John Candy and Dan Akroyd take on The Great Outdoors. The John Hughes-written classic gets a 4K UHD upgrade from Kino Lorber.
The Film
The Great Outdoors showcases John Candy at his very best. The comedic legend was always the best when he was playing average guys (see the truly wonderful and underseen Only the Lonely). Working from an inspired script by John Hughes, director Howard Deutch has created a comedy classic about vacationing with a family member you cannot stand.
Chet Ripley (Candy) is excited to take his family back to the Canadian vacation spot his family used to go to. Those plans are disrupted by his wife Connie’s (Stephanie Faracy) sister (Annette Bening) and her braggart stockbroker husband, Roman (Dan Aykroyd). What is supposed to be a low-key week turns into a calamity at every turn for Chet, including balding bears, rummaging raccoons, and a 96-ounce steak. Can Chet and Roman survive each other long enough to make it through the week?
Screenwriter/Producer John Hughes always knew how to take a concept to its logical comedic zenith (see Home Alone, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles). The Great Outdoors is no different. Everyone can relate to having to vacation with that one family member you can’t stand. Duetch, completing the trilogy of Hughes-penned films here, brings a great visual flourish to everything. Working with cinematographer Ric Waite (who lensed the amazing 48 HRS a few years earlier) brings that eye for that Summer Resort Lake that never was. They manage to take Hughes’ comedic set pieces and make them hum.
The real genius here is the casting. Candy and Aykroyd are perfectly matched as Chet and Roman. Though one wouldn’t think the quirky Aykroyd would be suited for the yuppie/finance bro, the way that he plays everything loudly at 11 – including the bullying – is a perfect complement to Candy’s subdued delivery. Not enough can be said about Candy here. As Chet, he feels perfectly cast as the husband and father who just wants to make memories with his sons and wife.
There’s a bittersweet heartache watching the film, removed from time with Candy’s passing, and seeing just how sweet he plays everything. No one knew how to use the actor as well as Hughes did. The Great Outdoors may be quietly his best use of the actor. That and the best use of a bear getting its ass furs shot off.
Note: Stick around for the musical number credit sequence to “Land of a Thousand Dances” by Chris Kenner AND a post-credit sequence with everyone’s favorite subtitled trash pandas.
The Transfers
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is another excellent upgrade in picture from Kino Lorber. The film was released by Universal in 2016 on Blu-ray. The 2016 disc suffered from being sourced from an older transfer (from the DVD days). That disc looks decent in a way that an older transfer can see a slight uptick in quality in a new format. This newly scanned transfer on the 4K UHD disc is marvelous in every way you expect a 35mm shot film to look in 4K. The Ric Waite shot film (on location in the beautiful Yosemite Park) is positively luminous. Transfer is a prime example of how amazing UHD is and how close it gets us to the theatrical experience. There isn’t a blemish, scratch, or fleck of dirt on the flawless transfer. The grain structure, the clarity, and the color are all perfectly balanced, giving us another excellent 4K upgrade of 2026.
The Extras
They include the following;
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
- NEW Audio Commentary by Director Howard Deutch, Moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale
- NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
- NEW Audio Commentary by Director Howard Deutch, Moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale
- NEW Audio Commentary by Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah
- Trailers
The first of three all-new Audio Commentary tracks is by Director Howard Deutch, moderated by Filmmaker Douglas Hosdale, and opens with introductions before diving into how he got involved with the project. Some of the details include how John Hughes took over Planes, Trains and Automobiles because Steven Martin wanted to star and this was the project taken in its place; the casting of Dan Aykroyd and John Candy; the development of the screenplay with John Hughes, and how broad it was, and what he brought to some of the changes; the studio wanting Candy to lose a beard and Deutch having to tell him; how he became involved with John Hughes; the difference between working with John Candy and Dan Aykroyd – and their respective processes; finding bass lake as a location and building the house and using a combination of location and sets; how Candy was on set and with the crew and fans; working with animals and children and how that can be challenges, including working with the famous Bart the bear; a great discussion of the makeup effects work by Rob Bottin; a larger discussion of the action/stunt work and how much prep work went into this; the test screening process, how terrible it was; the critical response to the film; the success of the film; a discussion of how John Hughes approached the comedy in the film and what he learned from him and why they are so relatable; the weather that caused issues during the shoot; working with Annette Benning in her first film role; the larger nature of the production and how he had to adjust to the studio’s watchful eye; the difficulty filming the set pieces and best comedic moments; a discussion of being an acting teacher; a larger discussion of working with the various actors; a larger discussion of working with the various crew members; the post-production process on the film; and much more.
The second of three all-new Audio Commentary tracks by Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni begins with credentials before diving into the film. Some of the details include the relationship between producer/writer John Hughes and director Duetch, and they came to collaborate; the personal and professional relationship of John Candy and John Hughes; the career and evolution of John Candy as an actor; he personal and professional relationship of Dan Aykroyd and John Candy; the cabin that Universal built for this film that still stands on the backlot, used often and also featured during the tram tour; how John Hughes would recycle certain plot and character details throughout his career and repurpose it for other films; a subplot that was later cut that included a different ending; the post-production process and how much it was re-edited; a discussion of the career and work of Howard Duetch; a larger discussion of the professional and personal career of John Hughes; and much more.
The final all-new Audio Commentary track is by Film Historians Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah opens with their respective credentials before discussing the film. Some of the other details include the needle drop that opens the film, which leads to a larger discussion of the “Boomer-ization” of cinema of the 1980s, with films like The Big Chill and Back to the Future; the production timeline, schedule, budget, and locations; the career-long collaboration between John Candy and John Hughes; a larger discussion of the personal life and career of John Candy and Dan Aykroyd and what separated them from their contemporaries; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; a larger discussion of the various pop culture references in the film; and much more.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for The Great Outdoors (1:48); Spaceballs (2:36); Summer Rental (1:29); Uncle Buck (1:59); Coneheads (2:06); Harry and the Hendersons (1:58);
The Final Thought
Kino Lorber continues to provide fans with the best 4K UHD upgrades to 80s classics like The Great Outdoors. Highest Possible Recommendations!!