Spencer Hensley

Not my personal favorite Chase film that honor goes to the original National Lampoon’s Vacation but that one made me laugh a bit more. If you were to ask me what I thought Chase’s best performance as an actor however was I would choose this film with no competition. It’s also funny enough in its own right. What makes this Chase’s best performance from my perspective is that he is actually trying to play a different character than Clark Grisowld or Fletch and he is surprisingly very good at trying something different. You could make the argument his character of Andy here is a bit like Clark Griswold but whereas Clark was kind of dumb and bumbling, Andy is a smart guy who tries his best to deal with a bad situation and it works well for Chase. And unlike other Chase films like Caddyshack, and Fletch especially Chase isn’t constantly doing sarcastic one liners that you laughed a few times at and then rolled your eyes the next minute. He really abandons his dry sarcastic comedy style and it’s a good act for him in doing so. Sure there are a few Clark Grisowld style mishaps but the payoffs are entirely different so it’s not just stuff you have all seen before. In this film I think Chase is comparable to giving a great performance in the lines of his friends and contemporaries Steve Martin and Robin Williams. Maybe not his other films show his talent in the same way but it’s a good comparison based on his performance in this film. Madelyn Smith from Urban Cowboy and All of Me does very well as his wife. Her chemistry with Chase is just as good if not better than what he had with Beverly D’ Angelo in the Vacation films. A primarily character actress Smith does very well here providing a lot of laughs and heart. The thing about this movie is when it was released Siskel and Ebert who weren’t big Chase fans loved it with both praising him and the entire movie. Yet it didn’t do very well at the box office. It opened the exact same day as Big, Tom Hanks classic comedy which was a surprise runaway success and Crocodile Dundee 2 was still bringing audiences to the theater. This movie was mostly forgotten upon original summer 88 release but I have talked to a lot of people who have seen it and really seem to love it. A lot of people said they either missed it in the theater or didn’t get it when they saw it for the first time but then discovered it on video or cable channels like HBO and whenever Chevy Chase movies are brought up I ask people if they have seen this and a lot have and like it as much as any Vacation film which tells me it got it’s deserved popularity later on. Whether your one of the fans re-watching that gave it its proper due on video or you’re discovering it for the first time give it a watch. Even non-Chase fans should still find lots to enjoy here. My friend is not his biggest fan finding him too dry but I showed him this movie and he said Chase did a very good job in it. So if you didn’t like his SNL schtick or other movies know he does a very different role here and the comedy is different in lots of ways from his other work. Even if you’re not a die hard Chase fan this should still offer you some laughs and entertainment. The cinematography is some of the very best I have ever seen in a comedy. If nothing else this movie is absolutely wonderful to look at with great Vermont scenery.

Wonderful, wonderful movie that actually inspired me to work out my differences with my own dad as Henry and Jane Fonda's characters do in this movie. Hepburn was also excellent but Henry Fonda was the absolute scene stealer here, easy to see why his last theatrical movie role won him an Oscar. His performance is easily the movies biggest strength along with the screenplay though Hepburn and Jane Fonda are not far behind Henry acting-wise and hold their own very well. Also loved the relationship between Henry Fonda and Jane's stepson. For younger viewers this film may be too slow or hard to relate to as the main character has obsessions with death and discusses it frequently as well as being in the early stages of dementia but it does teach moral lessons about restoring family relationships and how to love and respond to the elderly who struggle with similar issues. Although labeled a family film I would not recommend this for under age 13 unless you watched a filtered version. About half of the films dialogue involves profanity minus the f bomb, and there are even a few sexual references even though they are light and humorous. It is rated PG but was released before the PG-13 rating was invented. By today's standards the language would warrant it an automatic PG-13. It's a movie that requires patience to view. If you need constant action to be entertained dont even bother with this one. What makes the movie exceptional though is the morals of family relationships along with terrific performances and dialogue. If you have the patience for it's slow pacing you will find it a rewarding watch its merits. Yes it is slow but its morals are so inspiring and uplifting, and that is why I love it so much. For adults it is a good movie to watch with your spouse or your parents.

Your enjoyment of this movie will depend entirely on how much of a George Strait fan you are. If you are a big fan as I am then you will enjoy it for what it is. Yes, some of the acting is bad (while Strait received criticism for his performance I personally thought he did a good job with the material he was given) while some of the other performances were less than impressive, and on the whole the movie does feel more like a made for TV or direct to video type of movie but obviously Strait's music popularity was enough to guarantee it a theatrically release. It's not a very original story Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp did two similar type of movies but there are some plot twists that avoid some cliches. I would say it is similar to Urban Cowboy with John Travolta. If you enjoyed that film and enjoy Strait you should enjoy this. If you dislike Strait or country music in general then I would say it is best to avoid this one. Happy viewing!