Movie Review: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Cody Burger, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, William Hickey, Mae Questel, Sam McMurray, Nicholas Guest, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicolette Scorsese
Director: Jeremiah Chechik
Warner Bros., Hughes Entertainment, USA, 1989.

Griswold family are heading into the country to get a Christmas tree. After daddy Clark (Chevy Chase) races with some locals and nearly crashes their car, the family goes to forest for the tree. Mommy Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and Russ (Johnny Galecki) would rather buy a tree than wander in the cold forest. After uprooting a proper one, Clark has to make it fit into their living-room. 

Clark Griswold wants to have a perfect Christmas

Perfect Christmas tree

Audrey, Clark, Ellen and Russ

Ellen's and Clark's quarrelling parents, Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Sr (John Randolph), Nora Griswold (Diane Ladd). Arthur Smith (E. G. Marshall) and Frances Smith (Doris Roberts), will be coming to visit them for Christmas. Clark is getting a bonus check from his work, so he plans to build a swimming pool on their yard. Clark goes a bit over the top with the Christmas lights installing 25000 light bulbs. 

The tree needs some trimming

The yuppie neighbours Margo (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Todd (Nicholas Guest) Chester get their share of property damage when Clark goofs around while installing the lights. And the lights do not work. And when the lights finally work, it is better to have some reserve power ready! 

Todd and Margo Chester

Clark Sr. Griswold, Frances Smith, Arthur Smith and Nora Griswold

Also Clark's cousin hillbilly Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his wife Cathrine (Miriam Flynn) and their kids arrive. Also Griswold's go sledding and Clark's applies new lubricant to his sled, making it fully frictionless. More wacky relatives appear and Clark's Christmas gets worse when Clark's boss Mr. Shirley (Brian Doyle-Murray) does not send him the Christmas bonus. But half-crazed Clark is determined to get a perfect family Christmas whatever it takes. Soon red and blue lights are blinking in front of their house, but they are not Christmas lights. 

Clark's cousin Eddie and Cathrine

Griswold family admires the lights

Electric bill must be astronomical

80s was a good decade for American comedy, with Christmas Vacation being one of the best Chevy Chase comedies. The movie opens with an animated sequence where Santa visits the Griswold residence and barely survives alive. It's a great fun Christmas catastrophe movie full of gags and slap stick comedy but also with some crude jokes. The Griswold family is a bit like the Simpsons, with Clark being kind of a missing link between Donald Duck and Homer.

Uncle Lewis and what's left of the tree

Just a normal Christmas

Rating: Very good