National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Christmas in Chicago Proves to Be a Challenge for the Griswolds
Jan 12, 2009
The National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is yet another installment of the National Lampoon film series which documents the goings-on of the Griswold family and the ways in which their lives and their plans go awry.
This film is a laugh-a-minute sensation and with a stellar cast, including Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Doris Roberts, and Randy Quaid, it’s hard to go wrong. What gives the film its signature quality, however, is that seemingly everything DOES go wrong for the main character, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase).
Fa la la la la
When it comes to holiday spirit, no one is more exuberant than Clark. Whether he is taking his family out to the middle of nowhere to cut down the perfect tree or decorating the house with 25,000 lights, he makes every effort to structure a happy, memorable holiday. But, with things already going badly for this man-of-the-house, they only get worse when he invites his parents, his in-laws, and others for Christmas at the Griswold home in Chicago. Supported by his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), who maintains a smile and a general degree of calm even as the holiday falls apart, as well as his children Audrey and Rusty (Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki) who vacillate between pity, annoyance, and affirmation, Clark continues in his quest to have the perfect holiday.
Despite his best efforts, however, Clark's plans are quashed by a Christmas bonus that is late to arrive as well as the appearance of out-of-town relatives who are lacking in any type of social graces. Cousin Catherine and her husband, Eddie (Randy Quaid), come to stay along with their children, Rocky and Ruby Sue. And aside from the Christmas bonus fiasco, in Clark's eyes, it is Cousin Eddie who wreaks the greatest havoc on the family holiday as he parks his mobile home in the driveway, empties his septic trank into the gutter, and gets drunk on the eggnog.
Cousin Eddie to the Rescue
Yet, when Clark finally has a meltdown and reveals that without his Christmas bonus, he won’t be able to pay for a special family surprise, it is Eddie who takes it upon himself to provide a truly memorable moment. And, although this touching surprise at first results in police involvement and property damage to the neighbor's house, it all turns out in the end.
The Christmas Lights Still Shine After Twenty Years
Even now, two decades after its 1989 theatrical release, this holiday is still one for the record books. No matter how many times one has seen this film, it is hard not to laugh at Clark up on the roof with the nailgun and thousands of lights. Entertaining audiences with Clark's continuous mishaps and Cousin Eddie's white-trash grandeur, it appears that this film will likely remain a staple of holiday traditions for years to come.
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