Back in America

Spending a lazy, weekend day channel surfing a few months ago, I came across European Vacation. And for the umpteenth* time, I got sucked in. And why not? It's a classic.

*As I typed that word for the, uhhhhh, umpteenth time, I realized I have no idea what it means. I mean, I know what it means. But what is that? What a strange word! Has anyone ever wondered where it came from??**

**Ah. Here we are. A wiki yet again comes to the rescue.

What really struck a chord with me, and what I had completely forgotten from all previous viewings, were the closing credits. For although about 94 of prior 95 minutes of the movie take place in Europe, the closing credits are an unquestionable ode to America, with Network's Back in America blaring as quintessentially American images and icons are displayed on the screen.



And despite being a great song that's accompanied by an even better montage of images, this struck me as odd. Insanely odd. A movie that's 100% about a family's trip Europe, and the credits are about being back in America??!? Really? I mean, I guess I get the point. You can travel the world, see amazing places, meet new people, experience cultures that you'd otherwise never be exposed to, but in the end, there's no place like home, right? And I understand that. For home -- however you want to define it -- is great.

But. BUT. I think there's still the implication that the Griswolds found no redeeming qualities in Europe. I mean, watch that movie again. No, really, go ahead, watch it! I'll wait.

(Waiting...)

(Waiting...)

(Almost there...)

(Just about done...)

Okay, good. So what happened there? They went to Europe, they made jackasses of themselves, they slept on uncomfortable beds, they ran over a few English dudes, they ruined a beer festival, they generally had a miserable time... and all they came back with was an appreciation for each other? It was otherwise all for nothing?

Or do those credits go further, and are they possibly meant to mean more than this??? Because I think they may. As in: We rule, you suck. It's our world, you're just living in it. We're big, you're small. Just look at our big muscles, our big buildings, our big boobs, our big roads, our big signs, our big STARS AND STRIPES. America. Fuck yeah.

Seriously. Watch the video again. Then have a look at the poster for the movie.

Now, when deconstructing art of any kind, I generally like to be careful about reading too far in between the lines, because sometimes I feel like we're so intent on anointing someone as a genius that we'll find any tiny little clue to say, Yes! Look what they've done here! Brilliant!, even if the symbol or sequence of events or whatever that someone thinks they've found was never actually a conscious decision by the author/musician/painter/etc. But in this case? We're hardly reading between the lines. These are the closing freaking credits! Francis Ford Coppola began Apocalypse Now with The Doors' This is the End for a reason. And I contend that Amy Heckerling -- the director of European Vacation and a bona fide filmmaker -- also made quite the deliberate choice to end the movie this way.

I don't know. It's a bit odd, and almost disconcerting. It's as if you can point to those credits, in the context of the larger movie, and use them as Exhibit 1A for American arrogance. (With this being Exhibit 1B.)

But you know what? Despite all the misgivings I'm perceiving here, despite all the Haterade that you may think I'm showering on Heckerling, well, I still love those credits. Love them. They get me pumped. America, baby!

And even more so than that, I can relate to the "no place like home" sentiment. For after ten and a half months, come this Friday, I'm coming back to America. Albeit it's not a real coming back, as I'm only going to be there for three weeks, but still.

LA starting this Friday. August 1 to 5.

New York from August 5 to 12.

Martha's Vineyard from August 12 to 19.

LA again from August 19 to 23.

If you're in any of these locations during these dates -- hell, if you're within five hundred miles of any of these locations during these dates -- I expect to see you.

Back in America. Fuck yeah.