The appearance of Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in a Vacation-themed Super Bowl commercial symbolized a feel-bad moment for most of those involved; from Chase's manic mugging as Clark Griswold to the mute D'Angelo to the resurrection of the Family Truckster to the viewers at home who actually got the cultural reference, there was plenty of despondency to go around. But we're learning today that salvation -- or quite possibly just another cynical, schematic Hollywood cash grab -- may be afoot.
New Line has announced plans to reboot the Vacation franchise, which has lain dormant since 1990's Christmas Vacation (unless you count the Randy Quaid spin-off Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure, which of course you don't). The new film will reportedly focus on the misadventures of Clark's son Rusty Griswold, now a father himself who strikes out with his own family on a road trip from hell. Chase is likely to return as Grandpa Clark; no word yet on D'Angelo, who was on a quest to reclaim her dignity and could not be reached for comment. We can safely bet that it's probable.
Another ambiguity is what New Line actually plans: an enduring film for adults, like the John Hughes-scripted, Harold Ramis-directed original? Or some neutered PG-13 Vacation in name only, with the original's infidelity subplot and subversive humor ("I'm going steady, and I French kiss." "So? Everybody does that." "But Daddy says I'm the best.") left for dead like Aunt Edna on a distant relative's porch?
No one yet knows what to make of the studio hiring TV veterans Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley to develop a script, and no casting clues have been dropped either. Rusty Griswold would be pushing 45 (!) today, which does put the studio in higher-end Owen Wilson territory (and thus setting up a Wedding Crashers reunion with Vince Vaughn cameoing as the new Cousin Eddie... or not). Or, if resemblance to Rusty's originator Anthony Michael Hall doesn't matter, maybe just go with Ed Helms and be done with it.
Perfect world: Todd Phillips will sign on and rewrite the thing with Jason Segel, who'll play Rusty opposite Anna Faris's beleaguered spouse and their two uncontrollably potty-mouthed kids. Or, magically perfect world: Hughes left a reboot script somewhere in those stacks and stacks of archived writings that are trickling out. And then Segel and Faris sign on. And we never hear from the Griswold defilers at homeaway.com again. A guy can dream.
ยท National Lampoon's Vacation Reboot [Empire]