The Great Outdoors (1988): cast, story & where to watch
1988 · Film · ★ 6.4
Released in 1988, The Great Outdoors is a comedy film directed by Howard Deutch, running about 91 minutes. “The wildlife is wild, but his brother-in-law in unbearable.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s 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’s in it. The Great Outdoors stars Dan Aykroyd as Roman Craig, John Candy as Chet Ripley, Stephanie Faracy as Connie Ripley and Annette Bening as Kate Craig, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, The Great Outdoors has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $43.5M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on YouTube TV and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Great Outdoors page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Great Outdoors tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Great Outdoors (1988)?
- In US, The Great Outdoors is available to stream on YouTube TV, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Great Outdoors worth watching?
- The Great Outdoors holds an audience score of 6.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Great Outdoors?
- The Great Outdoors stars Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening and Chris Young.
- When was The Great Outdoors released?
- The Great Outdoors was released in 1988, with a runtime of about 91 minutes.