Movie Two Hundred Seventy Nine
The Griswold family is back and hosting a Christmas Vacation.
The Griswolds, led by misguided patriarch, Clark (Chevy Chase), wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), daughter Audrey (Juliette Lewis), and son Rusty (Johnny Galecki), set out to get a Christmas tree. Clark has decided he wants to host this year and has invited both sets of parents. When his cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) shows up with his family, the house gets a little more full and nearly everything that can go wrong does.
The great thing about Christmas Vacation, or any Vacation movie for that matter, is that the mishaps are relatable to most of us. One of the best lines from the film comes from Ellen when she says “I don’t know what to say, except it’s Christmas and we’re all in misery.” It’s not that Christmas means misery for us it’s that the stress of the situation and bending over backwards to accommodate family tends to be a bit miserable. While I don’t think anyone has really had a Christmas disaster like the Griswolds, the situations are least well-guided and we see that. All the Vacation movies are just about a family man trying his best but with a cloud of accidents and follies following him and Christmas Vacation is no different.
There are so many great, memorable scenes from Christmas Vacation that make it the holiday classic it is, but my favorite that cracks me up every single time is the cat chewing the tree lights under the recliner. Clark shopping for lingerie is a close second. It’s so hard to choose, though! So much great dialogue, so much great physical comedy, and the perfect storm of Griswold-y goodness. It wouldn’t be Christmas without some Christmas Vacation.
I give it 4 Christmas tree squirrels out of 5.
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The sled scene is my favorite from this movie. This movie is also the last time we see Mae Questel (the voice of Betty Boop) before she died.
I love that scene too, it’s so hard to pick a favorite. I just learned that was her
Another perfect Christmas movie 🙂
I don’t care how dumb the humor is, I love it. Nice review.
Haha ditto
One of my absolute favorites. Have to watch this every year. Great review, Andy.
Yeah, I have to too. It’s not Christmas until I do
It’s funny that this is the third of four official “Vacation Films” (I’m ignoring the direct-to-video sequel to this starring Randy Quaid), yet it seems to be the one that most people remember. It’s also the only one where the vacation is spent at home rather than on the road.
I kind of assumed it was the 2nd movie since European Vacation is mostly forgotten about.
And then there’s “Vegas Vacation”…
The movie we WANT to forget…
I love this movie….not my favorite Aubrey/Rusty actors, tho. My favorite scene: it’s tied between two…the swimming pool scene (where Clark is imagining that he built a swimming pool with his bonus check) and where the family receives an angry cat as a gift. LOL
Both great scenes, as I was saying above its so hard to choose favorites for me
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I so need to watch this again – it’s hilarious! Those Old Navy commercials they’ve been playing this year have NOT been hilarious however…
When I first saw those commercials I was freaking out but they aren’t great.
No. They are bad, is what they are.
I was thinking they should do a sequel to this one with the kids coming back to visit with Clark and Ellen now grandparents. Could be fun.
Nice review to a great movie.
That would be amazing. I’d watch the hell out of it.
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Great film, i’ve watched this many times already this year. It reminds me, no matter how dysfunctional my family christmas gatherings are – at least they’re not as bad as Griswold’s. (Can I take you out to the middle of no where? leave you for Dead? Awe, no thanks Clark, I’m fine.)
Hahaha I love that – and it is great at making me feel better about the holidays too
Nice post. You know how I feel about this movie, though, haha
I know…
And it makes me sad 😦
Awww, haha. Come on, don’t be sad! We can’t like all the same movies! LOL
I’m just sad that you’re missing out on the greatness that is Christmas Vacation 😉
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