6 Movies Featuring Motorhomes, In Honor of ‘We’re The Millers’

Movie #4: The Modern Classic – Stripes

Year – 1981

This is it – the movie that made Bill Murray a full-blown, bona fide star with his portrayal of Tito Puente-loving, down-on-his-luck cab driver, John Winger. After losing his job, his car, and his girlfriend, Winger talks his friend, Russell (Egon himself, Harold Ramis), into joining the United States Army because… well, why not?

Directed by Ivan Reitman, Stripes is the spiritual comedic successor to Animal House. It’s a slob comedy that, while not being the most finely focused film, still retains its ability to be funny. As the film moves from a fish-out-of-water story for its cast of misfits, including John Candy, Sean Young and Rock & Roll High School–alum, P.J. Soles, to zany action comedy, featuring an international plot revolving around a state-of-the-art military RV, Murray maintains a perfect level of smarmy ambivalence, while remaining completely likeable.

Some films considered classics tend to lose their luster over time, but Stripes, while relatively tame by today’s standards, has still got it. I’ll stake Sgt. Hulka’s big toe on it. – DG