THE GREAT OUTDOORS (1988)

Starring DAN AYKROYD & JOHN CANDY

The holiday season, a time to relax, to throw away the routines, and constraints of work. To leave the pain and problems behind you and set out and look forward to your vacation. A trip to the wild retreat of North Woods, Northern Canada: a haven of peace and tranqulity, a sleepy rural outpost miles from anywhere, but right in the heart of the country. Looking around all you can see is green, miles and miles of trees, massive redwoods as far as the eye can see. Huge lakes break up the green ocean, the water cool and inviting, the air so fresh! Paradise, peace on earth!

For Ched and Connie Ripley, a week's holiday in a lakeside resort deep in the heart of a dense forest in Northern Canada seems like heaven. For Ched it's a journey down memory, for he came to the same resort when he was a young boy. He was shown the wonders of natured by his father, but now he is the father. With his two teenage sons Buck and Ben, Ched would share his memories and knowledge and enjoy a bonding process with his kids!

The week was going to be the best vacation the Ripley family had ever had.............................................that is until the inlaws turn up and mayhem ensues!! Roman and Kate Craig with their twin daughters Mara and Cara arrive un-announced and un-invited to the Ripley house! At first things go well, though Ched and Connie are both suprised and a little shocked by the sudden arrival! (Connie and Kate are sisters - there's the family connection). Roman and Ched exchange pleasantries at first hand, but you get the feeling from Ched that he is not at all pleased to see Roman and his family!

After both families settle in, gathered round an open log fire, the scene is set for Ched to tell a tale! Ched wonders round the room silently turning off all the lights, bar one. This lights acts a spot light on Ched, reflecting his massive frame onto the wall behind! The story which unravels is told when Ched and Connie came up to the North Woods on a vacation, staying in the cabin, very similar to the one they were currently occupying. One night Ched was awoken by a disturbance outside by the trash can. He went down stairs to see what all the news was about. To his astonishment what he saw gave him the fright of his life! A wild bear, so big, so massive, so powerful, was sifting through the rubbish in one of their trash cans. The bear looked up and saw Ched through the window, Ched look back at the bear. The bear then let out a blood curdling roar and moved towards the house and to Ched and Connie. It stood on it's hind legs - this thing was over 8ft high! Ched knew this bear wanted him and wanted to tear down the walls to get what it wanted. The vibrations of the roar had left all of the house rocking! Ched instincively looked round for something, anything, to used to defend the cabin and Connie against the potential intruder! He found, mounted over the fireplace, a double barrelled shot gun. He grab the gun and ran back to the windows were the bear was. The bear, by this stage, was just outside the window, his breath was fogging up the glass. All that stood between Ched and Connie was a pain of glass. Ched raised the gun, took aim and fire! The buck shot from the window, shaved the hair off the top of the bears head, and it ran back into the woods. Out there, somewhere was a bear, a bald-headed bear. THE BALD HEADED BEAR OF CLARE COUNTY!

The story basically evolves around Ched and Roman's hatred for each other, given that everything Ched does is corrected or outdone by Roman's deeds. Whether things actions are honourable or just in spite is at first unclear, but as the film onfolds, the picture becomes clear that Roman intentions are there to simply upset and agitate Ched. The first example of this is when the family are sitting down for a meal, Ched tells everybody that he and the boys will the following day cruise the near by in a pontoon boat. Roman immediately interjects with the promise of taking the boys onto a jet boat. Speeding through the water with Uncle Roman! Benny automatically buckles. Ched, at this point is disappointed by Ben's decision, but always him to go. He then declares that he and Buck will go with the pontoon idea, only for Buck to say that he is going to go with Uncle Roman. The next day comes the families are at the lake, Roman, Kate, Connie, the girls and Buck are in the speed boat, Ben is all kitted up to go jet skiing. Ched is on the quay with Ben telling him a few basic things about Water skiing. Ched is currently wearing the skis. this reason for this is unclear at present. Roman, who is driving the boat, is getting restless so signal to Ched that he is ready to go. Ched acknowledges this but waving back, he then turns his attention back to Ben, just as Roman misunderstands the gesture by Ched, now sees that Ched is wearing the Skis and is ready to go himself. Roman hits the gas and pulls aways, Ched who is holding the rope is suddenly pulled into the water. Roman hits top speed in a flash and Ched, who you get the impression has never water skied before, is terrfied. Roman pulls Ched all over the lake! Going pass other boats, through water rushes, then (though you don't actually see this bit) skiing through a bunch of ducks on the waters edge! Ched then makes a ski jump and eventually lets go of the rope skis into the shallower waters of the lake and ends his nightmare.

The scene then swicthes to the Ched and Connie's bedroom. Ched is furiously packing clothes into their suitcase, Connie walks in and sees what Ched is up to. Ched explains that he can not stand another minute with Roman. He wants out!! His livid with Roman from the moment Roman's family entered into the Ripley's cabin. Connie understand Ched's fury but urges Ched to reconsider. After a fair heated conversation Ched argees to stay but his still not happy! Ched calms down and then decides that both families go to the local bar for a drink. There's a party going on and it's probably a good place for everyone to go and have a good time, to forget about the day and look ahead. The party is being thrown for Mr Thomkins who is celebrating his 109th birthday. Unknown to Ched and co, Mr Thomkins died before he arrived at the party. Wally the Lake resort owner had left the deceased in the bar wearing a party hat. Ched ushers the boys and Mara and Cara to huddle round Mr Thomkins to take a picture. Wally who sees this tells Ched that Mr Thomkins is actually dead and that it probably isn't a good idea to let the girls kiss him on the check! Yuck!

After the unfortunate incident with Mr Thomkins, the family venture to the near by BOARDWALK ARCADE! Here we have out love story. Whilst playing pool with Ben, Buck inadvertly clashes with a young girl who is not impressive with what has happened. She storms off, and Buck follows, wanting to apologise. He eventually finds her in a gazebo at the central part of the arcade. He apologises and ask her, her name. Cammy she replies. He asks if he can see her again, she replies if you can find me! He's hooked and she knows it!

The next nite Ched takes Ben to the near by Bear Park. He pulls up in a car park over looking a bear pen. These are wild bears and there are not fences or walls to stop the bears from interacting with the cars. A sign is erected at the entrance to the park stating that the bears must not be feed. Ched ignores the sign and throws a couple of sticks of beef jerking towards the bears. The bears are draw to his car. One bear mounts the front bonnet whilst eating a beef jerking. A second bears descends onto the roof of the car. Ben is slightly paniking about the situation, Ched on the other hands tells him not to worry, the bears will leave soon. Only trouble is they don't. Ched tries to find a solution out of this, but can only think of driving away with two bears sitting on his car. D'oh!

The scene then switches to Ched and Buck on the pontoon boat in the middle of the lake. Its midnight and two are sharing a father and son moment. The two discuss what Ched remembered when his Dad would go to the lake with the young Ched. You get the feeling that this is what Ched has been looking forward to. To spend some quality time with one of his boys. Father and son together, working in perfect harmony. The following day the families go to the local golf range and Roman takes it upon himself to lead fom the front and show everybody how to play the perfect tee shot. Meanwhile Ched, Buck and Ben are a short distance away on the go cart track. Racing round as fast as the carts will go. Roman drives a tee shot from the range, it hits a tree, bounces off  numerous objects before flying into the go-cart track and smacking Ched right between the eyes, whilst is driving! Ched is none to happy! That night Buck meets Cammy at the Broadwalk Arcade, the more time these two spend together the more they really get to like each other, and its not different in this scene. The walk through the arcade, discussing how many boyfriends and girlfriends one another have know. The conversation drifts into fact-finding and trying to understand how they feel about each other. Though it's pretty clear that the answer is obvious!

The following evening, Roman and Ched go to the local bar in the lake resort. The conversation naturally favours Roman who is undermining every things Ched has to say or has said. Ched really wishes he were some place else. Roman unintentional sets out to point out to Ched the way he sees certain things, to air his opinion and let his view be known. Whatever this is, and whatever is said only makes Ched more frustated. He does however to keep his emotions under control, which at times are pushed to the limit by Roman's views on life! Whilst at the bar the pair meet Reg. Reg is a local to these woods! He has a silver streak down the middle of  his head. Ched is intrigued to find out why Reg has such an interesting hair style, and also to break up the monotony of Roman's rambling! Reg states that he has been hit by lightning 66 times. (Something tells you that in the not to distance future Reg's hair will become slightly silver as he is hit by another bolt of lightning!)

One evening the battle between Roman and Ched evolves into a fully confrontational ruck. The families are back in the cabin and talk gets heated when Ched and Roman start to discuss the ownership of the cabin. Roman declares it to be his, though clear Ched is the one who's family came here and lived in between the four walls prior to Roman and family's invasion. The conversation mutates into something rather nsaty as insult start to fly, not just between Ched and Roman, but between Connie and Kate. The Craig's are deeply hurt by the cuting remarks made by there only flesh and blood and pack up and leave (though as we are about to find out, Roman hides a dark secret!) as a storm approches. Meanwhile in the woods Reg is on his way home and hears the thunder in the distance makes a beeline for safety but is struk by lightning for the 67^th time!

Driving back home along the freeway, Kate continues to criticise and shame her Connie and her family for being so rude and unreasonable with her family. She is insentsied by all that has gone before her. Suddenly Roman has a change of heart, something inside he clicks and he turns the car around and heads back. Kate is ask Roman what he is doing, he calmly responses saying all will be revealed when their are back at Ched and Connie's! The two familes meet and Roman reveals his soul to all. He has been unemployed for two years, the family, his immediate family are broke and they have no where to go. Kate is shell shocked by this news, she can't believe what Roman is saying. For two years her husband has been lying to her! She's is devastated.

Roman and Kate arrive back at the Ripley's cabin. Roman confesses his secret to Ched and Connie. Both are taken aback by then news. Ched is the first to say to Roman that although he can't begin to understand why Roman lied to his family for so long, he knew that his brother in law was in trouble, and that no matter what had gone on before, that he and Connie would stand by and help in anyway they could. Families stick together. The first time in the film you get a feeling of bonding between the two main characters. The families understand the situation and are willing to forget about the past few days and build a few bridges. As the rain pours outside the everybody starts to settled down, until that is Roman notices that Mara and Cara are no where to be seen. He searches the cabin with the aid of Ched, but can't find them. The immediately don water proofs and set out into the rain. 

The girls have, unknown to everyone, gone after them into the woods. After walking in the rain for some time they come across an abandon quarry mine. They girls look down the mine to see what lies beneath, but as they do the ground underneath their feet gives way and they slide down into the bottom of the mine. Trapped and frightened they call for help. Roman and Ched are walking through the rain and the mud as fast as they can, they by luck more than judgement find the old abandon mine and look inside, Roman hears the cries of his daughters inside and tells them not to worry that he and Uncle Ched will get them out. Ched races back to the cabin to find rope to hall the girls out of the mines. Meanwhile Roman slides down into the mine to the relief of his children. He then tells them he is going to get them out and starts to crawl back up the mine, with both girls on his back. He manages to get both girls to safety and grabs them by the hands and leads them back to the cabin and safety. Ched runs back to the mine, unaware that Roman and the girls are not there and have set off back to them cabin. He calls down to Roman, simultaneously throwing down the rope in which he will hall up Roman and the girls. Down in the mine, a bear appears from nowhere, this bear is big, this bear is bald and this bear is......hang on! Bald, bear???? Oh dear! The Bald-headed Bear of Clare County enters into the fray. The rope which Ched has thrown down into the mine, lands at the bear's feet, the bear takes hold of this and pulls. Ched mistakenly thinks that Romand is on the other end of the rope starts to pull the rope up through the entrance of the mine. The bear is slowly brought to the surface. As Ched finally pulls what he thinks is Roman and the girls to safety, he is suddenly confronted with the Bear, the bald headed bear. He suddenly gets a flash back! "A bald headed bear arrgggggggggggggghhhhh!!!!" The bear lets out a roar so fiery that Ched is immediately up on his legs and running back to the cabin. The bear chases him all the way.

Back in the cabin, Roman and the girls are safe and sound. (until that is Ched returns). All are happy and content to be indoors, when suddenly Ched comes bursting through the doors. Exhausted by running away from the bear. "Big Bear" he cries. "Big Bear Chase Me". Nobody understands what he is on about until the bear breaks through the doors, and squashes him underneath. The familty are terrified. Roman tries to fend off the bear but it's simply to large! Ched gets up from off the floor, still in a daze about the bear and puts the door back. "Big Bear Chase Me" "This Big It Was!" At this point the door bursts open again, this time it's Wally the Lake resort manager, carrying a shotgun lamp! He plugs in the lamp to the electrical mains, points the guns and fires!!!!! The bald headed bear is now bald at both ends. And my god look at the size of that BUTT!!!! It's huge! The bear runs off into the woods. What a night!!!

After all the excitement, the family leave the lake resort the following day. Roman and Ched talk things over and come to respect each other! The family bonds for the first time! Awwwww! It all ends with a happy ending or does it! Before the departure, Buck has the opportunity to go back to Boardwalk Arcade for the final time. He finds Cammy and they say their goodbyes. A lot of tommy tongue is in this scene. Yuck!! Cammy orders Buck to go back to Chicago a love lost teenager, pinning for the girl of his dreams! (though you get the feeling that these two will see each other again!) As the family are about to leave, the final bomb shell id dropped. Roman jokingly says to Ched "Race You Home". Ched naturally laughs and says "Why would he say race you home?" Connie tells him that she has agreed to let Roman and his family stay at his house for just for a few days. Arrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Ched loses it jumps into the car and drives home!!!

What a film!!!!