Christmas Vacation
4/4
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johhny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Mae Questal, William Hickey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest, Brian Doyle Murray
Rated PG-13 for Language and Crude Humor (I guess...)
When it comes to Christmas movies, I am not in the majority. I find "It's a Wonderful Life" boring, and "Miracle on 34th Street" overly melodramatic, even for a genre where schmaltz is encouraged. For me, the ultimate Christmas movie is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," the third adventure of the Griswold family (and quite frankly, the only one in the series worth watching). It's a tradition at my house, and no matter how old I get, I don't see that changing.
Every comedy has jokes that don't work, especially saturation comedies like this one. It's only natural; the characters and the style of the humor can only be milked so often and for so long, and with a ninety minute time slot, that's a lot of time to fill. Even "Borat" had its duds. Not here. Every joke works. Every. Single. One. Every shot is either setting up a joke, or more frequently, getting a laugh. Not just a subconscious, internal laugh like in "The Office" or "Cedar Rapids." Full on, gut busting laugh-till-it hurts comedy. And director Jeremiah S. Chechik doesn't forget to develop his characters, which helps substantially. From frame one of the little cartoon at the beginning, I was laughing my ass off.
Clark Griswold (Chase) is an everyman who has overdosed on sentiment. His dream is to have his whole family at his house for Christmas. He gets his wish, but his wishful thinking has blinded him to the potential (not to mention probable) enforcement of Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, does. Now Clark, his supporting but exasperated wife Ellen (D'Angelo) and the rest of the family are praying that they'll make it to December 26 with their lives, if not their sanity.
Most Christmas movies overdose on schmaltz and sentimentality. It's only natural, considering that this is the holiday that is all about good tidings and cheer. "Christmas Vacation" is different. Instead of over-the-top feel-good melodrama, it reminds us of all the mishaps and mayhem that always happens during the holidays. And because Chechik exaggerates it to astronomical proportions (the lengths he takes the gags must be seen to be believed), it becomes hilarious rather than uncomfortable like some indie black comedies that critics seem to adore but audiences looking for a good laugh out loud comedy end up hating.
Chevy Chase is the ideal man to play Clark. He plays him with such earnestness and goodness that it's hard not to feel for the guy, but not so much that we can't laugh when everything explodes in his face. He widens his eyes for comic effect when he goes loco, and he has a great grasp of physical comedy. Beverly D'Angelo is also very good as the "straight man," so to speak. She loves her husband, but she knows better than anyone that everything he tries to do ends up being an utter disaster. Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis play their kids, Rusty and Audrey. John Randolph and Diane Ladd play Clark's parents Clark Sr and Nora (Randolph has a wonderful scene when he gives Clark encouragement when he desperately needs it), while E.G. Marshall and Doris Roberts play Frances and Art, Ellen's parents. Rounding out the cast are Randy Quaid (who is absolutely hysterical) and Miriam Flynn as the well-meaning but dim-witted Cousin Eddie and his wife Catherine. Also on hand are Mae Questal and William Hickey as Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis, neither of whom have all of their faculties (Bethany in particular). Finally, there's Nicholas Guest and a pre-"Seinfeld" Juila Louis-Dreyfus as Clark's snotty Yuppie neighbors.
"Christmas Vacation" works because it pokes fun at human foibles and reminds us that we're not the only ones who have vacations where nothing seems to go right. It's not just you and me that have to deal with the squabbling in-laws and the senile relatives, or the stress of having so many people under one roof.
Jeremiah S. Chechick (working from a script by future "Home Alone" bard John Hughes) crafts one hilarious scene after another, all of which are easy for everyone to relate to. From the picking of the (way too big) Christmas tree to Clark flirting with the hot lingerie saleswoman, it's one laugh aloud scene after another. You don't get that anywhere else.
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johhny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, Randy Quaid, Miriam Flynn, Mae Questal, William Hickey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicholas Guest, Brian Doyle Murray
Rated PG-13 for Language and Crude Humor (I guess...)
When it comes to Christmas movies, I am not in the majority. I find "It's a Wonderful Life" boring, and "Miracle on 34th Street" overly melodramatic, even for a genre where schmaltz is encouraged. For me, the ultimate Christmas movie is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," the third adventure of the Griswold family (and quite frankly, the only one in the series worth watching). It's a tradition at my house, and no matter how old I get, I don't see that changing.
Every comedy has jokes that don't work, especially saturation comedies like this one. It's only natural; the characters and the style of the humor can only be milked so often and for so long, and with a ninety minute time slot, that's a lot of time to fill. Even "Borat" had its duds. Not here. Every joke works. Every. Single. One. Every shot is either setting up a joke, or more frequently, getting a laugh. Not just a subconscious, internal laugh like in "The Office" or "Cedar Rapids." Full on, gut busting laugh-till-it hurts comedy. And director Jeremiah S. Chechik doesn't forget to develop his characters, which helps substantially. From frame one of the little cartoon at the beginning, I was laughing my ass off.
Clark Griswold (Chase) is an everyman who has overdosed on sentiment. His dream is to have his whole family at his house for Christmas. He gets his wish, but his wishful thinking has blinded him to the potential (not to mention probable) enforcement of Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, does. Now Clark, his supporting but exasperated wife Ellen (D'Angelo) and the rest of the family are praying that they'll make it to December 26 with their lives, if not their sanity.
Most Christmas movies overdose on schmaltz and sentimentality. It's only natural, considering that this is the holiday that is all about good tidings and cheer. "Christmas Vacation" is different. Instead of over-the-top feel-good melodrama, it reminds us of all the mishaps and mayhem that always happens during the holidays. And because Chechik exaggerates it to astronomical proportions (the lengths he takes the gags must be seen to be believed), it becomes hilarious rather than uncomfortable like some indie black comedies that critics seem to adore but audiences looking for a good laugh out loud comedy end up hating.
Chevy Chase is the ideal man to play Clark. He plays him with such earnestness and goodness that it's hard not to feel for the guy, but not so much that we can't laugh when everything explodes in his face. He widens his eyes for comic effect when he goes loco, and he has a great grasp of physical comedy. Beverly D'Angelo is also very good as the "straight man," so to speak. She loves her husband, but she knows better than anyone that everything he tries to do ends up being an utter disaster. Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis play their kids, Rusty and Audrey. John Randolph and Diane Ladd play Clark's parents Clark Sr and Nora (Randolph has a wonderful scene when he gives Clark encouragement when he desperately needs it), while E.G. Marshall and Doris Roberts play Frances and Art, Ellen's parents. Rounding out the cast are Randy Quaid (who is absolutely hysterical) and Miriam Flynn as the well-meaning but dim-witted Cousin Eddie and his wife Catherine. Also on hand are Mae Questal and William Hickey as Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis, neither of whom have all of their faculties (Bethany in particular). Finally, there's Nicholas Guest and a pre-"Seinfeld" Juila Louis-Dreyfus as Clark's snotty Yuppie neighbors.
"Christmas Vacation" works because it pokes fun at human foibles and reminds us that we're not the only ones who have vacations where nothing seems to go right. It's not just you and me that have to deal with the squabbling in-laws and the senile relatives, or the stress of having so many people under one roof.
Jeremiah S. Chechick (working from a script by future "Home Alone" bard John Hughes) crafts one hilarious scene after another, all of which are easy for everyone to relate to. From the picking of the (way too big) Christmas tree to Clark flirting with the hot lingerie saleswoman, it's one laugh aloud scene after another. You don't get that anywhere else.
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