National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki

Directed by Jeremiah Chechik

The Story:
The Griswolds - father Clark (Chevy Chase), mother Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), daughter Audrey (Juliette Lewis) and son Rusty (Johnny Galecki) - decide to stay home for the holidays, and have their relatives visit them for Christmas.  Clark just wants to give his family the perfect Christmas - from the Christmas tree to the lights and food - but of course his good-natured intentions turn into hilarious disasters, and his family isn't the most functional either, especially Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid).

The Synopsis:
While the "Vacation" series had two previous outings before this, "Christmas Vacation" is the most widely remembered and lovingly embraced, especially during the Yuletide season.  It's become a Christmas staple, up there with "A Christmas Story," "Miracle on 34th Street," and "It's a Wonderful Life."  While it's not necessarily entirely family friendly (lots of language and that one dream sequence at the pool), it's still a film that can be enjoyed by the whole family, because it fully encompasses what it means to be a family: especially a dysfunctional one.  Here, the Griswolds put the "fun" in dysfunctional.

Clark is the toting, well-intentioned father who only wants the best for his family, and wants to spread the holiday cheer.  He could've fallen into the pitfall of a stereotypical fall guy, but Chevy Chase gives enough humanity to him to make him relatable and favorable.  You really feel bad for the guy as his attempts to string thousands of lights around his house ends in disaster, but you also can't help but laugh at the outcome. Chase is in his element, using his classic slapstick comedy and his facial expressions that tell more a story than his mouth ever would.

Ellen is the doting, caring, loving mother and wife, who stands by her witless husband's side throughout his shenanigans, always willing to give an encouraging word or even a soft rebuke when necessary.  Beverly D'Angelo plays Ellen well, giving viewers a mother figure they would all love to have in their own families.

The kids play off each other well as typical children in a family do.  One minute they're fighting each other, the next they're banding together for the family.  I forgot who the kids were, but remembered it's Juliette Lewis (future Oscar nominee and star of some of the most talked-about films in recent memory, including "Natural Born Killers") and Johnny Galecki (whose future appearances include "Roseanne" and most notably "The Big Bang Theory").

There are several scene stealers in the film, from crazy Uncle Lewis (the late William Hickey, who starred in classic films like "Prizzi's Honor" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas") to even crazier Aunt Bethany (the late Mae Questal, who starred in over three hundred films and is best known for the voice of Betty Boop), but the crown goes to crazy Cousin Eddie, played by Randy Quaid.  He arrives with his family in an RV (that he later admits they're living in), hasn't had a job in seven years, and still maintains a heart of gold who would do anything (anything) for his family.  He also supplies the line that's most memorable from the film - "s*itter was full."

The other main star of the film is Murphy...as in Murphy's Law...which states that "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong."  From the Christmas tree (that's too big for the house), to the Christmas lights not working, to the events with the second Christmas tree and everything else in between, Clark's fantasy perfect Christmas is just that - a fantasy in his head.  Yet, despite all the hardships and problems, they still manage to have a great Christmas...at least for the audience (especially not for their snooty neighbors, played by Nicholas Guest and pre-"Seinfeld" Julia Louis-Dreyfuss).

At its heart, "Christmas Vacation" is a way to bring a family together, and show that even through the hardships and trials, nothing is more valuable than family - especially not a cat wrapped in a box who comes into contact with some Christmas tree lights.

The Summary:
Instead of venturing out, the Griswolds decide to have their Christmas vacation at home, resulting in numerous hilarious moments with great acting and a heartwarming story at the center, making it a true Christmas classic.

The Score: A+