Alright, Gen Xers, buckle up. We’re taking a spin through the Vacation franchise, which began 42 years ago on Tuesday of this week. Ah, the first National Lampoon’s Vacation, that gloriously unpolished gem of our youth, where Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold dragged his family through the kind of misadventures that made us laugh, cringe, and thank the stars our own family road trips weren’t quite that unhinged. This ain’t no millennial list with their “aesthetic” filters or Gen Z’s TikTok-ready quips. This is a Gen X take—gritty, nostalgic, and a little sarcastic, just like we were raised.
RELATED: Saying Goodbye to Hulk Hogan
6. Vacation (2015)
Let’s get this out of the way: the 2015 reboot is the redheaded stepchild of the franchise, and not the cool kind like Cousin Eddie’s kid who might’ve hotwired your Walkman. This attempt to revive the Griswold legacy with Ed Helms as Rusty Griswold, all grown up and dragging his own family to Walley World, feels like a corporate PowerPoint presentation of what someone thought a Vacation movie should be. It’s got the gross-out gags (raw sewage hot tub, anyone?) and a few chuckles, but it’s missing the soul. Gen Xers didn’t grow up with this one; we watched it out of curiosity and maybe a little masochism. The cameos from Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo are like seeing your high school crush at a reunion—nice, but it ain’t the same. It’s a cover band playing your favorite song off-key. Pass the Tylenol.
Why It’s Last: No heart, no Clark, and it feels like it was made for people who think “edgy” means a fart joke. We’d rather rewatch Fletch.
5. Vegas Vacation (1997)
By ’97, the Vacation series was running on fumes, and Vegas Vacation is proof the tank was damn near empty. Clark and the gang head to Sin City, and while the idea of the Griswolds in Vegas sounds like a slam dunk, it’s more like a botched layup. The jokes feel recycled, the energy’s flat, and the whole thing plays like a sitcom episode stretched to 90 minutes. Chevy’s still got that Clark charm, and Ellen’s trying, but the kids (Rusty and Audrey, recast again) are forgettable, and the plot’s thinner than a casino buffet plate. Wayne Newton’s cameo and Cousin Eddie’s return are high points, but they can’t save it. For Gen Xers, this one’s a nostalgia trap—watchable, but you’ll be muttering, “They don’t make ’em like they used to.”
Why It’s Here: It’s got some laughs, but it’s the Vacation equivalent of a knockoff Members Only jacket. You wore it, but you knew it wasn’t the real deal.
4. European Vacation (1985)
Now we’re getting somewhere, but European Vacation is the awkward middle child of the series. The Griswolds win a game show and bumble their way across Europe, leaving a trail of cultural faux pas and wrecked landmarks. It’s got iconic moments—Clark getting stuck in a roundabout, the German dance scene—but it leans too hard on slapstick and stereotypes that haven’t aged well. For Gen X kids who watched this on VHS, it’s memorable for the sheer absurdity (and, yeah, that NSFW Audrey scene we all pretended not to notice). Chevy and Beverly D’Angelo are still magic together, but the script feels like it was written by someone who read a Fodor’s guide and called it a day. It’s fun, but it’s no classic.
Why It’s Here: It’s got heart and some killer moments, but it’s like your buddy’s mixtape with too many filler tracks. Still, you’ll quote “Look, kids! Big Ben!” till you’re dust.
3. Christmas Vacation (1989)
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Christmas Vacation is the holiday juggernaut that every Gen Xer can quote verbatim while untangling Christmas lights or dodging family drama. Clark’s quest for the perfect family Christmas—complete with a tree that doesn’t fit, a yuppie neighbor takedown, and the most unhinged Cousin Eddie performance ever—hits us right in the nostalgic feels. It’s not just a movie; it’s a time capsule of late-’80s excess, family dysfunction, and that weird optimism we had before the internet ruined everything. The sled scene? The rant? The cat in the gift box? Pure gold. It’s not higher because, well, it’s more about the holidays than the road trip vibe that defines the series, but it’s a banger.
Why It’s Here: It’s the Vacation movie you watch every December, and you’re lying if you say you don’t tear up when Clark finally gets those lights to shine. Some would vote this number one, but more on that later…
2. Vacation (1983)
The OG. The one that started it all. National Lampoon’s Vacation is Clark Griswold’s magnum opus, a cross-country odyssey from Chicago to Walley World that’s equal parts hilarious and horrifying. Chevy Chase is at his peak, turning Clark into a lovable everyman who’s one bad decision away from a nervous breakdown. Beverly D’Angelo’s Ellen is the glue, Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie steals every scene, and the dead aunt on the roof is the kind of dark humor that made Gen Xers cackle into our Capri Suns. It’s raw, unpolished, and perfectly captures that era when family vacations meant piling into a wood-paneled station wagon and praying you didn’t end up at a sketchy motel. It’s a classic, but it’s just shy of the top spot.
Why It’s Here: It’s the blueprint for every road trip comedy, but it’s got a few rough edges that keep it from perfection. Still, “Holiday Ro-oo-oad” is our anthem.
1. Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure (2003)
Just kidding! Gotcha, Gen Xers. No way that made-for-TV disaster takes the crown. The real champ is…
1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
Yeah, I’m doubling down. Christmas Vacation isn’t just the best Vacation movie; it’s a cultural touchstone for anyone who grew up with a mullet and a dream. But if we’re sticking to the road trip spirit, let’s pivot and give the top spot to the original Vacation (1983) for real. No, wait—screw it, Christmas Vacation is the king. It’s not even a debate. Clark’s unyielding optimism, Ellen’s deadpan delivery, and Eddie’s… everything make this the ultimate Gen X comfort watch. It’s the movie we quote when the in-laws get too loud, the turkey’s too dry, or the Christmas bonus turns out to be a jelly-of-the-month club. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours, and it’s the one we’ll show our kids to explain why we’re so gloriously messed up.
Why It’s Here: It’s the Vacation movie that defines us—funny, flawed, and full of heart, just like Gen X itself.
Final Thoughts: Look, the Vacation movies are like that old mix tape you found in your glovebox—some tracks are bangers, some are skips, but the whole thing screams “us.” For Gen Xers, these films are a reminder of simpler times when comedy didn’t need a trigger warning, and Chevy Chase was the dad we all secretly wanted (or feared becoming). So, crank up the volume, ignore the kids asking for Wi-Fi, and take this ranking for what it is: a love letter to the Griswolds and the era that made them legends. Now, who’s up for a road trip to nowhere?
