Take a Virtual Vacation With These Comedic Films

Before you know it, the days will begin getting colder, and the leaves will be falling. There's still time, however, to squeeze in one more summer vacation. If you can't get out of town but want to relax and get away, check out one of these comedic films. 

"National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983)

One of the most infamous films in the road trip genre, "National Lampoon's Vacation" follows the doggedly determined patriarch Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) who is dead set on taking his wife and two kids on an unforgettable family vacation. Nothing goes according to plan, of course, as the Griswolds take the station wagon from Chicago to southern California in search of Walley World, "America's Favorite Family Fun Park." Directed by Harold Ramis and with a screenplay by John Hughes, the film delivers lots of laughs as the family overcomes calamity after calamity during their disastrous cross-country trip.

"What About Bob?" (1991)

Bill Murray plays the titular Bob in this farcical comedy directed by Frank Oz. Richard Dreyfuss co-stars as Bob's self-absorbed therapist Dr. Leo Marvin who goes on a month-long vacation with his family to a lakehouse in New Hampshire. The doctor's vacation is interrupted when Bob unexpectedly shows up at the lakehouse. While his family embraces their phobia-riddled houseguest, the stressed-out doctor teeters toward a mental breakdown.

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008)

Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) is madly in love with his longtime girlfriend, television actress Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). When she breaks up with him, he heads to a Hawaiian resort to try to get over her. Unfortunately, his vacation is ruined when he runs into her and her new rockstar boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), at the resort. Things turn around, however, as he spends time with resort employee Rachel Jansen (Mila Kunis). Will Peter get back with Sarah or fall for Rachel? Watch this hilariously raunchy comedy to find out.

"Midnight in Paris" (2011)

During the day, screenwriter Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is on vacation in modern-day Paris with his materialistic fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and her parents. But after midnight, everything changes. As Gil goes off on his own to wander the streets of Paris after dark, an antique car pulls up and whisks him away to a party where he meets F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, and other luminaries of the Lost Generation. Gil suddenly finds himself on a new vacation – in 1920s Paris.

"Girls Trip" (2017)

Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Queen Latifah play four longtime gal pals (known as the "Flossy Posse") who travel to New Orleans together to attend a music festival and reconnect after years apart. With the support of their friends, they overcome even the most unpredictable and hilarious situations thrown at them in the Big Easy. Co-written by Tracy Oliver ("Harlem") and Kenya Barris ("black-ish"), "Girls Trip" is the perfect escape from the daily grind.

We hope you enjoy “getting out of town” with these films. And in case you missed it, check out our blog from last month with recommendations for summer romance-themed films.