A family Christmas turns into a nightmare that seemingly can’t get any worse (but does) in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” an edgy comedy filled with laughs.
The 1989 movie (available to stream on HBO Max, Prime Video and Apple TV) wastes no time in jumping into the exaggerated chaos of the holiday season.
Suburban father Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) has always wanted to have the perfect family Christmas. At first, things seemed to be going just right. His two teenage kids, Russ and Audrey, and his wife Ellen, are in high spirits, and Clark is aiming for the best Christmas light display in town. He’s also awaiting the arrival of the big Christmas bonus from his company.
Everything goes south for the Griswolds when Clark’s broke and boisterous cousin Eddy (Randy Quaid) and his problematic family show up unexpectedly at their doorstep. After Eddy was forced to sell his farm and house, his family—including his wife Catherine, their kids Rocky, Mary Sue and their dog—are forced to live in an RV, which is parked right outside the Griswold home. Their poor etiquette and messy lifestyle causes them to unwillingly wreak havoc on the house and send Clark into a mental spiral.
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“Christmas Vacation” is the third film of the Vacation trilogy with Chase reprising his role as Clark Griswold from 1983’s “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and 1985’s “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.”“Christmas Vacation” was written by John Hughes, who is also known widely for writing a collection of ‘80s classics such as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club.”
The humor is over the top and cartoonish. Although it sounds like a bad thing, the actors pull off the ridiculous hijinxs in this movie. Whether it’s the Christmas tree going up in flames, Cousin Eddy emptying his sewage into the storm drain or Clark’s boss getting kidnapped, the disastrous events that every family dreads coming to life are what makes the movie relatable and flat-out hilarious.
Every Christmas movie is different. “Christmas Vacation” is unique because there’s no deep message dug into the plot to be sentimental. The main issue with the movie is that it has no real antagonist. Instead, it’s a compilation of stupid slip-ups of the dysfunctional Griswold family. In its place, Clark becomes his own worst enemy. His desperation for the perfect Christmas brings him and his entire family down. However, “Christmas Vacation” shows that some movies don’t need that backbone to the plot, because the jokes work well and watching the family struggle to even get to Christmas is enough.
Its one-hour-and-37-minute run time is the perfect length, and the goofy, exaggerated jokes aren’t meant to be taken seriously, so it’s a casual watch that everyone can enjoy.
In the midst of a new wave of COVID, the holiday season can be extra stressful for families around the world. Fortunately, classics like “Christmas Vacation” can make for a good laugh and a timely movie to enjoy around the holidays.