The Great Outdoors
“This is no holiday… this is war!”
Synopsis
It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley, along with his wife, Connie, and their two kids, Buck and Ben. But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig, his wife, Kate, and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Great Outdoors - Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2013-02-26
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Dan Aykroyd
Roman Craig
John Candy
Chet Ripley
Stephanie Faracy
Connie Ripley
Annette Bening
Kate Craig
Chris Young
Buck Ripley
Lucy Deakins
Cammie
Robert Prosky
Wally
Ian Giatti
Ben Ripley
Hilary Gordon
Cara Craig
Rebecca Gordon
Mara Craig
Zoaunne LeRoy
Juanita
Nancy Lenehan
Waitress
John Bloom
Jimbo
Lewis Arquette
Herm
Britt Leach
Reg
Cliff Bemis
Boat Yard Owner
Paul Hansen
Hot Dog Vendor
Debra Lee Ortega
Dancing Biker Girl
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 17, 1988
Wide Cinema Exhibition
June 17, 1988
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$24M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$43.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.81x
+$19.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Howard Deutch
- Screenplay & Story
- John Hughes
- Original Score
- Thomas Newman
- Original Title
- The Great Outdoors
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 31m
- Production Budget
- $24M
- Worldwide Gross
- $43.5M
- Production Studios
- Universal Pictures, Hughes Entertainment
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Howard Deutch
John Hughes
Thomas Newman
Ric Waite, Robert C. Thomas
Seth Flaum, Tom Rolf, William D. Gordean
Arne Schmidt, Tom Jacobson, John Hughes
Department Leadership Roster
Arne Schmidt
Producer
John Hughes
Writer
Seth Flaum
Editor
Tom Rolf
Editor
Howard Deutch
Director
Ric Waite
Director of Photography
John W. Corso
Production Design
Thomas Newman
Original Music Composer
William D. Gordean
Editor
Walter Scott
Stunt Coordinator
Marilyn Vance
Costume Design
Robert C. Thomas
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Great Outdoors.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Great Outdoors.
Mid Hunting List
A list of mids found by Mid Hunters
Pepper
Movie Collection
My Movies
Master List In Progress
New English Movies
New in English
Similar Titles to The Great Outdoors
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.3
6.0
4.6
6.5
6.2
6.7
6.1
6.5
6.9
6.2
6.4
6.6
6.3
6.5
6.3
5.9
6.1
5.9
6.4
7.3
More Like The Great Outdoors
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Great Outdoors
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Great Outdoors about?
It's vacation time for outdoorsy Chicago man Chet Ripley, along with his wife, Connie, and their two kids, Buck and Ben. But a serene weekend of fishing at a Wisconsin lakeside cabin gets crashed by Connie's obnoxious brother-in-law, Roman Craig, his wife, Kate, and the couple's two daughters. As the excursion wears on, the Ripleys find themselves at odds with the stuffy Craig family.
Who directed The Great Outdoors?
The Great Outdoors was directed by Howard Deutch.
Who stars in The Great Outdoors?
The principal cast of The Great Outdoors includes Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening, Chris Young.
When was The Great Outdoors released and how long is it?
The Great Outdoors was released in 1988 with a total runtime of 1h 31m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Great Outdoors?
The Great Outdoors had a reported production budget of $24M and grossed $43.5M at the worldwide box office (1.81 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Great Outdoors?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Great Outdoors was composed by Thomas Newman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Great Outdoors?
The Great Outdoors holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).