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Sadly Over-hyped

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

John Candy plays Jack Chester, a burnout air traffic controller in 1985's "Summer Rental," where he takes his family to the beaches of St. Petersburg for some r & r. While the family has fun, they also clash with a champion yachtsman (Richard Crenna) and settle their differences in a sailboat race.Candy's always good as a comedic every-man and Karen Austin and Kerri Green shine as female eye candy (so you get the best of both worlds – older babe and younger babe, lol). The first half features the expected beach vacation antics while the second half focuses on the yacht race. Rip Torn plays the pirate-like companion that helps Chester compete. The film delivers just enough amusement for this kind of flick to give a marginal "thumbs up." The film runs 87 minutes and was shot in the St. Petersburg area with the opening scenes in Atlanta.GRADE: B-

Burned out air-traffic controller Jack Chester (John Candy) takes his wife Sandy (Karen Austin), teenage daughter Jennifer (Kerri Green), son Bobby (Joey Lawrence) and younger daughter Laurie (Aubrey Jene) to Florida for some much needed rest and relaxation, where, after a series of mildly amusing mishaps that threaten to spoil the vacation, they pull together as a family to settle a feud with an obnoxious local yachtsman (Richard Crenna).This mid '80s John Candy vehicle starts off very much in the style of National Lampoon's Vacation, with a series of comedic episodes in which Candy's well-meaning character repeatedly comes a cropper. The second half of the film introduces a classic underdogs storyline that, while not exactly original or particularly funny, provides lots of wholesome, feel-good entertainment guaranteed to put a smile on the face.Candy is his usual affable self and handles the material like a pro, Austin looks uncannily like Vacation's Beverly D'Angelo (which I suspect was deliberate, given the film's other similarities), Crenna is suitably loathsome, and jail-bait Green, teen up-skirt queen of '85, doesn't flash her knickers, but does look rather fine in her bikini. Rip Torn also puts in a fun turn as pirate restaurateur Scully, who teaches Jack a thing or two about sailing.Profanity and nudity are at a minimum (a running joke about a woman's breast implants is as rude as it gets, and she is only ever seen topless from behind), while a potential sub-plot about Sandy cheating with another man is notably dropped (one can definitely feel its presence), making the film suitable viewing for the whole family.

Jack Chester, an air traffic controller, is burned. He almost provokes an accident when a fly lands in his computer screen. His boss suggests some time off. To this effect a house is secured in a Florida resort area. Jack and his family pack a U-Haul, and go to the Sunshine State. Little do they know they are in for a big adventure.The house where the Chesters land is a dream come true. Wow, how lucky can they be? The fun doesn't last as the right owners come to claim their property as the Chesters have gone to the wrong address! The real house they rented is another story. Suddenly, their vacation turns into a not so pleasant experience.Jack Chester, who has made a good friend in Scully, the owner of The Barnacle, wants to rent one of the boats to teach his young son how to sail. He becomes quite a pro with the help of Scully. For the regatta that is going to be held at the beach resort, Scully proposes to refit The Barnacle for the race. Al Pellet, the wealthy resident of the resort, has won the cup for the last seven years and wants to keep the trophy. Little does he know who he is racing against!Carl Reiner directed this 1984 film. He was lucky in having John Candy, a wonderful comedy actor to star in it. The whole thing is a tribute to the late Mr. Candy, a man who died too soon, as proved by this film, that although is not one of the best that both the director, or its star made, it has some sunny moments. Rip Torn and Richard Crenna, appear as Scully and Pellet.

John Candy's wit and humor shines through as Jack Chester, the over worked air traffic controller who reluctantly takes a vacation to the beach with his family. The laughs keep coming as Jack and his family spend the summer at the beach with many mishaps occurring throughout the movie. The movie is about family and new friends pulling together, working side by side, believing in a dream and achieving an impossible goal. We've watched this movie many times, but we still laugh and feel good when the movie ends. The standing joke at our home, when we eat dinner out at a restaurant that passes off breaded fish as an expensive seafood item with a fancy name, is "Look - it's Scully's Catch of the day"! This movie is good, clean, family fun - entertainment for the entire family!