Dreadfully Boring

An action-packed slog

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Jack (John Candy) has been an air traffic control for 13 years. Maybe it is bad luck, for the stress is finally getting to him and, when he mistakes a fly on his screen for an airplane, he is called into the office. He MUST take a four week vacation or be let go. Naturally, with a wife and three kids, he doesn't want to lose his position! So, its vacay time, to the delight of his family. From Atlanta, the group decides to travel to a resort city in Florida. When they arrive at the rental home, their good fortune is almost beyond belief. The house, on the water, is large with every amenity. All are thrilled. Yet, there are problems. Almost immediately, Jack has a run in with a local rich big wig, Al (Richard Crenna) who despises temporary renters. Then, folks try to break into the house one night. But, alas, they are the home owners, who quickly point out that Jack has the wrong address! Fortunately, they don't press charges if all go immediately. As can be expected, the correct rental address is a rundown shack with heavy beach traffic. Then, too, Al is able to bump Jack's loved ones to a lower place on a restaurant wait list and eats the last lobsters available. In a huff, Jack and the troop go to Scully's (Rip Torn) smaller place where they make friends and have a great meal. In fact, Scully teaches Jack how to sail. This becomes important as Jack challenges Al to winning a local sail race. Can the renter get his revenge on the snooty Al? This is a fun film, made better, naturally, because of Candy's great talents. Watching him chase unwelcome guests out of his rental house, on crutches, is pretty funny. Crenna, Torn, and all of the others do funny work as well. In addition, the beach setting is lovely while the script has plenty of hijinks and laughs. An energetic direction completes the picture. This was the first film I ever bought on video and when I "re-found" it the other day, I was happy. Nearly 30 years later, its still a very entertaining film for all.

Burned out air-traffic controller Jack Chester (John Candy) takes his wife Sandy (Karen Austin), teenage daughter Jennifer (Kerri Green), son Bobby (Joey Lawrence) and younger daughter Laurie (Aubrey Jene) to Florida for some much needed rest and relaxation, where, after a series of mildly amusing mishaps that threaten to spoil the vacation, they pull together as a family to settle a feud with an obnoxious local yachtsman (Richard Crenna).This mid '80s John Candy vehicle starts off very much in the style of National Lampoon's Vacation, with a series of comedic episodes in which Candy's well-meaning character repeatedly comes a cropper. The second half of the film introduces a classic underdogs storyline that, while not exactly original or particularly funny, provides lots of wholesome, feel-good entertainment guaranteed to put a smile on the face.Candy is his usual affable self and handles the material like a pro, Austin looks uncannily like Vacation's Beverly D'Angelo (which I suspect was deliberate, given the film's other similarities), Crenna is suitably loathsome, and jail-bait Green, teen up-skirt queen of '85, doesn't flash her knickers, but does look rather fine in her bikini. Rip Torn also puts in a fun turn as pirate restaurateur Scully, who teaches Jack a thing or two about sailing.Profanity and nudity are at a minimum (a running joke about a woman's breast implants is as rude as it gets, and she is only ever seen topless from behind), while a potential sub-plot about Sandy cheating with another man is notably dropped (one can definitely feel its presence), making the film suitable viewing for the whole family.

Though this film could easily be classified as a slob comedy, similar to so many that were made during that time, and Candy was prolific as an actor in many of those films, there's one moment in this film where it rises high above the typical slob comedies of it's era. John Candy is despondent about his chances in a yacht race, and tells his daughter "You can't win them all". Daughter responds, "But winning one would be nice, huh Dad?". Candy responds with perfect timing "Yes, (perfect pause) winning one would be nice". At this moment in the film you feel all the pain ever felt by anyone who ever wanted to win just one time and show the world they could. He knows his limits and accepts them, but this one time wants to rise above them and prove his worth.Candy is an overstressed air traffic controller who takes an enforced vacation with his family, and has a summer of things go wrong. The filmmakers resisted the temptation to engage in an overly cute family, and just allowed the actors to play a fairly typical family. Candy, who rarely played a family man, handles the role very well, bringing a realism to the role of the father. Though not on anyone's Oscar list, this movie is worth the time it takes to see it.

This is a classic John Candy movie in My opinion.Richard Crenna and Rip Torn are also in it!I don't want to spoil it but here is just a sample of what's funny in this movie!The eggs in the car,the woman that got breast surgery,the restaurant scenes with Crenna and Candy,all of the beach scenes,and last but not least the heavy set belching smurf watching man!This is a good John Candy movie that I recommend!