NATIONAL LAMPOON’S
CHRISTMAS VACATION
BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
DECEMBER 26, 2013
Still hilarious to this day, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” never gets old. Thanks to impeccable comedic delivery by funnyman Chevy Chase, the imagery of the Griswold family Christmas sets the stage for millions across the country to enjoy their families and sit down by their Christmas trees for the holiday season, watching one man’s strife to make the perfect Christmas but failing miserably. From pulling a much-too-large tree out of the ground by its roots to covering the entire house with Christmas lights to spending the holidays with his trailer trash cousin-in-law Eddie (played brilliantly by Randy Quaid), there’s no part of this film that hasn’t become iconic. Despite the PG-13 rating, “Christmas Vacation” remains funny for the whole family and relies on perfectly timed gags and physical comedy to make for some of the best Christmas laughs of all time. One of my favorite Christmas films, “Christmas Vacation” is a staple in my household for the holidays and is often a comparison to the craziness that goes on under our roof when the family gets together.
RELEASE DATE
December 1, 1989
DIRECTOR
Jeremiah S. Chechik
WRITTEN BY
John Hughes
STUDIO
Warner Bros. Pictures
PG-13
COMEDY
97 minutes
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Thomas E. Ackerman
COMPOSER
Angelo Badalamenti
EDITOR
Jerry Greenberg
Michael A. Stevenson
CAST
Chevy Chase
Beverly D’Angelo
Juliette Lewis
Johnny Galecki
John Randolph
Diane Ladd
E.G. Marshall
Randy Quaid
PRODUCED BY
John Hughes
Tom Jacobson
BUDGET
$25 million
