National Lampoon's Vacation

National Lampoon's first outing - 1978's Animal House - is still the funniest by far, but this decent effort is miles better than subsequent movies in the series. Chevy Chase plays the put-upon dad who sets off to take his family across America to an amusement park, and runs into numerous mishaps and disasters along the way. Director Harold Ramis, who went on to make Groundhog Day, keeps the silliness coming at a fast and furious pace, and he has the benefit of a supporting cast that includes Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Christie Brinkley and John Candy.