Directed by: Howard Deutch
Starring: John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Annette Bening, Stephanie Faracy, Chris Young, Robert Prosky, Lucy Deakins
Chet Ripley (Candy) is an average family man who only wants to take a summer vacation in the woods where he vacationed as a kid. The serenity is about to be ruined by his obnoxious brother-in-law Roman Craig (Aykroyd), who drops in with his family uninvited to Chet's cabin and decides to stay awhile. Roman is a rich trader who is forever pitching get-rich-quick schemes to whomever would listen, and even some, like Chet, who won't.
Chet barely tolerates Roman. He only wants quiet time with his family, while Roman upends any hope of peace with his abrasive demeanor. Roman may be forward know-it-all with no respect for boundaries and a backslap that can kill, but as played by Dan Aykroyd, he provides the most laughs. Candy is more or less the straight man to whom unfortunate things happen, some of which is routine slapstick, but other times like when he is challenged to eat a 96-oz. steak in order for his family to eat a free dinner, it's more inspired.
The Great Outdoors, despite its formula, has a heart and sweetness about it which works. Aykroyd and Candy make a strong team, but you wouldn't expect anything less. Although Dan Aykroyd's Nothing but Trouble was a few years away, and the casting of these two plus other megastars couldn't save that one.
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