It's been 30 years since National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation hit theaters and it's safe to say it's a cinematic staple come Christmas time. The hilarious holiday-themed movie revolved around the Griswolds' Christmas. With unexpected family members showing up, Christmas lights not working, and wild animals, this Warner Bros. film had everything to make fans squeal with laughter.
We see Clark Griswold eager to celebrate the holidays and tries to get his wife and two kids in the Christmas spirit. But once his extended family members come to stay with them, his holiday cheer slowly starts to fade, creating a hilariously stressed Clark. The film now has a cult-following after making over $70 million in the box office. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, we're taking a look back at 10 things fans may not have known about the film.
Updated on December 10th, 2022 by Aya Tsintziras: Fans like rewatching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation during the festive season. While audiences are familiar with the hilarious mishaps and memorable quotes from the Griswold family's disaster of a holiday, there are many behind-the-scenes facts that they will want to know about. From an earthquake that happened during shooting to a scene that Johnny Galecki decided that he wouldn't want to film, learning about the making of this beloved movie is just as entertaining as watching it over and over.
There Was An Earthquake During Shooting
There are many moments in Christmas Vacation that fans won't forget, especially since many people love rewatching this film each holiday. While it's fun seeing how wild this holiday season is for the Griswolds, it's also great when their other relatives come over, as that creates some hilarious conflict.
One of the most memorable scenes is when Uncle Lois and Aunt Bethany visit the Griswold home. According to Good Housekeeping, there was an earthquake during the shooting of this scene.
Johnny Galecki Didn't Want To Shoot A Certain Scene
Johnny Galecki, who played the young Griswold son Rusty, was meant to shoot a scene where he and Clark became emotional when speaking to each other. Galecki explained that he felt that the scene wouldn't make it into the final product so he decided not to shoot it.
According to CafeMom, Galecki explained, "I literally talked myself out of what could have been a classic scene with Chevy Chase. I realize the error of my ways. I still kick myself ... for this everyday." It's fascinating to hear about this as this would have added a bit more emotion into what is a very funny film.
Chevy Chase Broke His Finger
Many awful things happen to Clark in Christmas Vacation. All he wants is to celebrate the holidays with his family and it feels like he keeps getting obstacles and problems in return.
In an unforgettable scene, Clark is upset that his Christmas lights aren't working. It turns out that the actor broke his finger while he was shooting this moment, according to E! News.
A Sweet Family Connection
Right before Ellen and Clark's parents show up, we see Rusty chilling on the couch watching It's A Wonderful Life. The 1946 movie is a classic and teaches the true meaning of life and Christmas.
Something that fans of the movie may not have realized is that It's a Wonderful Life was directed by Frank Capra and his grandson (who has the same name), Frank Capra III, was the assistant director of Christmas Vacation. Not only does directing run in this family's veins but showing Rusty watching It's a Wonderful Life was a small nod to the Capras.
The Movie Is Adapted From A John Hughes Story
The best John Hughes movies are about the troubles of growing up and young adulthood. Some of them, like the iconic Home Alone, are about family. According to Mental Floss, Christmas Vacation is adapted from a short story that Hughes wrote.
Hughes penned the story “Christmas ’59” for National Lampoon, and it was published in December of 1980. Fans can read Hughes's first story about the quirky, chaotic family in The Hollywood Reporter.
Leonardo DiCaprio Could Have Played Rusty
Galecki gives a great performance as innocent Rusty. He's 12 years old and wants to be there for his dad in making the holidays as special and wonderful as possible. He's known for the moment when Clark tries to put lights up and Rusty tries to assist him. It turns out that another actor could have played this role.
According to Cinemablend.com, Leonardo DiCaprio was in the running for the role. The casting director, Heidi Levitt, explained that DiCaprio "wasn't goofy enough."
Does That Cover Star Look Familiar?
After an outdoor winter adventure looking for the perfect family Christmas tree, Clark and Ellen finally lay down for the night. The couple is lying in bed talking while Clark is leafing through the pages of People magazine. Funny enough, the person on the front cover is Jeremiah Chechik, the director of Christmas Vacation.
Jeremiah's face being on the front cover is a cool shoutout to the director but we can't help but laugh at Clark's sap-filled fingers as he tries to look through this magazine.
Chevy Sure Did Love That Hat
Christmas Vacation is set in an adorable Chicago suburb. In the film, Clark is wearing a navy blue Chicago Bears hat when he's outside doing yard work.
Funny enough, if fans watch the other Vacation movies prior to Christmas Vacation (National Lampoon's European Vacation and Vacation), Clark is wearing the same hat. This is a fun continuity perk to keep in mind when binging all the Vacation movies.
Getting Handsy Paid Off
When Eddie learns that his brother Clark was never given the proper Chrismas bonus that he was intended, he decides to get even by kidnapping Clark's boss, Frank. Clark was clearly upset and was planning a very expensive pool project with his bonus money. To make sure Clark's Christmas was fulfilled, Eddie kidnapped his boss and brought him to the Griswolds so Clark could give him a piece of his mind.
As the police are breaking down doors and busting windows to save Frank, they yell "freeze!" to everyone in the home. Ellen comically freezes with one hand on Clark's crotch. As it turns out, Beverly D'Angelo (Ellen) improvised this movement in just one take as it wasn't planned. And the take that the editing team chose ended up being the one where Ellen is hilariously grabbing her husband's privates.
A Christmas Movie With No Christmas Day
Christmas Vacation is one of the best Christmas movies. Did fans realize that this entire movie is about the joy of Christmas and yet there is no Christmas Day filmed on camera?! The movie ends with this family celebrating their Christmas Eve but the morning after is never actually seen.
Then again, all the ups and downs and the action happened before Christmas Day but we can never get enough of the Griswolds! Hopefully, their Christmas Day dinner turned out better than their Christmas Eve dinner.
How Long Has Eddie Been Out Of Work Now?
Eddie and his wife Catherine show up to Clark and Ellen's uninvited with their two kids, dog, and trailer. They're a hilarious spoof on a trailer park family with the entire family looking a little dirty (and their son having a mullet).
As the Griswolds become re-acquainted with Eddie and co., they realize that they don't have enough money to get their kids Christmas presents that year. This would make Christmas Day extremely awkward, with everyone opening gifts except for them. Clark learns that Eddie has been out of work for seven years, which actually adds up to the movie Vacation (released six years prior) when we see Eddie lose his job at the asbestos factory! Now that's some dedication to continuing the Griswolds' life moments.
Discontinued Beer
Speaking of Eddie, he's a man who loves his beer (and spiked eggnog, for that matter). He's typically seen throughout the film with either a cigarette, a drink, or food in his hand.
In one of the scenes, Clark's neighbors see Eddie emptying his septic tank into the drainage system. He's wearing nothing but a bathrobe, a hat, and drinking a beer. And just in case anyone was curious, the beer he's drinking is Meister Brau, which is actually no longer around. In 2016, the beer brand had been sold and no longer available for consumption.
Why The Name Change?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was the third movie in the franchise. The first was 1983's Vacation, followed by 1985's National Lampoon's European Vacation.
In the first two films, the Griswold name was spelled with an "a" (Griswald). However, by the third movie (Christmas Vacation), they changed the spelling from Griswald to Griswold.
The Lingerie Saleswoman And The Woman In The Pool Are The Same
Clark wasn't just fantasizing about a beautiful woman swimming in his future pool, he was fantasizing about the lingerie saleswoman, Mary, swimming in his pool! This is one of the most memorable Christmas Vacation moments.
Earlier that day, Clark and Rusty head to the mall to get some Christmas shopping done when Clark becomes enthralled with the woman at the lingerie counter. He loses his train of thought and tells her that he and his wife are divorced, while she continues to show him some sexy underwear. He finds out her name is Mary and later dreams of her swimming in his family pool.
That Dreaded Newel Post
Throughout the movie, we see Clark and Ellen annoyed at their staircase's newel post. It wasn't screwed on tightly and kept wiggling every time someone grabbed it. With the holidays not exactly going as smoothly as Clark would have liked, he slowly starts to lose his mind and his patience. As he's holding a chainsaw, he decides to knock off the newel post entirely instead of just screwing it tighter.
Later in the movie when the Griswolds discover a squirrel living in their tree, the entire family screams with fear and runs by the staircase. However, eagle-eyed viewers will notice that the newel post is back on.