Christmas Film Advent- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

“Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas.”

Length: 1 hr 37
About: 
The Griswold family’s plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.

Making Way for Christmas Vacation

Have you ever hated a film? No, not hate; loath. Yes, okay I guess that’s a given. Everyone has a film they’ve watched that they’ve not liked. How about a film you’ve hated with a passion without watching more than a few clips?! Yep, that’s me and this film. It borders on irrational, so hear me out before you judge.
1. Chevy Chase scared the crap out of me. I called him being part of Operation Yewtree before that was even a thing. I couldn’t explain why I thought he was sleaze, but I couldn’t shake it.
2. My dad stopped me from watching Johnathan Creek one Christmas because he wanted to watch Vacation. My argument that he had it on video wasn’t enough and when I decided I’d record the permed detective’s Christmas special it was decided we’d watch one of the films we’d bought instead. Me, being a teenager and a stubborn Capricorn laid the blame at the film’s door and my hatred for the film i’d never seen built further.
3. My brother knows how to push my buttons. He finds a weakness and exploits it. Thing is, its quite fun. So knowing my hatred of this film and knowing I had declared I’d never watch a single second of it, he conceived a rather funny Christmas tradition.
It was rather subtle at first. A dvd of the film which I gifted to a friend when they’d said they were in the mood to watch it early the following Christmas. A sigh of relief was had until (and I should have seen this coming), I unwrapped another copy come Christmas morning.
The following year, I hadn’t bothered to check the shelves and it turned out he’d pulled it off there and gifted it to me, again. I thought I’d learned my lesson for the following Christmas; DVD in hand, I scanned the shelves. Not that it matters; it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Two years ago, I opened the dvd with indifference. I’m guessing its what triggered my brother to change his tactics. I spent my birthday with him that year. Upon sitting down to open my presents I had what I can only describe as a learned response to seeing a wrapped dvd among everything else. Good on him, his indigence at my suspicion was nothing short of Oscar worthy.  There is was ‘Christmas Vacation 2″. 

So, I think it took my brother by surprise last year when I had offered to go see the film in the Prince Charles if they had a screening while he was over. Alas, they didn’t so we had to settle for me digging out one of the many copies I own on DVD.

The Nice List

• Chevy isn’t the creeper I always thought him to be; on screen at least. I’m so done making comments on actor’s in that respect because over the past few years it has seemed that no one is clear or free from accusations. Clark Griswold is a rather likable character who has reasonable wants for the Christmas holiday. He’s actually what makes the movie and its his Christmas spirit that will have me watching it somewhat sporadically over the coming years.
• It is funny. I can’t deny it, I do kick myself a little at leaving it so long to watch it. That said, I think the humour would have gone over my head on the most part when I was younger, so in one respect I was watching it at the right time.
• You don’t need to see the other Vacation movies. While perhaps you might be more attached to the characters, you don’t lose anything by seeing it as a stand alone.

The Naughty List

• It’s not really a movie. It feels more like an extended episode of Saturday Night Live; sketches stitched together a little too loosely. It feels a little clunky, a little dry and in need of a script redraft to give it more of a plot.

Final Thoughts

The film is okay, but the banter I had with my brother was much more fun.