When the Griswolds demonstrate their take on the holiday season, witty lines and memorable slapstick are abound. But what makes this installment of the Vacation series rise to the classic levels of the original (and possibly above) is its poignancy— yes, it's possible for a film held together by unsubtle hit-or-miss gags to have an astute sense of emotion. What makes Clark such an enjoyable lead is how his two different dispositions are demonstrated as functioning side by side in the first half of the movie, but slowly dissolve into one another as circumstances continue to conspire against him. It's true that having the whole family together is chaotic, but the one thing that Clark actually lets get to him is the feeling of letting them down. This personal burden, which his lovable over-the-top personality doesn't allow him to carry easily, reveals just how emotional of a person he really is— a true family man. He may occasionally snag a look at Nicolette Scorsese's ass, but his heart is always in the right place.
I have a friend who considers National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation a detestable compilation of scarce, cheap, cliched laughs and absurd direction with an inability to produce sufficient heart in the wake of how little it can be taken seriously. On the other hand, I myself view Christmas Vacation as a holiday classic, with a surprisingly realistically articulated Dysfunctional Family dynamic that's not undermined by its refreshingly campy humor. Either way, this is a movie worth checking out for more than just the laughs it brings to the table— it's an opportunity to assign sincerity where one sees it fit.
It Means Something Different to Everybody
When the Griswolds demonstrate their take on the holiday season, witty lines and memorable slapstick are abound. But what makes this installment of the Vacation series rise to the classic levels of the original (and possibly above) is its poignancy— yes, it's possible for a film held together by unsubtle hit-or-miss gags to have an astute sense of emotion. What makes Clark such an enjoyable lead is how his two different dispositions are demonstrated as functioning side by side in the first half of the movie, but slowly dissolve into one another as circumstances continue to conspire against him. It's true that having the whole family together is chaotic, but the one thing that Clark actually lets get to him is the feeling of letting them down. This personal burden, which his lovable over-the-top personality doesn't allow him to carry easily, reveals just how emotional of a person he really is— a true family man. He may occasionally snag a look at Nicolette Scorsese's ass, but his heart is always in the right place.
I have a friend who considers National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation a detestable compilation of scarce, cheap, cliched laughs and absurd direction with an inability to produce sufficient heart in the wake of how little it can be taken seriously. On the other hand, I myself view Christmas Vacation as a holiday classic, with a surprisingly realistically articulated Dysfunctional Family dynamic that's not undermined by its refreshingly campy humor. Either way, this is a movie worth checking out for more than just the laughs it brings to the table— it's an opportunity to assign sincerity where one sees it fit.