Comedy
United States of America
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by John Hughes. It stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, an extremely enthusiastic and equally clumsy family man who is dead set on having a "fun old-fashioned family Christmas." Clark's wife Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) tries to keep him grounded, but struggles to keep their extended family under control as they arrive to spend the holidays with them.
As the family prepares for the holiday season, Clark finds himself in one comedic crisis after another. He gets stuck in the attic while attempting to retrieve Christmas decorations, accidentally sets his neighbor's tree on fire, and tries to decorate the outside of his house with 25,000 blinking lights. Meanwhile, Clark's snobby relatives, including his wife's parents and his wife's cousin Eddie, make themselves at home and cause chaos in the household.
Through it all, Clark remains determined to have the perfect Christmas, and his hopes are buoyed by the promise of an end-of-year bonus from his employer. However, when the bonus turns out to be a subscription to a "Jelly of the Month" club, Clark snaps and unleashes a tirade against his boss.
In the end, the Griswold family comes together to enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner and exchange gifts. As they gather around the tree to sing carols, Clark remembers the true meaning of Christmas - spending time with the people you love - and everyone joins in a heartwarming chorus of "Hallelujah, Holy Sh*t! Where's the Tylenol?"
