Yule Crack Up- 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'

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Every Christmas Eve my family sit down after doing our new Christmas pyjamas tradition and we watch the 1989 slapstick comedy ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’, and we have done going on six, seven years now. So when Christmas Eve 2022 rolled around, down we sat to our family favourite, yet this year was slightly different as now I pretend I have extremely insightful and interesting things to say about films on this silly wee blog. Unlike my other blog entries this isn’t first watch review, but just like my introductory entry I had to write about my favourite Christmas film. 

Based upon humorous stories written by The Breakfast Club’s director 80s legend John Hughes, the ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ is part of a franchise of films following the Griswold family starring SNL’s Chevy Chase often trying to pull off the perfect family experience whether that be a road trip to a theme park in the first 1983 instalment or Christmas with the extended family. Since first seeing this film, it instantly became my favourite Christmas film, an answer that many who have asked had never heard of. 

 

As the Griswold hosts both in-laws and the cousins’ family, who turn up unannounced in their RV, Clark Griswold is addiment their Christmas will be perfect, getting ever more carried away as inevitably things don’t go the way he wanted. Whether that’s the “Two hundred fifty strands of lights, 100 individual bulbs per strand, for a grand total of 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights” that fail to turn on or the live squirrel they find living in their 8 foot tall Christmas tree. This film is the definition of slapstick comedy. I would never say I am a fan of slapstick comedy, disliking films starring 90s Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey, however ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ is the perfect combination of perfectly scripted one liners and Christmas nostalgia that fills me with so much joy. 

 

Sure it is crude, but it is certain to give you plenty of giggles, usurpingly becoming a major holiday classic especially in the US where this film is more widely known. With a short and sweet run time of 1 hour 37 this film has understandable become a bit of a cult favourite; with merchandise made especially like props in the film, my dad owning the one and only eggnog moose head glass used when Clark questions his cousin Eddy who has just arrived unannounced. It is packed with scenes and lines that my family and I could quote almost in entirety due to their unforgettable and hilarious nature. I highly, highly recommend to everyone to see this film. It will always be a favourite for me, partially due to the nostalgia, and one I will continue to watch every Christmas Eve with my loved ones- so to end this blog entry I want to quote my favourite line. 


Clark is prepping the enormous Christmas tree on his drive when his snobby young neighbours rock up judging him saying…

 

“Hey Griswold, where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?"

 

To which Clark responds 

 

"Bend over and I'll show you." 


Fortiaboot National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Poster print Wall 15 x 23 Inches (38 x 58 cm) (380 x 580mm) Gift Decorative Print : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen


Evie 29 December 2022

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