Family Matters
After a US vacation and a European trip, for their third outing the Griswold clan opted to spend the holidays at home…
It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street, Holiday Inn, Meet Me In St Louis… when you think of timeless, classic films that really encapsulate the spirit of Christmas, in my opinion it is none of these bore-athons. There really is only one choice. And it’s one with Chevy Chase, 25,000 dodgy Italian twinkle lights, a naughty squirrel and a sled greased with an experimental kitchen lubricant – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
It’s not really surprising if the film hasn’t blipped on your radar and made it onto your must-watch Crimble list as it wasn’t even released at the cinema in the UK, receiving a “Video premiere” in November 1990, a year after it hit theatres in the US. I remember this vividly as it was the first video I reviewed for the magazine I was working on at the time (teen pop mag Big! “All the Stars! All the Action!”). I had been sent a preview tape, which I nearly wore out the reels of showing to everyone on repeat as I was convinced it was the funniest Christmas movie ever. I would play the John Hughes penned film to friends and family, excitedly watching their reaction as the Griswold family cat chewed on the Christmas tree lights, getting spectacularly electrocuted.
On reflection it perhaps isn’t the funniest Christmas movie ever. Not even close. But there is something joyous and relatable about a family besieged by irritating in-laws, who receive rubbish presents, find the biggest tree to fit in their house (or not in the Griswold’s case, as the branches smash through their lounge window) and dramatically overcook the turkey. It’s the one film I’ll put on every year when the mince pies start appearing, because at the end of the day all dad Clark Griswold wants is a perfect family Christmas. Don’t we all?
