The Great Outdoors

Chicagoans Chet Ripley, his wife Connie, and their sons Buck and Ben arrive at their rented lakefront cabin in Pechoggin, Wisconsin, for a summer vacation. To Chet's dismay, Connie's sister Kate, her investment broker husband Roman Craig, and their twin daughters Mara and Cara arrive uninvited. Roman flaunts his wealth, cooking lobster in place of Chet's traditional hot dogs. After dinner, Chet tells the story of a legendary man-eating grizzly bear in the area that attacked him. He claims he used a shotgun to protect himself and the buckshot shaved the top of the bear's head. The following day, tensions rise after Roman rents a speedboat and pulls Chet around the lake on water skis unplanned. Meanwhile, Buck romances a local girl named Cammie, but misses a date with her after Chet is challenged by Roman to eat The Old '96er, a 96-ounce steak. Buck tries to apologize, but Cammie refuses to speak to him. Connie learns that Kate is unhappy in her marriage despite Roman's wealth. That night, a bat enters the cabin, causing Chet and Roman to work together to remove it, and tensions escalate, causing Roman and his family to leave. Before they depart, Roman reveals that he overheard a conversation between Chet and their father-in-law describing how they think Roman is a crooked businessman. Roman reveals that he came to the cabin to offer Chet a $25,000 investment opportunity. Feeling guilty, Chet agrees to write Roman a check. The families say their goodbyes, and Roman and his family leave. Kate praises Roman for including Chet in the investment, noting that $25,000 is a lot of money for Chet's family. Roman returns to the cabin and confesses that he is bankrupt from failed investments and was planning to use the money in the hopes to financially recover. During a thunderstorm, Kate discovers that the twins are missing. Chet and Roman find them at the bottom of an abandoned mine shaft, but the claustrophobic Roman is afraid to descend. After some encouragement from Chet, Roman climbs down into the mine, finds his daughters, and escapes the shaft. Upon returning, Chet is horrified to discover the "Bald-Headed Killer Bear" lurking in the mine. It chases him back to the cabin, smashes through the door, and rampages through the house. Cabin owner Wally bursts in with a loaded shotgun lamp while Roman tries to hold off the bear. Chet shoots the bear, blowing the fur off its rear, and the bear runs out of the house. The next morning, the families part on amicable terms. Cammie accepts Buck's apology, and they end their brief romance. To Chet's dismay, Connie reveals that she invited the Craigs to stay with them until they can recover. The Ripleys return to Chicago as Chet plans to beat Roman home. During the end credits, Chet, Connie, Roman, Kate, and Wally dance to "Land of a Thousand Dances" in a bar. In the post-credits scene, the raccoon family (who rummaged through the trash cans throughout the film) talk in their language about what happened to "Jody" and state that she is "bald on both ends now".