National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Chevy Chase, star of National Lampoon’s Vacation and its sequel, is back as the paterfamilias of the Griswold family (including Beverly D’Angelo as his missus) to skewer the Yuletide season. Chevy mugs, trips, falls, mashes his fingers and stubs his toes as he prepares to invite numerous dysfunctional relatives to his household to celebrate Christmas. Amidst the more outrageous sight gags (including the electrocution of a cat as the Christmas tree is lit) the film betrays a sentimental streak, with old wounds healing and long-estranged relatives reuniting in the Griswold living room. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was still capable of attracting an audience five years after its release — it was one of the top-rated seasonal TV specials of 1994, outrating even the first network telecast of It’s a Wonderful Life., Mischief and mayhem dog the Griswolds as they spend Christmas at ho-ho-home., A family host their dysfunctional relatives for the holiday as the dad contends with spontaneously combusting Christmas lights and temperamental trees while anticipating the arrival of his annual bonus., Family man Clark Griswold is determined to stay at home and provide a warm, fun-filled Christmas for his family. But life has a way of throwing wet logs on his fire., Family man Clark Griswold is determined to stay at home and provide a warm, fun-filled Christmas for his family. But life has a way of throwing wet logs on his fire…