Beverly D'Angelo in Vacation (1983)

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The family unit is the building block upon which the entire structure of our society rests. The awkward, stilted interactions between Mom, Pop and the kids are also the basis for the wrenching humor of National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), a film that cuts so close to the familial bone that--except for an exemplary command of hilarity--it would drive many sons and daughters to seek solace in the bottle or suicide. Anyone who has ever endured the humiliating American tradition of wasting the entire summer vacation in the backseat of a car, trapped in tight proximity with hostile siblings and embarrassing parents, will be relieved to know that these harrowing experiences can be released with laughter and a wince or two.