Christmas Vacation
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''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' is a 1989 American Christmas comedy film and the third installment in ''National Lampoon'' magazine's ''Vacation'' film series. ''Christmas Vacation'' was directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik Jeremiah S. Chechik (born 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is the film director, director of such films as ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'', ''Benny & Joon'', ''Diabolique (1996 film), Diabolique'' and ''The Avengers (1998 film), The Av ...
, written and co-produced by John Hughes, and starring Chevy Chase,
Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
, and Randy Quaid with supporting roles by Miriam Flynn, William Hickey, Mae Questel,
Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...
, John Randolph,
E.G. Marshall E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...
, Doris Roberts,
Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
, and Johnny Galecki, and special appearances by Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
Nicholas Guest Nicholas Haden-Guest (born May 5, 1951), known as Nicholas Guest, is an American actor who has appeared in various movie and television roles, including that of headmaster Patrick James Elliot in the teen sitcom ''USA High''. Since 2000, he has p ...
, Ellen Hamilton Latzen, Brian Doyle-Murray, and Natalia Nogulich. Based on Hughes' short story "Christmas '59" that was published in ''National Lampoon'', it tells the story of the Griswold family spending Christmas vacation at home with their relatives and the ensuing mayhem. The film performed well at the box office—grossing $73.3 million—but received mixed reviews from critics. It is now regarded as a classic Christmas film.


Plot

Chicago-area resident Clark Griswold plans to have a great Christmas with his entire family. He drives his wife Ellen and children Audrey and Rusty out to the country to find a tree, ultimately choosing the largest one they can find. Realizing too late that they did not bring any tools to cut down the tree, they are forced to uproot it instead. Soon after, both Clark's and Ellen's parents arrive for Christmas, but their bickering quickly begins to annoy them. Clark, however, maintains a positive attitude, determined to have a "fun old-fashioned family Christmas". He covers the house's entire exterior with 25,000
twinkle lights Christmas lights (also known as fairy lights, festive lights or string lights) are lights often used for decoration in celebration of Christmas, often on display throughout the Christmas season including Advent and Christmastide. The custom go ...
, which temporarily cause a citywide power shortage and create chaos for Clark's yuppie neighbors, Todd and Margo Chester. Ellen's cousin Catherine and her redneck husband Eddie arrive unannounced with their children, Rocky and Ruby Sue, and their pet Rottweiler, Snots. Eddie later admits they are living in the RV in which they arrived, as he went broke and had to sell their home and land. Clark offers to buy gifts for Eddie's kids so they can still enjoy Christmas. Soon afterward, Clark's
senile Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a Syndrome, set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negativ ...
Aunt Bethany and cantankerous Uncle Lewis arrive. Clark begins to wonder why his boss, Frank Shirley, has not given him his yearly bonus, which he desperately needs to pay for a new swimming pool. After a disastrous Christmas Eve dinner, during which Aunt Bethany's cat is electrocuted and Uncle Lewis accidentally burns down the Christmas tree while lighting his
cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...
, Clark finally receives his bonus. Instead of the expected money, it is a free year's membership to the "Jelly of the Month Club". He snaps and angrily wishes for Frank to be delivered to the house so he can insult him to his face. Taking Clark's request literally, Eddie kidnaps Frank, who admits to having canceled the Christmas bonuses. Clark chastises him for doing so. Meanwhile, Frank's wife Helen calls the police, and a
SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
team storms the Griswold house and holds everyone at gunpoint. Frank decides not to press charges and explains the situation to his wife and the SWAT leader, both of whom scold him for scrapping the bonuses. Frank ultimately reinstates them. The family goes outside when Rocky and Ruby Sue believe they see
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a Legend, legendary figure originating in Western Christianity, Western Christian culture who is said to Christmas gift-bringer, bring ...
in the distance. Clark tells them it is actually the Christmas Star and that he finally realizes what the holiday means to him. Uncle Lewis says that the light is coming from the sewage treatment plant, reminding Clark that Eddie had been dumping his RV sewage into the nearby storm drain. Before Clark can stop him, Uncle Lewis lights another cigar and tosses the match into the drain, causing an giant explosion which sends a Santa's sleigh decoration flying into the sky. Aunt Bethany starts singing " The Star-Spangled Banner" and everyone joins in as the flaming decoration flies into the distance. The entire family, along with the Shirleys and the SWAT team, go inside to celebrate while Clark and Ellen share a Christmas kiss. Clark is satisfied that he has provided a great Christmas for his family.


Cast

* Chevy Chase as Clark W. "Sparky" Griswold Jr. *
Beverly D'Angelo Beverly Heather D'Angelo (born November 15, 1951) is an American actress who starred as Ellen Griswold in the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' films (1983–2015). She has appeared in over 60 films and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for h ...
as Ellen Griswold *
Juliette Lewis Juliette Lake Lewis (born June 21, 1973) is an American actress and alternative rock singer. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in films with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, ...
as Audrey Griswold. Audrey was previously portrayed by
Dana Barron Dana Barron is an American actress who is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' which she reprised in 2003's '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adv ...
and Dana Hill in the last two films and later by Marisol Nichols in '' Vegas Vacation'' * Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold. Russ was portrayed by Anthony Michael Hall and Jason Lively in the previous two films and later by Ethan Embry in '' Vegas Vacation''. Notably, this is the only film where Russ the exact same age as Audrey, hence Lewis being taller than Galecki. * John Randolph as Clark Griswold Sr., Clark's father *
Diane Ladd Diane Ladd is an American actress. She has appeared in over 120 film and television roles. For the 1974 film '' Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'', she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and was nominated for the Academy A ...
as Nora Griswold, Clark's mother *
E. G. Marshall E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...
as Arthur "Art" Smith, Ellen's father * Doris Roberts as Frances Smith, Ellen's mother * Miriam Flynn as Catherine Johnson, Ellen's cousin * Randy Quaid as Eddie Johnson, Catherine's husband * Cody Burger as Rocky Johnson * Ellen Hamilton Latzen as Ruby Sue Johnson * William Hickey as Uncle Lewis * Mae Questel as Aunt Bethany. This was Questel's final film role before her death in 1998 * Sam McMurray as Bill, Clark's co-worker * Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester, the Griswolds' yuppie neighbor *
Nicholas Guest Nicholas Haden-Guest (born May 5, 1951), known as Nicholas Guest, is an American actor who has appeared in various movie and television roles, including that of headmaster Patrick James Elliot in the teen sitcom ''USA High''. Since 2000, he has p ...
as Todd Chester, Margo's husband * Brian Doyle-Murray as Frank Shirley, Clark's boss * Natalia Nogulich as Helen Shirley, Frank's wife * Nicolette Scorsese as Mary, a lingerie counter clerk * Alexander Folk as Lead SWAT Officer * Jeremy Roberts as cop * Woody Weaver as cop * Doug Llewelyn as the voice of the Parade Announcer * Keith MacKechnie as delivery boy * Rick Stevens as Ralph, Ellen's awkward cousin


Production


Development and writing

''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' originated from a short story by writer John Hughes called "Christmas '59", which was published in the December 1980 issue of '' National Lampoon'' magazine. "The studio came to me and begged for another one, and I only agreed because I had a good story to base it on," said Hughes. "But those movies have become little more than Chevy Chase vehicles." Director
Chris Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer born in Genoa, Italy. Christopher Columbus or Chris Columbus may also refer to: People * Chris Columbus (musician) (1902–2002), American jazz drummer * Chris Columbus (filmmaker) (born 1958), American dire ...
initially was to direct the film, but due to a personality clash between he and Chase, Columbus left the film and was replaced by Chechik. Hughes eventually gave Columbus the script to '' Home Alone''.


Filming

Principal photography began on March 27, 1989, in Summit County, Colorado , with footage shot in
Silverthorne The Town of Silverthorne is a home rule municipality in Summit County, Colorado. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 3,887. History The town was named for Judge Marshall Silverthorn who served as the judge of the mine ...
, Breckenridge, and Frisco. From there the production moved to Warner Bros. Ranch Facilities in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
, where the set of the Griswold family's house and street is located.


Music

The musical score for ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' was composed by
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
. It is the only installment of the ''Vacation'' film series not to include Lindsey Buckingham's " Holiday Road". In its place is a song entitled "Christmas Vacation" with songwriters
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
,
Barry Mann Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman; February 9, 1939) is an American songwriter and musician, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil. He has written or co-written 53 hits in the UK and 98 in the US. Early li ...
,
Cynthia Weil Cynthia Weil (born October 18, 1940) is an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband Barry Mann. Life and career Weil was born in New York City, and was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. Her father was Morris Wei ...
and performed by
Mavis Staples Mavis Staples (born July 10, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, actress, and civil rights activist. She rose to fame as a member of her family's band The Staple Singers (she is the last surviving member of that band). Durin ...
of The Staple Singers fame. The song was covered in 2007 by '' High School Musical'' star
Monique Coleman Adrienne Monique Coleman (born November 13, 1980) is an American actress known for her role in Disney's ''High School Musical'' movies, in which she plays Taylor McKessie. Early life and education Adrienne Monique Coleman was born in Orangebu ...
for the 2007 Christmas album ''
Disney Channel Holiday ''Disney Channel Holiday'' is a 2007 holiday album released on October 16, 2007. The album features musical artists associated or popularized by Disney Channel singing their own versions of holiday songs. Some songs were recorded prior to the pro ...
''. Popular Christmas songs featured in the film include
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
& The Andrews Sisters Hawaiian-themed "
Mele Kalikimaka "" () is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by R. Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase , meaning "Merry Christmas". One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Siste ...
", and, during the climax of the film,
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
's " Here Comes Santa Claus". For the latter song, Autry's re-recorded 1957 Challenge Records version is used. Despite several popular songs being present in the film, no official soundtrack album was released. In 1999, a bootleg copy containing music featured in the film along with select cuts of dialogue dubbed as the "10th Anniversary Limited Edition" began to appear on Internet auction sites with the claim that Warner Bros. and RedDotNet had pressed 20,000 CDs for Six Flags Magic Mountain employees to sell to customers entering the park but that only 7,000 had been sold and now the remainder were being made available to the public. However forums at movie music sites such as SoundtrackCollector later declared the disc to be a bootleg due to its inaccuracies. For instance, the cut "Christmas Vacation Medley" (claiming to be the work of composer Angelo Badalamenti) is really a track called "Christmas at Carnegie Hall" from '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' by composer
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
and does not actually contain any of Badalamenti's ''Christmas Vacation'' score.


Release


Home media

The film has been released on home media several different times: VHS and Laserdisc in early 1990, a bare bones DVD in 1997, and a "Special Edition" DVD in 2003. HD DVD as well as Blu-ray editions were released in 2006. In 2009, a second Blu-ray of the film was released as an "Ultimate Collector's Edition". A steelbook Blu-ray was released in 2015 with remastered picture quality, and a second steelbook was released in 2019. On November 1, 2022, the film was released on 4K Ultra HD for the first time.


Reception


Box office

The movie debuted at No. 2 at the box-office while grossing $11,750,203 during the opening weekend, behind '' Back to the Future Part II''. The movie eventually topped the box-office charts in its third week of release and remained #1 the following weekend. It went on to gross a total of $71,319,546 in the United States while showing in movie theaters. It was the highest-grossing film in the series, until the release of '' Vacation'' in 2015.


Critical response

At the time of the film's release, the film received mixed to positive reviews; however, over time, many have cited it as a Christmas classic. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that of film critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of . The site's consensus reads, "While ''Christmas Vacation'' may not be the most disciplined comedy, it's got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat." Another review aggregation website, Metacritic, assigned the film a rating of 49 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. Entertainment magazine '' Variety'' responded positively to the film stating, "Solid family fare with plenty of yucks, ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' is Chevy Chase and brood doing what they do best. Despite the title, which links it to previous pics in the rambling Vacation series, this third entry is firmly rooted at the Griswold family homestead, where Clark Griswold (Chase) is engaged in a typical over-reaching attempt to give his family a perfect, old-fashioned Christmas." Rita Kempley of '' The Washington Post'' gave the film a positive review explaining that "it will prove pater-familiar to fans of the 1983 original and the ''
European Vacation ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' is a 1985 American comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Robert Klane. The second film in National Lampoon's ''Vacation'' film series, it stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Hill, J ...
'' sequel. Only it's a bit more whimsical."
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the '' Chicago Sun-Times'' gave the film two out of four stars, saying, "The movie is curious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn't work."


Other media


Sequel

The fourth film in the series, ''Vegas Vacation'', would follow in 1997, without the involvement of either Hughes or National Lampoon.


Spin-off/sequel

In 2003, NBC aired a spin-off called ''National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2'' which featured Cousin Eddie's family on a Christmas vacation in the South Pacific. Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, and
Dana Barron Dana Barron is an American actress who is best known for her role as the original Audrey Griswold in the 1983 film ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' which she reprised in 2003's '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adv ...
reprise their roles from the previous ''Vacation'' films alongside series newcomers Jake Thomas, Edward Asner, Sung Hi Lee, and Fred Willard.


In popular culture

In 2012, Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Juliette Lewis reunited for ''Christmas Vacation''-themed ads for Old Navy. The series of ads also featured the other actors who portrayed past versions of Russ and Audrey. In 2020, Chase and D'Angelo reprised their roles as Clark and Ellen in a Ford commercial for the Ford Mustang Mach-E spoofing the house lighting scene. The movie has inspired the theme for various Christmas lights and decoration displays over the years.


See also

* List of ''National Lampoon'' films *
List of Christmas films Many Christmas stories have been adapted to feature films and TV specials, and have been broadcast and repeated many times on television; since the popularization of home video in the 1980s, their many editions are sold and re-sold every year d ...


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control 1989 films 1989 comedy films 1989 directorial debut films 1980s black comedy films 1980s buddy comedy films 1980s Christmas comedy films 1980s English-language films American black comedy films American buddy comedy films American Christmas comedy films American sequel films Films about vacationing Films based on American short stories Films directed by Chris Columbus Films produced by John Hughes (filmmaker) Films scored by Randy Newman Films set in Chicago Films shot in Burbank, California Films shot in Colorado Films with screenplays by John Hughes (filmmaker) National Lampoon's Vacation (film series) Warner Bros. films 1980s American films