevin is 11 or 12, and James is 15 (yep ‘Kevin’ and ‘James’ – likely unintentionally funny.. Or is it!?), one’s essentially a dick (Kevin; compared to ‘Hitler’ by his sibling), the other (Guitar-strumming James) more nerdy. Lots of bullying by the younger sibling ensues.. until James the ‘pacifist’ finds the courage to stand up for himself. If either of the duo are the ‘Anthony Michael Hall’ of the pic it’s James.
Wife Debbie : Rusty’s essentially married his mother.
Rusty? essentially a clone of Clark – slightly naive, goofy.. a champion for “family”. He means well but ends up making a glitch of each situation – just as “Grandpa Clark” did. He puts his kids in some rather embarrassing situations.
Lots of throwbacks to the original – for instance, a hottie on the freeway catches James’s eye. While at the motel, they have a run-in.. which leads of his instrument* getting a tad wet.
* guitar.Humor is more on par with that of the original – slightly crude, R-rated jokes. The tone reminiscent of last year’s “We’re the Millers” — Rusty reaching under the motel bed for the remote and instead pulling out a chunk of someone’s pubic hair, another time he’s thinking he’s switched on some porn to get the missus hot and bothered .. Until she realizes it’s Jodie Foster’s “The Accused”; also quite a few Vagina gags (no topping those) in here too.
Obviously, the studio is going the R-rated route for this, likely encouraged by the success of “We’re the Millers”.
After this, Ed Helms steps into another iconic comedy role, that of Lt. Frank Drebin in a reboot of “The Naked Gun”.
Surely the “Doctor Detroit” do-over isn’t too far away?
