There are certain Christmas movies that just have to be watched every year and National Lampoon Christmas Vacation is one of those on the must watch list. Released in 1989, I must have seen it every year since around 1991 which works out to quite a lot of viewings but it’s one of the movies you can never grow tired of. Only watching it yearly at first meant not remembering certain details but now, much like many of you, we know every scene but that doesn’t reduce the enjoyment. It is one of the classics that stays in the mind and one of those movies you end quoting from all year around.
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We should imagine if you have ended up here you are pretty familiar with the movie but if you’re not, it is of course a Christmas movie. There are four National Lampoon movies which revolved around the wonderful Griswold family with the wonderful Chevy Chase and the husband and father of the family. The other three are National Lampoons Vacations, National Lampoons European Vacation and Vegas Vacation. There was another released in 2015 named Vacation whose plot line centers on Clark’s son Rusty with a cameo from Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo.
The National Lampoon series of movies were originally based on the magazine of the same name, making a movie script from some its short stories. Christmas Vacation was based upon the short story named Christmas 59. There are many National Lampoon movies but over the years ownership of the brand name has changed hands and the majority of the movies do not compete with the originals. Outside of the Griswold series of movies and the second movie made was National Lampoons Animal House. This was an incredible college teen movie staring the late, great John Belushi and a young Kevin Bacon in his first role and was the forerunner to all teen college movies that came after it, although none have been able to better the sheer brilliance of this original.
While there are other Griswold Lampoon movies it will be the Christmas vacation that is the pinnacle of the series. After the enjoyable introduction with the animated Santa Claus attempting to deliver gifts to the house the movie begins with the Griswold’s setting off to choose the family Christmas tree culminating in a drive home with an enormous tree strapped to the car roof.
The fun continues at the Griswold home when both Clark and Ellen’s parent arrive for Christmas and Clark proceeds to decorate the house with thousands of lights which have problems and cause their yuppie neighbors some hilarious mishaps. Ellen’s redneck cousin Catherine and her husband Eddie arrive with their kids in an RV which they stay in and they are followed by Clark’s Aunt and Uncle.
Clark is worried about his work bonus and he has made a down payment on a swimming pool, Catherine famously ruins the Christmas Eve dinner and the tree is burned down. Clark finds out his bonus is just a free membership and cracks taking out his chainsaw and sawing down another tree from the garden. This one contains a squirrel which sends the family into panic while Eddies dog Snots chases it around eventually jumping onto the female yuppie neighbor.
It ends with Eddie kidnapping Clark’s boss Frank so Clark can have his say. Franks wife has reported the kidnap and a SWAT team storm the house. Frank explains the situation and is chastised by his wife and the SWAT chief for cancelling the bonus but he has changed his mind and all employees get their bonus. It concludes with an explosion from the drains where Eddie has been emptying his chemical toilet and the Santa and reindeer flying through the air.
During the movie Clark wears a pair of pajamas, 2 set top and pants in white with multi-colored dinosaur print. These pj’s are obviously very famous and have become incredibly popular around the holiday season especially as there are many showings of the movie. Everyone wants that big family chaotic Christmas and you can have it dressed like Clark but hopefully without the Christmas tree burning down.
It’s Not Just The Dinosaur Pj’s – Get Your Matching Family Christmas Vacation Set
While Clark Griswold’s pajamas are famous and he is the patriarch of the family it is all of the characters that make the movie extra special.
Clark Griswold is played by Chevy Chase
His Wife Ellen Griswold is played by Beverly D’Angelo
Daughter Audrey – Juliette Lewis
Son Russ – Johnny Galecki
Clark’s father, Clark – John Randolph
Clark’s mother, Nora – Dianne Ladd
Ellen’s father, Art – E.G. Marshall
Ellen’s mother, Frances – Doris Roberts
Ellen’s cousin, Catherine Johnson – Miriam Flynn
Catherine’s husband, Eddie Johnson – Randy Quaid
Eddie and Catherine’s son, Rocky – Cody Burger
Eddie and Catherine’s daughter, Ruby Sue – Ellen Hamilton Latzen
Clark’s Uncle, Lewis – William Hickey
Clark’s Aunt, Bethany – Mae Questral
Clark’s co-worker, Bill – Sam McMurray
The yuppie neighbor, Todd Chester – Nicholas Guest
Yuppie neighbor, Margo Chester – Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Clark’s boss, Frank Shirley – Brian Doyle-Murray
Frank’s wife, Helen Shirley – Natalia Nogulich
Lingerie counter clerk, Mary – Nicolette Scorsese
Lead SWAT Officer – Alexander Folk
Add in Snots the dog and the squirrel and you have a whole host of people that are part of a puzzle that makes this movie so enjoyable. Who can forget the counter seen, where Clark says what happened? It’s a bit nipply out followed by Mary saying Can I take something out for you? And then Clark proceeding to try and get out of saying he had a log. Only a small scene from the actress playing Mary but just another that makes the movie so funny.
You Serious Clark Pajamas
As we mentioned it is the whole cast that makes the movie special and one scene at the dinner table has Clark telling the kids that Santa has been spotted, cousin Eddie’s reply is “You Serious Clark?” Those words have been taken and added to a set of pajamas. They come as a matching family holiday set all with You Serious Clark printed on the front.
Others include:
- sh*tters full one piece suit or onesie and also available in just pants.
- Don’t hog the nog two piece pajama set
- Griswold family Christmas shirt with car and tree image
- Jelly of the month club shirt
Clark Griwold Hockey Jersey
Another famous piece of clothing worn by Chevy Chase during the movie. This is a Chicago Blackhawks hockey jersey with Griswold 00 printed on the back. Clark wears this jersey coming down to breakfast before avoiding the bickering table and looking out the window. Cousin Eddie is emptying his chemical toilet into the storm sewer and voices the famous words, sh*tter was full.
Tell Your Night Before Christmas Story To The Family While Wearing Them
There is a scene in the movie where Clark tells The night before Christmas story to everyone as a part of their Christmas tradition. Up until this year it appears as though Clark’s father told it but now it is his turn. This is a wonderful Christmas tradition and one that could be started by your family.
On Christmas Eve you could all dress in your matching Griswold pajamas or the reader in Clark’s dinosaur pajamas and tell the story. Having traditions at Christmas makes it all so special, especially for children who will look forward to all the different things you usually do on the build up to the big day.
They in turn uphold the same traditions with their families and perhaps add new ones. All of these small details are what are remembered through the years and looked back on with fondness. They really make Christmas truely special and almost every family has something they always do each year. For children the countdown to Christmas day seems so long and having those times together doing whatever traditions you have that occur every year seem to help pass the time quicker.
Perhaps this year you go full Griswold, get the story book out and have the eggnog ready but perhaps leave the squirrel outside and definitely don’t burn down the tree. Thank you to the Griswold family and the National Lampoon Christmas Vacation movie for adding its own special identity to Christmas and watching it on Christmas Eve, one of our family Christmas traditions.
