How To Watch The National Lampoon's Vacation Movies In Order

The family vacation may seem like a relic from a bygone era from back when people felt like they could still afford to take a trip without also taking out a second mortgage. But whether you're reading this while pretending to work, or (hopefully) on a tropical beach somewhere, we can all still relate to the symbolism of the family vacation — the joys, and the chaos. Each are the hilarious hallmarks of the beloved "Vacation" movies, focusing on the misadventures of hapless The Griswold family. While the "Vacation" series has only earned $330 million worldwide (not accounting for inflation), the franchise's cultural footprint goes much deeper than its revenue, thanks to its hilarious, highly exaggerated relatability.

Like so many other '80s comedic cultural touchstones, the "Vacation" franchise began its life in the fertile imagination of John Hughes. His short story "Vacation '58" was first published in "National Lampoon" magazine in 1979. With all due respect to Hughes still, the credit for the series success' belongs to its cast of characters. The pure and perverted patriarch Clark (Chevy Chase); his long-suffering wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo); the decent yet disgusting Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid); and the Griswold kids, Rusty and Audrey, whose actors change with each film. It's the kid's ever-changing ages that often leave fans wondering: How do I watch the National Lampoon "Vacation" movies in order? Buckle your seat belts and pack some snacks, because we're about to take you down the holiday road (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh) of the "Vacation" series. 

There was no doubt that "National Lampoon's Vacation" is the place to start. Well, that is until they make a prequel about a young Clark Griswold going on a family vacation as a boy, which we're surprised they haven't done yet (if they do, we want screen credit). The 1983 film was John Hughes' adaptation of his own short story, and re-teamed director Harold Ramis with star Chevy Chase, fresh off their successful collaboration on another '80s comedy classic, "Caddyshack." However, the untold truth of "Caddyshack" is that director Ramis admitted to having no idea what he was doing, while Chase has a well-deserved reputation for being, shall we say, difficult, (which is perhaps why you don't hear from him anymore).

Surprisingly, the two got along well enough to produce another madcap masterpiece three years later. In the inaugural Griswold outing, Rusty is played by Anthony Michael Hall (aged 14 at the time), while Audrey was played by Dana Barron. "Vacation" never officially establishes birth order, so while Audrey appears to be younger, Barron is actually two years older than Hall. Whoever was born first, "National Lampoon's Vacation" comes first in more ways than one. It yucked up $61 million worldwide on a $15 million budget, making it the most profitable of the series, while its strong reviews make it the best-reviewed "Vacation" movie, and the top "National Lampoon" movie too, ahead of "Animal House." It's little wonder that this film kicked off the start of a franchise.

"National Lampoon's European Vacation" comes second chronologically, but many would argue it belongs dead last in terms of quality. While there is no argument as to its place in the franchise, there is once again debate about sibling birth order. Like the first film, Rusty is all-but-established as older than Audrey based on context. Alas, once again, the actress playing Audrey (Dana Hill) was about four years older than the new Rusty (Jason Lively). Hey, we have heard that girls mature faster than boys, but doubling your sibling age gap is a stretch, especially considering she appears to be younger. 

Amy Heckerling took over the director's chair for Harold Ramis, with Robert Klane penning the script in John Hughes' stead, and Randy Quaid's Cousin Eddie nowhere to be found, which helps explain why it's one of the least funny. In the 1985 film, the Griswolds trade the family roadster for plane tickets after winning an all-expense-paid vacation to Europe on a game show, where for some reason they're dressed like pigs. Their plane lands, but the jokes never do, as the Griswold clan makes their way through London, France, Germany, and Italy. At each stop hilarity ensues, or at least it's supposed to, as the movies failure to find laughs is about as feckless as Clark trying to create wholesome family memories.

"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" earned $77 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing of the franchise, though its estimated $28 million budget keeps it from being the most profitable, at least theatrically. But its box office receipts bely its colossal cultural footprint. For millions, the 1989 movie is a cinematic Christmas mainstay, joining films like "It's A Wonderful Life," "A Christmas Carol," and "Home Alone." It's the latter that owes its very existence to "Christmas Vacation." The festive story behind "Christmas Vacation" is that Chevy Chase pulled a Chase, proving to be difficult during pre-production with then-director Chris Columbus. 

John Hughes came to the rescue, offering Columbus "Home Alone" instead, and giving the job to first-time film director Jeremiah Checknik. Let's be honest; with this cast and script, anyone could have made a comedy masterpiece. Every other line is quotable, while each actor in the all-star ensemble (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts) would be a showstopper in a different movie. However, this movie belongs to Randy Quaid's Cousin Eddie, who steals the movie and wraps it in a bow like he does Clark's boss (Brian Doyle-Murray). "Christmas Vacation" comes third in the series, though this time Audrey (Juliette Lewis) is visibly older than Rusty (Johnny Galecki), and portrayed as such. Strangely, Lewis is only two years older than Galecki, so the age gap shrunk from "European Vacation." To quote Cousin Eddie: "I don't know." What we do know is that the third film is arguably the best, and definitely the most beloved.

Despite the success of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," the series took an eight-year hiatus, probably owing to Chevy Chase's declining star power and growing bad reputation. In 1997, the Griswolds returned for "National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation." The return of Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid to their respective roles wasn't a winning hand, with "Vegas Vacation" earning the franchise's worst reviews. While the movie definitely has its charms and some solid, quotable one-liners, its paint-by-numbers approach falls far short of "Vacation" and "Christmas Vacation."

This is the fourth film in the franchise, though you'd be forgiven for being confused, again, based on Rusty and Audrey's new actors and ages. Maybe Juliette Lewis wanted to avoid this misfire after earning a 1992 Oscar nomination for "Cape Fear." Ethan Embry takes over as Rusty, with Marisol Nichols playing Audrey. While the characters could be confused for fraternal twins, Nichols is actually five years older than Embry, the series biggest age gap.  The age-defying Rusty and Audrey must be encased in amber like Bart and Lisa from "The Simpsons," because despite being college-aged in "Vegas Vaction," they technically should be in their late 20s or early 30s based on "Vacation" (1983). Yet the siblings' ages were the least of the fourth film's worries. With only $36 million worldwide in box office receipts, what happened in Vegas probably should have stayed there, as "Vegas Vacation" took a gamble and failed.

Like a 1940s mobster, the "Vacation" franchise was unceremoniously buried in the desert with 1997's "Vegas Vacation." Or so we thought, as the series was saved 18 years later with ... wait for it ... "Vacation." Though "saved" is a stretch, as the bland title speaks to the fifth film's creative bankruptcy, which plays more like a bad "Hangover" ripoff. While we would have loved seeing Clark and Ellen courting disaster on a senior citizens river cruise, this time Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are relegated to cameo status. Ed Helms takes over as Rusty Griswold, who has somehow forgotten the chaos of his childhood and now wants to recreate his family vacation to Walley World. 

Though the siblings' ages and birth order are again confusing, we'll at least give them credit for aging them up. Leslie Mann takes over as Audrey, who understandably has no desire for family trips, and would rather ogle the oozing mountain of machismo that is her husband Stone (Chris Hemsworth). Rusty's mind-numbing naivety is so out-of-character it takes us out of the movie, which may be for the best, as "Vacation" is a trip, and not in a good way. "Vacation" is less a movie, and more a fill-in-the-blanks studio programmer whose sole purpose is to satisfy Hollywood's insatiable appetite for sequels, and moviegoers' addiction to nostalgia. While the 2015 films' $105 million worldwide on a $31 million budget was quite profitable, its horrible reviews have probably sent the "Vacation" franchise into retirement.

So there you have it: despite Rusty and Audrey's ever-evolving ages, the way to watch the "Vacation" franchise is the same order they were released. However, nobody would blame you for skipping "European Vacation" and the 2015 "Vacation." Speaking of skipping, we skipped two "Vacation" spin-offs that are technically canon but they were not released theatrically. First up is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure." Released on December 20, 2003 on NBC, this TV movie takes place after "Vegas Vacation," with Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn reprising their roles as Cousin Eddie and Catherine from "Christmas Vacation" 14 years earlier. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are nowhere to be found, and for good reason. Despite starring the series' funniest character, it is probably the least funny entry, proving Cousin Eddie works best in small doses.

Chase and D'Angelo did reprise their roles for the 2010 14-minute short "Hotel Hell Vacation." However, this wasn't a movie, or even a made-for-TV movie, but a long-form advertising campaign for travel website HomeAway (which rebranded as Vrbo). The campaign began with a TV commercial during Super Bowl XLIV, which encouraged viewers to watch the longer version on HomeAway's website. The admittedly clever (if overlong) premise is that the Griswolds are once-again having a nightmare vacation which could have been avoided if they booked with HomeAway. This short takes place before "Vacation" (2015), so now you can watch every "Vacation" story in order.