Editor Review

The National Lampoon have always been an American attempt to match the English comedy giants The Monty Python. To me they never quite did live up to those highest of high standards, although they made some huge stars and great films in their attempts. One of those great films is the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, featuring one of the Lampoon's biggest comedy names, Chevy Chase.

Chevy chase stars as Clark Griswold, who leads the Griswold family in overenthusiastic fashion as they search for the Griswold Family Christmas Tree. With their first Christmas at home in years, they must face the shenanigans that ensue when their extended family turns up unannounced on their doorstep. The film relies on many physical gags, which Chase gets the brunt of, and many character traits that are less than ideal, such as deaf, insufferable and fungus-infected.

Chase is, as ever, on top form with his unique style of smiling-to-cover-up-the-despair humour, and no scene better represents this than at the dinner table, when he reacts to the more or less evaporated turkey with; "Ok, it's just a little dry, it's fine." Randy Quaid also gives a great performance as the Griswolds' cousin, Eddie Johnson, is convincing in his obnoxious and ignorant of anything outside of his own backwards lifestyle. He apparently took some behavioural traits, such as the clicking of his tongue, from a man he grew up with in Texas.

We once again see the comedy guru John Hughes penning this Christmas film, a strong trend at this stage (with Home Alone and Miracle on 34th Street also Hughes' films), and he once again nails the accessible family comedy that he made a name in.

The National Lampoon began as a comedy magazine, which, under its brand umbrella went on to spawn films, radio, live theatre and all kinds of recordings and books. The big name actors involved were Bill Murray, John Belushi, and of course, Chase, who gained much of their acclaim through the Saturday Night Live sketch comedy show. Christmas Vacation was the only National Lampoon film to have a direct sequel - the direct-to-video National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure - but stick with the original and feel lucky about your family this Christmas.

Fun Fact:

The Griswold's neighbor's house is the same house that Murtaugh and his family lived in all of the Lethal Weapon movies. The houses on this street are on the Warner Brothers Studios back lot.

 

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