The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

40% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 71% Audience Score 25,000+ Ratings

It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley (John Candy), along with his wife, Connie (Stephanie Faracy), and their two kids, Buck (Chris Young) and Ben (Ian Giatti). But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), his wife, Kate (Annette Bening), and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family. Read More Read Less

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The Great Outdoors

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Critics Consensus

Even with a pair of talented comedians trying their best, vacation-from-hell comedy The Great Outdoors is merely mediocre.

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Critics Reviews

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The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Jay Carr Boston Globe In short, "The Great Outdoors" has the wit of "Summer Rental" and the sparkle of "Harry and the Hendersons." Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Martha K. Baker St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Great Outdoors" succeeds as a perfect summer's movie: not too deep, not too long, not too verbally witty or politically witty, not too embarrassing, not too sexy. Just a good time in air conditioning. Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Steve Dollar Atlanta Journal-Constitution It's impossible to watch Candy and not laugh, even when the shtick is as stock as bear chases and bat combat. Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Tom Long Santa Cruz Sentinel Dan Aykroyd has been in some absolutely terrible movies. John Candy has been in some absolutely terrible movies. Now they're in the same absolutely terrible movie. Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Linda Cook Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) This possibly is the first time in cinematic history that raccoon-ese has been translated in subtitles. Rated: 3/4 Jun 16, 2023 Full Review The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Patrick Taggart Austin American-Statesman The sight of a bear running through the woods with bare buttocks probably has some superiors in the history of comedy. But not this week. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 16, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Heidi P Best John Candy Film ever made! A timeless comedy that never gets old! Too much going on to write it all in a review, but seriously if you have not watched it yet, what are you waiting for? You will Laugh until you cry at this movie! Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/17/24 Full Review Spencer P Though fans of Dan Aykroyd and John Candy may get their fix, this slapstick comedy doesn't have enough slapstick or well-set-up scenarios to justify the more dramatic moments. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/16/24 Full Review Mitch L Great American classic and better than a lot of modern comedies. Definitely recommend watching this if you haven’t seen it and I don’t understand all the bad reviews Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review DennisFeinsteinCEO A must watch for any true comedy fans. So, so good 👌 Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/07/24 Full Review Philip D Very funny. One of John Candy's best movies. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/14/24 Full Review Angus B Such a classic! Family favorite for sure. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Great Outdoors

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Cast & Crew

Howard Deutch Director Dan Aykroyd Roman Craig John Candy Chet Ripley Stephanie Faracy Connie Ripley Annette Bening Kate Craig Robert Prosky Wally
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Movie Clips

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The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Big Bear Chase Me! The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Big Bear Chase Me! 2:40 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Suck My Wake The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Suck My Wake 2:53 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Chet and the Bald Bear The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Chet and the Bald Bear 2:34 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Horny the Bear The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Horny the Bear 2:26 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - It All Starts to Ooze Out The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - It All Starts to Ooze Out 2:54 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - He's on My Face! The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - He's on My Face! 2:05 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Golf and Go-Karts The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Golf and Go-Karts 0:34 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Baiting the Bears The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Baiting the Bears 2:56 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Accidental Waterskiing The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - Accidental Waterskiing 2:23 The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - The Old '96er The Great Outdoors: Official Clip - The Old '96er 2:55 View more videos

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The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors (1988) The Great Outdoors (1988) The Great Outdoors (1988) The Great Outdoors (1988) View more photos

Synopsis It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley (John Candy), along with his wife, Connie (Stephanie Faracy), and their two kids, Buck (Chris Young) and Ben (Ian Giatti). But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), his wife, Kate (Annette Bening), and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family.

Director
Howard Deutch

Producer
Arne Schmidt

Screenwriter
John Hughes

Production Co
Hughes Entertainment

Rating
PG

Genre
Comedy

Original Language
English

Release Date (Streaming)
May 18, 2016

Box Office (Gross USA)
$37.3M

Runtime
1h 31m

Sound Mix
Surround
Most Popular at Home Now
The Great Outdoors | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What is the Great Outdoors rated? ›

Watching Experience: Quality(opinionated): (My rating) Rated PG-13 For language, some suggestive material and smoking. This title has: Great messages. Too much sex.

Who is Roman's wife in the great outdoors? ›

But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), his wife, Kate (Annette Bening), and the couple's two daughters.

Who is the mom in the great outdoors? ›

Stephanie Faracy is an American actress. She is known for playing supporting roles in films including Heaven Can Wait (1978), Scavenger Hunt (1979), Blind Date (1987), The Great Outdoors (1988), Hocus Pocus (1993), Sideways (2004), Flightplan (2005), and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016).

Where was the Great Outdoors shot? ›

The film was shot on location in Bass Lake, California, a small resort town near Sierra National Forest over three weeks in October 1987 where it portrayed the fictional Lake Potowotominimac. Ducey's Bass Lake Lodge, a rustic 1940s resort, was featured as "Wally and Juanita's Perk's Pine Lodge Resort".

Who are the owners of great outdoors? ›

Founded in 1976, the shop is currently owned and managed by Ken Costigan and Derek Moody. It's as 100% Irish now as it was guaranteed Irish back then. Since our inception as Great Outdoors Ltd, we have welcomed many adventurers through our doors.

How big was the steak in The Great Outdoors? ›

The upscale Glendale steakhouse now carries its own version of the famous Ol' '96er, a take on the 96-ounce steak John Candy eats in the 1988 film The Great Outdoors. The prime rib roast is meant to feed four to six people naturally, and comes with sides and a tableside carving preparation.

What was the cause of death for John Candy? ›

Health problems and death

Candy publicly shared his experiences of living with severe anxiety and panic attacks. Candy died in his sleep at the age of 43, on March 4, 1994, in Durango City, Mexico, while filming Wagons East; a spokeswoman said that Candy's cause of death was a heart attack.

How much did John Candy weigh? ›

Candy was well known for his size, six feet two and weighing around 300 pounds. However, he was very sensitive about the subject and in the nineties tried to lose weight and quit smoking.

Who is the cute girl in great outdoors? ›

Lucy Helyn Deakins (born December 18, 1971) is an American attorney and former actress best known for starring as Milly in The Boy Who Could Fly and originating the role of Lily Walsh on As the World Turns. Deakins on the set of The Great Outdoors in 1987.

Does the cabin from The Great Outdoors still exist? ›

A set constructed at the Universal Studios backlot served as the setting for the cabin scenes. Instead of tearing the log cabin down once production concluded, Universal Studios maintained this The Great Outdoors film set in its original form.

Is the restaurant in Great Outdoors real? ›

The lakeside restaurant used in this movie was Ducey's Bar and Grill in Bass Lake, California, which burned to the ground shortly after filming, due to a gas fire. The rebuilt restaurant today has posters and memorabilia from the film hanging on its walls, as a reminder of the old restaurant.

What is the song at the end of The Great Outdoors? ›

Land of a Thousand Dances.

What age rating is Oz the great and powerful? ›

Is the longest yard Rated PG-13? ›

The Longest Yard [2005] [PG-13] - 5.6. 5 | Parents' Guide & Review | Kids-In-Mind.com. SEX/NUDITY 5 - We see a video of a man being approached by another man, one puts lipstick on the other, they kiss, they go behind a screen, and we see their silhouettes as they hug and kiss.

Is RV Rated PG? ›

RV [2006] [PG] - 2.3.

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