By Geno McGahee
I continue my Xmas review spree with the 1989 classic holiday film “CHRISTMAS VACATION.” In 1983, the raunchy and very funny “NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION” was released and became an instant classic. It was followed up with the 1985 “EUROPEAN VACATION”, which was the weakest of the bunch and felt a little rushed. This led to a family-friendly Xmas flick that is, arguably, the best. If it’s not the best, it certainly captures the spirit of Christmas and is a laugh out loud comedy.
Written by John Hughes, CHRISTMAS VACATION focuses on the Griswold family and the obsession of Clark (Chevy Chase) to have family harmony. As we’ve learned from the other films, things never go right and it starts immediately as they go to get a tree. Doing everything big, Clark finds an enormous tree and brings it home, after nearly rumbling with a couple hillbillies. As with every entry in the series, the children are different ages and played by different actors and actresses, but maintain the same names. Rusty, the now younger brother, is played by Johnny Galecki and Audrey is played by Juliette Lewis. Ellen, Clark’s wife, is once again played by Beverly D’Angelo, and she once again does a great job. I don’t think she’s ever been funnier than in this production.
The family arrives home and Clark is met with two unpleasant things. One, his neighbors, Margo (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Todd (Nicholas Guest), aren’t happy with his Christmas spirit and decorations, which turn out to be excessive. The duo is very pretentious and mean-spirited. They look down on the Griswold family but Clark doesn’t allow them to ruin his holiday. What may ruin his holiday is the other unpleasant thing: his family, in-laws and all, are coming down to stay for Xmas. It will be a full house.
This film could not have been cast any better. Ellen’s parents, Art (E.G. Marshall) and Francis (Doris Roberts), arrive along with Clark’s parents, Clark SR. (John Randolph) and Nora (Diane Ladd). The real old timers arrive with Lewis (William Hickey) and his batty wife, Bethany (Mae Questel), and then the biggest shocker comes in the form of a beaten up, rusted RV. Ellen’s cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his family shows up with their dog “snots.” One of the funniest lines of the film is when Eddie advises Clark that if snots grabs his legs and humps it, the “best thing to do is to let him finish.”
As Clark tries to deal with this family, he is very concerned over his Christmas bonus. Every year for 17 years, he received a Xmas bonus, but it hadn’t shown up yet and without it, he’s in big trouble. His boss, Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle-Murray), has no respect for him, ignores him, and is about as cold as a person can be. Clark plays the game and does his work, but the concern is building.
The party continues and Clark keeps getting jabbed by his in-laws. He takes it but the time bomb is ticking. He’s had difficulties with his Xmas lights, the meal was destroyed, the dog is tearing up the house, and it just keeps getting worse. When there’s a knock on the door, things hit rock bottom.
The delivery man brings what he thinks is a check, but the Christmas bonus turns out to be a membership into the jelly of the month club. The time bomb goes off and Clark screams that if anyone is looking for a last minute gift for him, he wants his boss with a big ribbon on his head brought to his house so he can tell him what a “piece of monkey shit” he is. Eddie takes him literally.
After cutting down another tree and dragging it into the house, and a battle with a loose squirrel, Clark calms down and begins reading the Night Before Christmas to the group. That’s when he sees Eddie kicking his boss in the ass while he is chained up and wearing a big ribbon on his head. Eddie comes in screaming “ho ho ho”, and it isn’t that long before the police show up.
One thing that I noticed in this last viewing that I hadn’t noticed before was that when the cops screamed freeze, Beverly D’Angelo froze with her hand grabbing Chase’s crotch. She shakes the hand of Frank Shirley’s wife and then returns the hand to Chase’s package. It was one of those really funny things that I totally missed all these times prior.
There’s a really happy ending and the family, despite the differences, unite as a family…even Eddie. There is a great balance in this film. We have the great comedic side of it with Randy Quaid, D’Angelo, and Chase bringing a lot of laughs, but there is also the sentimental side that makes you reflect upon your own family and gatherings and that is the magic of this. Through the usage of a great score, Christmas music, décor, and writing, there is a familiar feel to this movie. There is some movie magic happening here.
Randy Quaid’s character really developed since the first one in this. In the original, he was a bum. He was a sleaze and was just dirty. In this one, he has transformed into a cartoonish dummy that is likable, but has maintained some of the traits from the first. He’s unemployed and doesn’t have any ambition to get a job, but he’s also got a big heart in this. The term “his heart was in the right place” is perfect to describe Eddie in this.
The chemistry between D’Angelo and Chase here is noticeable and feels very genuine. They work well off each other and have both made the transition that Quaid has made. There is a cartoonish feel to this production and it adds to the humor. Chase can’t help but to be funny. When he’s on, he’s incredibly funny, and he was spot on here. D’Angelo picks her spots very well. She plays the role seriously but she knows when to turn on the mannerisms and how to deliver the lines that become very effective.
CHRISTMAS VACATION is a great family film. There is a part where Nicolette Scorsese shows part of her backside and part of her chest, but that’s passable. Although her role was small in this, her reactions were very good as Chase stumbled through his dialogue, overwhelmed by her beauty. It was another funny scene in this remarkably funny film.
I’m not sure if CHRISTMAS VACATION is the best of the National Lampoon films, but it’s up there. It is the most endearing for sure and does a great job capturing the magic of Christmas and family harmony. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 7.5/10
