Nostalgic about the good old days in the honeymoon cabin, the patriarch Chet Ripley and his family set off to the idyllic woods of Wisconsin for the summer vacation. However, their plans for a peaceful family bonding in the heart of the untamed nature will be thwarted when Chet’s high-rolling brother-in-law Roman Craig and his family decide to crash the party. Eventually, as the two families try to have a good time together, a seemingly endless series of misfortunes and mini-disasters — including thirsty leeches, cunning raccoons, and a mythical wild bear — threaten to ruin the vacation. What will it take to salvage the weekend?
It is summertime, and Chicago citizen Chester “Chet” Ripley (John Candy), his wife Connie (Stephanie Faracy), and their two sons, Buckley “Buck” (Chris Young) and Ben (Ian Giatti), are on vacation at a lake resort in Pechoggin, Wisconsin. All is going as planned until Connie’s sister Kate (Annette Bening), Kate’s husband Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), and their twin daughters Mara and Cara (Rebecca and Hilary Gordon) show up, thus crashing the vacation.
Among the ghost stories told at the family BBQ is one about a man-eating grizzly bear that Chet met face-to-face one day when he was younger. Chet says that, while he and Connie were honeymooning at the same lake they are at right now, he was attacked by a giant grizzly bear. When Chet fired at it with a shotgun, the buckshot shaved the hair off the top of the bear’s head, and from that day on, it was known as the ‘Bald-Headed Bear’ of Claire County.
After Roman pulls Chet around the lake on an impromptu water ski ride with his rented speedboat, tensions between families erupt. Chet is ready to pack up his family’s things and go home — even as teenager Buck tries to romance a local girl named Cammie (Lucy Deakins).
However, while the budding romance between Buck and Cammie goes well, Chet, Roma,n and their families don’t get along, whether they are fighting over what type of boat to rent, how to wrinkle newspaper in order to start a fire, or what to grill for dinner — until one night, when they go to Paul Bunyan’s Cupboard. Roman inquires about the Old 96’er, and is informed that it is “a 96-ounce prime-aged beef steak,” which lands them all a free meal if it’s consumed entirely. Chet decides to take the challenge and manages to stuff it all down — or so he thinks. He is then confronted with a pile of fat and gristle, which he finds out he is required to consume; not only does he do it, he also gets a dessert down, earning them some free hats. However, Chet’s taking the challenge of eating said steak causes Buck to break his date with Cammie. Buck tries to apologize to Cammie for being late, but Cammie refuses to speak to him.
While at a local bar, Connie and Kate bond with each other when the conversation drifts to Kate’s challenges of being wealthy. Later, just at the peak of tension between families, a revelation of sorts emerges. Roman had spent some of the time flaunting his wealth and success and encouraged Chet to give him money for a deal; when they are leaving, Kate mentions how that was a lot for them. Roman feels his conscience eating away at him and stops the car, saying he has to go back, and Kate wonders if he forgot something; he turns the car around and heads back to the cabin. When Kate asks if he’s all right, Roman replies with “I’ll be all right once I settle this.”
At the cabin, Roman tears up the check that Chet had given him (symbolizing his decision to be honest with Chet and Kate). Finally, Roman makes a confession: he is actually broke and has been living beyond his means for some time in order to keep up appearances, because he has lost his job as a commodities trader and everything else after a deal went bad. When Kate asks why he didn’t tell her, thinking he felt she wouldn’t understand, Roman explains that she would have understood — but he also knew she wouldn’t let him “come up here to put the bite on Connie and Chet” because Chet was Roman’s “only last hope.” Chet replies that Roman knows he “would never turn (his) back on family,” and Roman agrees with that.
Later, during a thunderstorm, the twins leave the car and wander off; they eventually fall into a mine shaft. Chet and Roman eventually find them, but the claustrophobic Roman is reluctant to descend into the tiny mine shaft. After some encouragement from Chet, Roman summons up all his courage while Chet goes in search of a rope to pull them out. When he realizes the mine is stocked with old dynamite, Roman takes his daughters and manages to climb out of the shaft on his own.
When Chet returns with the rope, he is horrified to discover the ‘Bald-Headed Bear’ lurking in the mine. It chases him back to his house, where it smashes through the door; as it rampages through the house, Roman, Kate, Connie, and the others are shocked when they realize the ‘Bald-Headed Bear’ is actually real. Roman attempts to ward the bear off with an oar and a fire poker. Wally (Robert Prosky), the cabin owner, bursts into the house with a loaded shotgun; Chet takes the gun and shoots the bear’s rear end, blowing off the fur and leaving the bear’s rump exposed. Roaring in embarrassment, the bear runs out of the house and heads into the woods.
The next morning, the two families part on good terms. However, unbeknownst to Chet, Connie has invited Roman’s family to stay with them until Roman is financially able to get back on his feet. Cammie and Buck make up and end their summer romance right before Buck and his family head back to Chicago.
I cannot find any more good and positive things to say about this film. As Chet Ripley, John Candy gives one of his best performances in this film, and he does a phenomenal job as well.
According to the film’s trivia, in real life, there is a restaurant called Paul Bunyan’s Cook Shanty in northern Wisconsin; however, the Old 96’er isn’t on the menu.
If I had to pick a favorite scene, it would be this one:
Roman: Chet, I’m gonna level with ya. I’m a phony, I’m a fraud, I’m a fake — from my fifteen-dollar imitation Bally slip-ons to our replicated Rolexes. (Kate looks at her watch and is shocked, realizing Roman is right) We’re broke. We’re bankrupt. We’re busted.
Kate: We’re busted?
Roman: We were living well, right? (Kate nods, mouthing “Yeah” soon after) Well beyond our means. (he then turns to Chet) I’m full of (nonsense), Chet. I haven’t been trading in over two years. (sighs) This deal came up; it looked good. I got overextended. Couldn’t meet my calls. I lost my seat on the Exchange. I got to work every morning — but now I wear a blue runner’s jacket and fetch coffee. I lost everything.
Kate: Why didn’t you tell me? Did you think that I wouldn’t understand?
Roman: Oh, baby, I knew you’d understand. But I also knew you wouldn’t let me come up here to put the bite on Connie and Chet. He was my only last hope.
Chet: Now, look, Roman. Now you know I never turn my back on family.
Roman: I know. That’s why I came up here.
Plus, the film shows a good message: helping your family out if they need it is a good idea.
I highly recommend this film to all John Candy fans — and I give it five stars as well.
