National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

During the morning assembly at Fairmount High School, Dags and Reggie reveal that the band High on Life is lip syncing, causing chaos and embarrassment. Their stunt sparks tension between students and the administration and sets a rebellious tone for the day. The incident signals that the school's rules will be challenged.

Principal Moss punishes the group with detention and assigns them a civic task: write a letter to the President explaining what's wrong with the education system. The detention forces the seniors to reflect on authority while increasing their sense of camaraderie. This moment shifts the day from mischief to a larger civic gambit.

The next day, news vans arrive to report that the President enjoyed the letter and invited the seniors to Washington, D.C. to discuss it. The invitation builds their hopes while masking a trap staged by the corrupt Senator Lerman. The school and town buzz as the journey to D.C. begins.

On the road to D.C., Dags and Reggie lock Moss in a flooded washroom at a convenience-store stop and steal alcohol. They become pursued by Travis, a crazed Star Trek fan who hijacks a ride with an Asian family. The trip derails into a chaotic chase that tests the group’s loyalties.

While on the road, Moss is knocked out after taking pills from Red, the bus driver, and the bus careens toward a lake. Red dies of an apparent drug overdose as the pursuit closes in and the bus ends up skirting the water. Dags manages to stop the bus just in time, and Travis escapes when the pursuing car crashes.

Arriving in Washington, the group checks into a hotel and plans a peculiar class photo at a cemetery. The juxtaposition of solemn imagery with their reckless antics underscores the gap between youth and political power. The night promises more chaos than civics.

That night, Miosky lights a fart on J. Edgar Hoover's flame to distract Travis, creating a chaotic diversion. Meanwhile, the seniors secretly lace a box of chocolates with tequila for Miss Milford, who becomes intoxicated and seduces Moss. The students crash a party at the hotel next door, escalating the debauchery.

Lisa Perkins takes Dags to the rooftop where she seduces him, complicating loyalties within the group. The next morning she discovers the scheme to embarrass the President and confronts the moral stakes of their prank. The romance adds tension as they confront the consequences.

The next day, Lisa Perkins learns of Senator Lerman's plan to use the students to embarrass the President. She weighs the options between helping the others or stepping away from the scheme. The revelation ramps up tension and foreshadows a dangerous confrontation.

Senator Lerman surprises Moss and Milford, leaving them shocked as he arranges to abduct Miosky and haul the group toward the White House. The pursuit escalates as Moss and Milford rally the students to resist the plan. They realize the plot is more than a prank and that real consequences loom.

At the White House, Senator Lerman's insults backfire as Moss unexpectedly defends the seniors. The senator's plot is exposed in front of the President and staff, reframing the students' actions as a protest rather than vandalism. The seniors prepare to return home with their reputations altered.

The film closes with a montage showing where each student ends up in later life, marking the end of a chaotic voyage from a school prank to political exposure. The group reflects on what they learned and the paths they chose. Their journey demonstrates how a reckless day can shape future directions.