The Are You Ready For A Christmas Laugh...Again" Story

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation.

It was an ordinary day.  Anxious to get together with family members and watch one of my all-time favorite movies; National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  It was 30 years ago that the Griswold Family spent Christmas at home, and we've been laughing ever since.  "Christmas Vacation" opened on the big screen on December 1, 1989.  Chevy Chase, who played Clark Griswold in the lead role, is more Clark than he is Chevy when I look at him now.  Every time I watch the movie, which is every year at this time, I still laugh more than I do at most shows.  To our family it has become a modern holiday classic.  So, when I had a chance to view some of the fun facts behind the film online, I made sure I was ready to laugh.  The writer/director of the film, John Hughes, started as a writer for the magazine "National Lampoon", which shortly after it's success with it's magazine, broke into the film-producing business with equal success.  1979's "National Lampoon Animal House" began a string of big screen success stories.  Hughes's first story for the magazine was "Vacation '58" which was a tale that became the basis for the first "Vacation" film.  "Christmas Vacation" was based on another Hughes' "Lampoon" piece titled "Christmas '59".

The Griswold Family hosts Christmas dinner.

For those that may've never watched one of the "Vacation" films, the Griswolds are the central family.  Husband Clark and wife Ellen were played by Chevy Chase and Beverly D"Angelo since the start of the series.  Son and daughter  have been played by different actors due to the age requirements.  Johnny Galecki, one of the stars in Big Bang Theory, was one of the children in Christmas Vacation.  One strange fact about the movie is that there was never a soundtrack released on CD.  A limited CD, which was sold at Six Flags Magic Mountain, is now bringing big bucks today.  A few of the neat songs in the film are the Hawaiian Christmas Song "Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters "The Spirit of Christmas" by Ray Charles, and "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Gene Autry.  A few others in the movie that are my favorites is Cousin Eddie played by Randy Quaid and wife Catherine played by Miriam Flynn.  But, for me, the movie wouldn't have been the success it was had it not been for Chevy Chase who was at one time a member of the original Saturday Night Live cast.  Clark Griswold make the movie with his 'if anything can go wrong, it will" acting.  At times I look at the movie and think...that could have been my family at one time had the circumstances been the same.  Especially the scene where the squirrel gets chased by the dog.  We had most of those critters in our house at one time or another.  Well, if you get a chance this holiday season, watch "Christmas Vacation".  You'll love the film!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.