History Film / NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation

** The snooty yuppie neighbors, Todd and Margo, eschew a Christmas tree -- and, apparently, the holiday itself -- on the grounds that it's "dirty and messy and corny and clichéd".

* BerserkButton: When Clark finds out that [[spoiler:instead of a check his Christmas bonus is a year-long membership to the Jelly of the Month club]], he [[{{Understatement}}does not take it well.]]

* BerserkButton: When Clark finds out that [[spoiler:instead of a check his Christmas bonus is a year-long membership to the Jelly of the Month club]], he does not take it well.

* AtomicFBomb: Clark's rant against his boss after his BerserkButton is pushed. "Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?"
** Especially notable since said rant doesn't contain one actual F-bomb.

* BigEater: Snots the dog and cousin Eddie.

* CrappyHolidays: That might be an understatement for Clark.
* CringeComedy: As usual.

** Margo orders Tom to go over to the Griswolds and slug Clark for his antics. Tom refuses, saying he just "can't attack a man".

* CoolOldGuy: Clark's dad, Clark Griswold Sr.

** Averted in the UK release, where this line was dubbed over with "Danny DANCING Kaye". This was a mandatory cut for the film to get a PG rating, [[TropesAreNotBad allowing a much wider audience to see it]]. [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar The UK Blu-ray contains the original line, but is still a PG]].

Clark has decided to host nearly his entire extended family at his house for the holiday season, including his parents (John Randolph and Diane Ladd), his in-laws (E. G. Marshall and Doris Roberts), his crotchety Uncle Lewis (William Hickey) and senile Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel, in her final role), and his possibly-inbred cousin-in-law Eddie (Randy Quaid). Meanwhile, he's counting on a large Christmas bonus from his boss (Creator/BrianDoyleMurray) to help pay for his surprise present for the family: a backyard swimming pool. As can be expected, everything [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes horribly wrong]] in the most [[HilarityEnsues hilarious manner possible]].

* MoodWhiplash: Just when we were about to close the movie off with a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}} of all heartwarming moments, Uncle Lewis [[LiteralMetaphor blows it all up in flames (literally)]] by saying:

* Eek,AMouse: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burns down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wants to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tries to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots eats the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she enters the front door. "Gone", calmly says Clark right afterwards.

* EekaMouse: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* Eek,aMouse!!: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* EekaMouse!!: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* Eek,aMouse!!: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* Eek a Mouse!!: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* Eek, a Mouse!!: After Uncle Lewis accidentally burned down Clark Griswold's Christmas tree from chain-smoking cigars, Clark desperately wanted to continue to have a perfect family Christmas by chopping down a pine tree in his own front yard, smashing his neighbor's window in the process. Unfortunately... things turn out worse with a squirrel (not a mouse) popping out of the new tree, scaring everyone throughout the house. Clark Griswold tried to catch it in his Santa coat and smack it with a hammer. But in the end, Cousin Eddie's Rottweiler Snots ate the squirrel, right on the angry neighbor Margo's collar, as soon as she entered the front door. "Gone", calmly said Clark right afterward.

* MsFanservice: Mary, the buxom brunette sales clerk at the lingerie counter ([[spoiler:who shows up again in Clark's FantasySequence]]), is played by model and former ''Magazine/{{Playboy}}'' Playmate [[http://coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/lauraleighptiag15.jpg%3Fw%25253D600 Nicolette Scorsese]] (who, in case you're wondering, is ''not'' related to Creator/MartinScorsese).

-->'''Ellen:''' Clark, we're stuck under a truck!
-->'''Clark:''' Do you honestly think that I don't know that?!

-->'''Eddie:''' I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.
-->'''Clark:''' Do you really think it matters, Eddie?

* CallBack: The prayer Ellen says when Clark drives the car under the tractor trailer bed is similar to the one she said when Clark left the dead aunt at her destination in ''Vacation''.