June 16-22 SNL Week: Saturday Night Live is celebrating 50 years on the air, can NBC last for another 50 years?

Howard Deutch directed two other films for John Hughes — who wrote this — Pretty In Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful. He also came from advertising before movies; he also directed the videos for “Flesh for Fantasy” by Billy Idol, Billy Joel’s “Keeping the Faith” and the movies Grumpier Old Men, The Odd Couple II, and a movie playing on cable right now as you read this, The Replacements. I also am forever jealous of him, as he’s married to Lea Thompson.

Chester “Chet” Ripley (John Candy) has brought his wife Connie (Stephanie Faracy) and son Buck (Chris Young), and Benny (Ian Giatti) is taking a break and heading off to their cabin in Pechoggin, Wisconsin. Chet doesn’t realize that he’s sharing it with his wife’s brother, Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd), his wife Kate (Annette Bening) and their twin daughters Cara and Mara (Hilary and Rebecca Gordon). Chet hates Roman, who is always selling something, always has an angle and looks down on his working-class life. Why have hot dogs when you can have lobster? That’s how Roman looks at it.

This is a hijinks ensue movie. You don’t need to know much more of the plot other than you can turn this on during a lazy Sunday and your favorite part will be moments away, like The ’96er Steak Challenge, the legend of Jody the Bald-Headed Bear, the talking racoons and so much more. It’s dependable.

The funny thing is that the girls were almost abducted by a giant fish, which was built but didn’t work, so the bear was the substitute.

The audience first saw Roman, Chet and Buck in She’s Having a Babywhen they appeared in character trying to come up with a name for the titular child.