Chet Ripley (John Candy) and his family are heading up to the North Woods for a vacation filled with fishing and family time. Things take a turn when his big-shot brother-in-law Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd) shows up with his wife Connie (Annette Bening). When the fun begins, the Ripleys find themselves sinking into an unhappy abyss run by Roman and his family. As the movie warns, “Whatever you do, don’t look out the window… because THERE MIGHT BE A BEAR!”
This is the perfect summer feel-good movie. It’s just a good time when you’ve got John Candy—one of the best comedic actors—and Dan Aykroyd, an overall comedic icon. There are definitely some good laughs in this movie, as well as one of the best animal actors in the game. Move over, Lassie—Bart the Bear plays the “Bald-Headed Bear of Clair County” in the film.
It’s a true gem because you can tell all the actors were having a good time both on and off set. Dan and John spent three weeks getting to know Bart, since all of his scenes were scheduled to be filmed first. Bart’s trainer, Doug Seus, often mentioned that Bart wasn’t keen on playing the bad guy in movies and hated to roar. That’s why John and Dan had to build a rapport with him—they’d be sharing the screen together.
The one actor Bart liked most was John Candy, who really loved animals. You could tell Bart had fun when John was around. Dan, on the other hand, didn’t care for Bart due to his towering size of 9 feet 7 inches. So in scenes where it looks like Dan and Bart are together, it’s actually all animatronic. This was also partly because Dan Aykroyd has Asperger’s syndrome, a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.
All in all, it’s a great summer comedy. I give the movie 9 gold bars for comedy, 8 silver bars for acting, and 7 bronze bars for directing. I’ll see you next time you want to come back to the movies.