If I was ever forced to inhabit a deserted island that came equipped with a VCR, this is the one movie I'd choose to take with me. Of all the National Lampoon Vacation Movies, this one is my favorite, just edging out the original. We all walk around the house quoting lines from these movies. In fact, my son's first sentence was "It is gooo-ood, Clark. Load me up again!"

All right, maybe I'm stretching it just a bit, but this is a great movie. Most people view Christmas as a time of more than a little stress and can relate to the Griswold's quest to have the "most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever." Clark takes insanity to a whole new level, but you can't help but love him. After all, don't you know someone who has some frighteningly similar personality quirks? During our annual viewing, my family sits around and raises its collective eyebrows at parts that remind us of another member in attendance. For instance, when Clark insists that all of the grandparents stay at their house instead of a hotel, we all sneak looks at my father.

The movie came out in 1989, and you will recognize many of the faces that grace the screen. Of course, Chevy Chase is brilliant as Clark Griswold and Beverly D'Angelo is his lovely wife, Ellen. With every movie there are different Russ' and Audrey's and in this one they are played by Juliette Lewis and the guy who plays David on Roseanne. Randy Quaid is the indomitable Cousin Eddie. He should have won a Golden Globe for this character. His children, like Clark's, change with each movie. The next door neighbor is played by Julia Louis Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame.

The story begins with Clark dragging the family out to the middle of nowhere to cut down a Christmas tree in a typically over-the-top fashion. No tree lot is good enough for him. After almost killing them in the car on the way over, they trek through the snowy woods to find the perfect tree. After Ellen informs Clark that Audrey's eyelids are frozen, Clark responds "It's all part of the experience, hon."

Hilarity ensues as Clark is involved in one mishap after another. Clark drapes his house with 25,000 lights, only to plug them in to find they do not work. He gets trapped in the attic while hiding Christmas presents and is forced to put on old woman's clothes to keep warm. Clark takes a ride on a snow-saucer at breakneck speed that ends in the Walmart parking lot. The list goes on and on; you simply have to see this movie to understand the magic of Chevy Chase.

Another reason that I adore this movie is that it's chock-full of quotes. This is a quirk of my own family; we walk around quoting movie lines in appropriate settings in our own life. For instance, when we put up our own Christmas tree this year, my husband said, in the spirit of Clark himself "Little full, lots of sap!"

Christmas Traditions shared with your family are one of the most important parts of a holiday. This is one of ours. If you enjoy silly humor, this is one of the all-time greats. Just so you know, even though the holiday goes through differing levels of hellishness for the Griswold family, in the end everyone makes up and realizes how important family is to them. That's the true spirit of Christmas, anyway.




Recommended: Yes