They've been to Wally World. They've been to Europe. This season, things are a bit different. It's time once again to visit the Griswold family, this time for a little holiday cheer like only they can provide. "Christmas Vacation" is a somewhat unique film in the series, but it's hard to argue that it's not the best.
Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) simply wants the best for his family. This Christmas could shape up to the best ever, but a combination of visiting relatives and some outdoor lighting snafus create some problems. Things are still looking up though since his employers bonus check should put a smile on his face... or will that go wrong too?
Almost nothing can derail "Christmas Vacation." First time director Jerimiah Chechick takes a John Hughes script and turns into a masterpiece of comedy, a rare film in the National Lampoon series with heart. Even the credit sequence is great, a nice nod to the classic animated holiday movies of old.
The movie never really starts until Uncle Eddie and his family shows up, played by Randy Quaid. Yes, there are plenty of laughs before this point, but there isn't a person out there who doesn't have an Eddie in their family somewhere down the line. His clueless one-liners are delivered in a way where you have to play the line over in your head once or twice just to make sure you heard it right. It's not that he is hard to understand, but the comments are usually so off base, that you need to be sure that's what he really said.
Chase of course leads the way, just trying to keep the peace. He not only provides some great physical comedy, but you can just read his face as the frustration slowly builds. His reactions, particularly to a store clerk and Eddie, make for some priceless moments. He also provides a touching moment as he tells Eddie's daughter about Santa and that everything will be all right.
Made in 1989, it's pretty amazing to see just how far some of the supporting cast has come. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss plays the overly rich, snobby neighbor, Juliette Lewis plays the third generation Audrey Griswold, and Doris Roberts has a hand as Ellen's mother. Sadly, no matter how good they are, it creates the movies biggest problem.
As the film moves along, it seems like a new character is added in every 20 minutes. You want to see more of everybody, but for a standard 90-minute time frame, there are way too many people crammed in here. You can't even determine how some of them are related to the family. Also, why is called "Christmas Vacation?" They never really go anywhere other than to get a tree (funny) and go sledding (even funnier).
Article comments
1 - Amber
One of my favorite all time movies. I need to get the DVD, my VHS tape is worn out.
One of the best moments: the white sweater with the dickie under it. Yes.