Permanent Vacation (1981): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Permanent Vacation is a 1981 comedy drama directed by Jim Jarmusch, starring Chris Parker, John Lurie and Richard Boes. It runs 1 hour 15 minutes and earned $31,179 worldwide. Critics gave it 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.1/10. Stream it on Criterion Channel and HBO Max, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 15m (75 min)
- Director
- Jim Jarmusch
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Criterion Collection, The
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Permanent Vacation About?
The premise of Permanent Vacation without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A restless wanderer finds himself adrift in New York City, grappling with existential questions and searching for meaning. He reconnects with a past relationship and crosses paths with a diverse group of people, each offering a different perspective on life. Through these encounters, he begins a journey of self-discovery, confronting his inner struggles and seeking a renewed sense of direction.
Permanent Vacation Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- new york city
- drifter
- slacker
- directorial debut
- two word title
- urban setting
- walking in a city
- wandering the streets
- mother son relationship
- rooftop
- stolen car
- apartment
+38 more Show fewer
- graffiti
- manhattan new york city
- saxophonist
- movie theater
- psychiatric patient
- psychiatric hospital
- independent film
- title spoken by character
- reference to charlie parker
- mental hospital visitation
- popcorn
- writer director producer
- walking
- man plays a saxophone
- somewhere over the rainbow
- playing a saxophone
- mental illness
- insanity
- insane person
- mentally ill mother
- mentally ill person
- mentally ill man
- abandoned building
- insane mother
- dog barks
- reading aloud from a book
- reading a novel aloud
- book
- novel
- woman speaks spanish
- doppler effect
- man dances to music
- man dances
- car theft
- man steals a car
- maniacal laughter
- woman laughs maniacally
Where to Watch Permanent Vacation
Stream it on Criterion Channel and HBO Max, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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HBO Max 
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Streaming availability in the US, powered by 
Permanent Vacation Cast
Chris Parker leads the cast, with John Lurie and Richard Boes. Directed by Jim Jarmusch; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Jim Jarmusch
Also Starring in Permanent Vacation
· 6 morePermanent Vacation Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Permanent Vacation 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.1/10.
-
IMDb 6.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 69 Metascore
User score 5.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 59% User score
See on TMDB
Permanent Vacation Plot Summary
What happens in Permanent Vacation from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Film school dropout Jim Jarmusch crafts his debut film, which, while largely overlooked in the US, garnered attention across Europe for its groundbreaking independent approach that sharply contrasts with conventional American cinema. The story follows a young man in his twenties, Aloysius Parker, portrayed by Chris Parker, who finds himself unemployed and aimlessly searching for the “meaning of life.” Struggling with a profound sense of disconnection, he comes from a troubled family background marked by a missing father, a mother in an institution, and a fractious relationship with his girlfriend.
Full summary
The whole story of Permanent Vacation, scene by scene
Permanent Vacation Box Office
Permanent Vacation grossed $31,179 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$31.2K
- International
- $30.4K
Permanent Vacation Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Permanent Vacation.
How Well Do You Know Permanent Vacation?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who directed the film 'Permanent Vacation'?
Cars in Permanent Vacation
8 cars on screen, including the 1966 Ford Mustang and the 1952 Buick Super.
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1966 Ford Mustang Important role -
1952 Buick Super Background role -
1967 Chevrolet Chevy Van Background role -
1971 Dodge Tradesman Background role
Permanent Vacation Also Known As
15 alternative titles, including “Vacaciones permanentes” and “Отпуск без конца”.
- Also known as
-
- Vacaciones permanentes
- Отпуск без конца
- Vacación permanente
- Dauernd Ferien
- Nieustające wakacje
- Permanens vakáció
- Постоянна ваканция
- Sempre em Férias
- 영원한 휴가
- 长假漫漫
- Sürekli Tatil
- Постійна відпустка
+3 more Show fewer
- Διακοπές Διαρκείας
- Férias Permanentes
- Amžinos atostogos
Seen Permanent Vacation?
Movies Like Permanent Vacation
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Permanent, Permanent Midnight and Stranger Than Paradise.
Permanent Vacation FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Permanent Vacation, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Permanent Vacation?
Permanent Vacation runs 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes).
When was Permanent Vacation released?
Permanent Vacation was released on March 6, 1981.
Who directed Permanent Vacation?
Permanent Vacation was directed by Jim Jarmusch.
More films by Jim Jarmusch Who is in the cast of Permanent Vacation?
Permanent Vacation stars Chris Parker, John Lurie and Richard Boes, among 10 credited actors.
Where can I watch Permanent Vacation?
In the US, Permanent Vacation is streaming on Criterion Channel and HBO Max and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Permanent Vacation make at the box office?
Permanent Vacation grossed $31,179 worldwide.
How is Permanent Vacation rated?
Permanent Vacation has 6.1/10 on IMDb, 69 on Metacritic and 59% on TMDB.
Does Permanent Vacation have a post-credit scene?
No. Permanent Vacation has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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