Johnson Family Vacation
| Johnson Family Vacation | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Christopher Erskin |
| Produced by |
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| Written by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Richard Gibbs |
| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | John Carter |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million[1] |
| Box office | $31.5 million |
Johnson Family Vacation is a 2004 American comedy film directed by Christopher Erskin. It stars Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, Bow Wow, Gabby Soleil, Shannon Elizabeth, Solange Knowles, and Steve Harvey. The film is director Erskin's first and only feature film directorial project.
Plot
Nate Johnson and his family have been invited to their big family reunion in Missouri. He sees it as an opportunity to reconnect with his estranged wife and growing children, as well as a chance to show up his wealthier know-it-all brother, Mack. Nate and his wife are separated since Nate couldn't support her career as a CPA since she is going back to school. Nate takes delivery on an expensive new SUV, persuades his recently separated wife Dorothy to tag along, and packs up his three kids — nubile teenager Nikki, under-age wannabe rapper D.J., and precocious five-year-old Destiny — for what he imagines will be a leisurely drive from Los Angeles to Missouri. Between his wary wife, arguing kids, angry police officers, a bizarre hitchhiker, bad diner food, and a run-in with a cement mixer, the journey proves more difficult than Nate anticipated.
Cast
- Cedric the Entertainer as Nate Johnson/Uncle Earl
- Bow Wow as Divirnius James 'D.J.' Johnson
- Vanessa Williams as Dorothy Johnson
- Christopher B. Duncan as Stan Turner
- Solange Knowles as Nikki Johnson
- Shannon Elizabeth as Chrishelle Rene Boudreau
- Gabby Soleil as Destiny Johnson
- Steve Harvey as Mack Johnson
- Aloma Wright as Glorietta Johnson
- Godfrey as Motorcycle Cop
- Jason Momoa — Navarro
- Jennifer Freeman — Jill
- Jeremiah "J.J." Williams Jr. — Cousin Bodie
- Lee Garlington — Betty Sue
- Lorna Scott — Gladys
- Philip Daniel Bolden as Mack Jr.
- Rodney Perry — Cousin Lump
- Shari Headley — Jacqueline
- DeRay Davis as Jamaican Stoner
- Tanjareen Martin — Tangerine
Reception
Johnson Family Vacation was heavily panned. It received a 6% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 90 reviews. The critical consensus is, "The poorly crafted Johnson Family Vacation squanders its talented cast in a bland family road comedy that draws unfavorable comparisons to Chevy Chase's Vacation movies."[2] The film has a 29/100 rating on Metacritic based on 24 reviews.[3] The critics gave it a C− rating at Yahoo! Movies.[4]
Awards & nominations
- 2004 BET Comedy Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Box Office Movie — Cedric the Entertainer (nominated)
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Box Office Movie — Vanessa Williams (nominated)
- Outstanding Writing for a Box Office Movie (nominated)