National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Mike S

  
  There's no Christmas that goes by without me watching this at least once. I've seen it so many times now, yet it's still as side-splitting as ever. Not only do we all have something we can relate to in it, but it's also the perfect marriage between slapstick and… More
  There's no Christmas that goes by without me watching this at least once. I've seen it so many times now, yet it's still as side-splitting as ever. Not only do we all have something we can relate to in it, but it's also the perfect marriage between slapstick and the more intelligent kind of humor. It's my hands-down favourite "Vacation" movie, and also one of my top 3 beloved Christmas flicks, along with Home Alone 1 & 2. From the cat that gets burned into the rug to the white trash antics of Cousin Eddie, there's so much to love about this film that you'll keep coming back for more. A must-see for the holiday season, whether you're a Chevy Chase fan or not.

• Melvin W

  
  Ellen: I don't know what to say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery.  "Yule crack up!" Christmas Vacation has been one of my favorite Christmas films since I was five or six. When I was little, I watched the movie so many times that the VHS broke.… More
  Ellen: I don't know what to say, except it's Christmas and we're all in misery.  "Yule crack up!" Christmas Vacation has been one of my favorite Christmas films since I was five or six. When I was little, I watched the movie so many times that the VHS broke. Now, I still watch it every year and it still has the same appeal for me that it did when I was a kid. It still presents a funny and great portrayal of the Christmas holidays, where family comes together and even if it ends in disaster, it's Christmas, so act happy. Clarke Griswold has his entire family at his house for a good old fashioned family Christmas. There are endless slapstick scenes and nothing that Clarke does goes right. There's a cat that is burned alive, a squirrel that terrorizes the family and an over done turkey, to name a few of the things that go wrong. Still, Clarke tries to fight through it and make a good Christmas for his family. This, to me, is still the definitive Christmas comedy. It is a classic and while movies like Elf can be mentioned when talking about the best of the Christmas comedies, this is still king. It mixes dumb slapstick with holiday symbols very well. The greatest example of this to me is when Clarke takes his family to get a tree and when they get there they don't have a saw. So he has to dig it up, roots and all.  While it isn't great filmmaking, it is fun holiday entertainment. Chevy Chase isn't an actor, but an entertainer. While, he only had a few good movies in his career, this one stands out as the best in my opinion. He is helped by a good supporting cast of characters. You got to love Grandma reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at the dinner table when she is supposed to say grace. Audrey: Would it be indecent to ask the grandparents to stay at a hotel? 

• Jeff "

  
  For me, Christmas Vacation is a flawless Holiday classic. This is a brilliant, funny film that is a must see holiday film. Christmas Vacation is one of the few films that is still worth watching year after year during the Christmas season. The comedy bits here are very funny, and most… More
  For me, Christmas Vacation is a flawless Holiday classic. This is a brilliant, funny film that is a must see holiday film. Christmas Vacation is one of the few films that is still worth watching year after year during the Christmas season. The comedy bits here are very funny, and most importantly memorable. Christmas Vacation has all the key ingredients for a classic holiday film, and the film works well at bringing on the laughs. Chevy Chase delivers his funniest performance in this film, and the rest of the cast, especially Randy Quaid are simply memorable, very funny and is what makes this film simply one of the best Holiday films that I've seen. Christmas Vacation is the type of film that you can rewatch and the comedy elements still remain fresh. What makes this such a timeless film is the fact that showcases a point of which many people dread=spending the Christmas season with family. I think that's the main reason why this film succeeds at being a good comedy, that, and the fact that the film is brilliantly written by John Hughes. Christmas Vacation is a great film that is very funny. As far as Holiday films are concerned, Christmas Vacation remains one of the best films that you can watch. A well acted film with memorable comedic moments that definitely make this film a must see classic film that is impossible not to like.

• Alexander D

  
  The Vacationers have taken a brave turn in their series, as CHRISTMAS VACATION is still as farcical as the last two (VACATION and EUROPEAN VACATION), but the first one <i>not</i> to be a road movie. In fact, if you believe that "vacation" is definitively travel,… More
  The Vacationers have taken a brave turn in their series, as CHRISTMAS VACATION is still as farcical as the last two (VACATION and EUROPEAN VACATION), but the first one <i>not</i> to be a road movie. In fact, if you believe that "vacation" is definitively travel, then this maybe should be called "National Lampoon's Christmas Staycation", to use a pun-esque portmanteau meaning a holiday spent staying at home, and also to mislead far less viewers and fans. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION is a considerable improvement from EUROPEAN VACATION (the dumbest one of the series until 1997's VEGAS VACATION), but it still isn't as good as the original VACATION (it's been considered by many the best road comedy of all-time!). Within the last few years, I've made a tradition of watching this film every Christmas Eve. It's just that good: it has the spirit, the laughs, and between '89 (its release) and 2011, there hasn't yet been a holiday comedy to top it. Reelz was airing this on TV on the 22nd of October of 2011 (around the time all the crazy people start their Christmas shopping), and I watched it for my fourth or fifth time. Okay, call me crazy if you wish for watching a Christmas film before Halloween or Thanksgiving has come. My excuse is that there are so many scenes in this film--Christmas or not--that are classic, and it would take at least brain surgery to forget them.

• Brad W

  
  Christmas Classic. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is at it again, this time he invites the family to his house for a family christams, but its just one mistake after another. It was as if I was watching the first Vacation, but with less vulgarity. The jokes are classic and some of… More
  Christmas Classic. Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is at it again, this time he invites the family to his house for a family christams, but its just one mistake after another. It was as if I was watching the first Vacation, but with less vulgarity. The jokes are classic and some of the best ive ever seen in a comedy film. The plot is a regular family christmas movie, and the actors are great. One of the funniest christmas films ever.

• AJ V

  
  Another hilarious movie from National Lampoon, following in the adventures of the Griswald family. This one is a Christmas classic, I watch it every year! If you haven't seen it yet, see it next Christmas, I highly recommend it.

• Cassie H

  
  The best Christmas movie ever made! Chevy Chase is too funny! :) I love this movie! :)

• Michael E

  
  the movie had some funny moments at the beginning half of the film but the movie didn't get really funny until the last 45 minutes of the film but to me its an overrated Christmas movie, that's not a bad thing but i just think it has too much praise

• Jason C

  
  This is another classic entry in this series. To this day, I still laugh my ass off at all the dumb shit these fuckers pull. One of my favorite Christmas movies.

• Martin S

  
  No....I'm sorry....Peardad is not funny...

• Nicki M

  
  Really pushing it by this one and ceasing to be funny. I think this is actually worse than the European Vacation, and that is saying something!

• KJ P

  
  This film is incredibly hilarious!

• Tim S

  
  A Christmas classic.

• Luke B

  
  An unstoppable compilation of slapstick moments assembled to show one of the worst Christmases ever. Dead cats, annoying relatives, broken lights, are all utilised to varying degrees of funny. There are a few laugh out loud moments, but these tend to fall victim to earlier, more… More
  An unstoppable compilation of slapstick moments assembled to show one of the worst Christmases ever. Dead cats, annoying relatives, broken lights, are all utilised to varying degrees of funny. There are a few laugh out loud moments, but these tend to fall victim to earlier, more obvious attempts at humour. There's certainly nothing that can be considered memorable or witty about this film, but it's a decent enough Christmas watch.

• Anthony L

  
  This is when they started going on too many Vacations. In fact, I don't think they actually went anywhere!? A sure sign that it had had its day.

• Jason O

  
  Clark Griswold and his family are going to have a different sort of vacation in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." For one vacation in their life, they are not going to do any traveling. Nope, the Griswolds are just going to have a good old time (they wish!) with… More
  Clark Griswold and his family are going to have a different sort of vacation in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." For one vacation in their life, they are not going to do any traveling. Nope, the Griswolds are just going to have a good old time (they wish!) with their family, as they all come to the Griswolds' house to celebrate the best holiday of the year. I'm a big fan of the National Lampoon series and especially of comedy movies. I have to say, Chevy Chase is one of the best comedy actors of all time, and he does what is perhaps his best performance ever (in my opinion), in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Like you would expect it to be, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is brimming over with nonstop laughs. Whether the Griswolds and their hectic family members are being terrified by a squirrel, or whether Clark Griswold is up to his usual clumsy antics, this movie is hilarious to say the least. If you're a fan of comedy movies AT ALL, and especially if you like Christmas movies, I 101% recommend purchasing "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Without a doubt, it is one of the best Christmas comedies ever made. It's a classic that you and your family will want to watch every Christmas for years, decades, and generations to come. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. One of the best Christmas movies and comedies, ever.

• Cassandra M

  
  My Christmas is filled with ritual, as I guess most people's are. Part of that ritual is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, about which I have nothing but good things to say. This should be part of your Holiday season too, because despite it not seeming like it all the… More
  My Christmas is filled with ritual, as I guess most people's are. Part of that ritual is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, about which I have nothing but good things to say. This should be part of your Holiday season too, because despite it not seeming like it all the way through, the film as a whole is just so thoroughly festive, cheery and good-hearted. It opens with a great set-piece, Clark taking his family out in the "front-wheel drive sleigh" to dig their Christmas tree out of the snow-covered ground. He's a desperate loser, but you have to love the guy, working his butt off to give his extended family the perfect Christmas. (That's the difference in this Vacation movie, by the way - the Griswolds don't go anywhere, their folks come to them). So the shenanigans finding a tree set the pattern for a season of chaos, fighting in-laws, squirrels, stupid relatives, huge dogs, snooty neighbours and collapsing turkeys. And as if that wasn't stress enough for poor Clark, he's waiting for his Christmas bonus to come through to cover a cheque he's already written. The script brims with festive jollity, enthusing the audience with Clark's excitement for the holidays. Stand out moments include the welcome (and hilarious) return of Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie, the uber-hick sponger with a trailer-full of weirdo kids and rubber sheets, and Mae Questel's appearance as Aunt Bethany. She used to voice Betty Boo, and plays the crazy old woman to perfection. See this movie. Get it on video. I normally watch it the first time on a miserable October Sunday, when I start to think properly about Christmas. Nothing can replace this movie as the one thing guaranteed to get me looking forward to late December. Fabulous stuff, and as festive for me as tinsel and carols. Cuddle up with this one.

• Phil H

  
  This is the weakest of the three but its still a very good Xmas comedy, probably the best ever really. It hits all the right notes and cliches but cos its part of the Griswald series and has chase hamming it up it wins. It has a nice animated section at the start credits and continues… More
  This is the weakest of the three but its still a very good Xmas comedy, probably the best ever really. It hits all the right notes and cliches but cos its part of the Griswald series and has chase hamming it up it wins. It has a nice animated section at the start credits and continues with some great slapstick and dialog throughout. The Xmas dinner, the house lights (copied by many now) the squirrel in the tree, cutting down the tree, the snobbish neighbours, cousin Eddie etc, the best Xmas flick around really.

• Brian D

  
  If the cat had 9 lifes he sure spreaded them all.....class

• Coxxie M

  
  i have to watch this every christmas AND thanksgiving with my mom. thaks mom.

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