The movie is based on a short story.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\nLike the 1983 original,\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>is based on a short story, \u201cChristmas \u201859,\u201d written by John Hughes for\u00a0National Lampoon\u00a0<\/em>in December 1980. Its literary predecessor is paid tribute to when\u00a0Clark is trapped in the attic and pulls out a box of old home movies, including one labeled \u201cChristmas \u201959.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- Clark grew up in Samantha Stevens\u2019 house.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If Clark\u2019s childhood home featured in those old movies looks familiar, that\u2019s because it\u2019s the same house featured on\u00a0Bewitched\u00a0<\/em>as well as\u00a0The New Gidget<\/em>. Except it\u2019s not a house at all; it\u2019s part of the\u00a0Warner Bros. Back lot, located on what is known as Blondie Street. The rest of the Griswolds\u2019 neighborhood is on a studio back lot as well. And if the home of their snooty neighbors, Todd and Margo, looks familiar, that\u2019s because it\u2019s where Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and his family lived in\u00a0Lethal Weapon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n- John Hughes wasn\u2019t a fan of sequels.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Though many of Hughes\u2019 films have spawned sequels, the man himself was not a fan of retreads. \u201cThe only sequels I was involved in were under duress,\u201d\u00a0Hughes once stated in an interview. Though he\u2019s credited as a writer on\u00a0European Vacation<\/em>, he said that was only because he had created the characters. \u201cBut the studio came to me and begged for another [Vacation<\/em>\u00a0movie], and I only agreed because I had a good story to base it on. But those movies have become little more than Chevy Chase vehicles at this stage. I didn’t even know about\u00a0Vegas Vacation<\/em>\u00a0until I read about it in the trades! Ever since it came out, people have been coming up to me with disappointed looks on their faces, asking \u2018What were you thinking?\u2019 \u2018I had nothing to do with it! I swear!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n- It\u2019s one of only two Christmas movies released in 1989.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Though the holiday season is usually packed with Christmas-themed movies,\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>was one of only two that were released in 1989. The other was John Hancock\u2019s\u00a0Prancer<\/em>. Johnny Galecki, a.k.a. Rusty Griswold, starred in both.<\/p>\n\n- Audrey is (miraculously) older than rusty.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
In both the original\u00a0Vacation\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0European Vacation<\/em>, Rusty is believed to be the older of the two Griswold children. In\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>, Rusty somehow morphs into Audrey\u2019s\u00a0younger <\/em>brother.<\/p>\n\n- The film has ties to\u00a0It\u2019s a Wonderful Life.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
In addition to footage from the Frank Capra classic actually appearing in the film,\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>has another fun tie to\u00a0It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>: Frank Capra\u2019s grandson, Frank Capra III, is\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>\u2019s assistant director.<\/p>\n\n- The cast of\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>was pretty impressive.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
In addition to featuring future stars Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis (who scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination three years later for her role in\u00a0Cape Fear<\/em>), star Beverly D\u2019Angelo was most impressed with the older actors who came along for the\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>ride. \u201cI attribute that to Jeremiah Chechik and his direction in bringing in E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, and Diane Ladd,\u201d\u00a0she noted. \u201cThat was really a special cast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- In a way, Stanley Kubrick is to thank for\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>marked the directorial debut of Jeremiah Chechik, who began his career as a fashion photographer for\u00a0Vogue<\/em>\u00a0then moved into commercial directing. \u201cI had made these commercials that became quite iconic here in the U.S.,\u201d\u00a0Chechik recalled to Den of Geek! In 2011. \u201cThey were very dark and sexy and sort of a little bit ahead of their time in terms of style. And what happened was they gained the notice of [Stanley] Kubrick, who had mentioned them as his favorite American filmmaking, ironically, in a\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0article.\u201d It didn\u2019t take long for Chechik\u2019s phone to start ringing and for studios to start sending him scripts. \u201cAnd the script that really piqued my interest was\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>,” he said. “And the reason is I had never done any comedy\u2014ever<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- Chechik had never seen a\u00a0Vacation\u00a0<\/em>movie.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\u201cI hadn’t seen the first two [Vacation\u00a0<\/em>movies], and so I wasn’t really influenced by anything other than the fact that it was a big\u2014at the time\u2014their big Christmas movie and comedy,\u201d\u00a0said Chechik. \u201cAnd I just felt if I could crack this maybe there’s a whole other world of filmmaking for me.\u201d Following\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>, Chechik directed\u00a0Benny & Joon<\/em>,\u00a0Diabolique<\/em>, and\u00a0The Avengers\u00a0<\/em>plus episodes of\u00a0The Bronx is Burning<\/em>,\u00a0Gossip Girl<\/em>,\u00a0Chuck<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0Burn Notice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n- The movie had a huge budget, particularly for a comedy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
A $27 million budget, to be exact. Which was particularly high considering that the film had no special effects a la\u00a0Ghostbusters<\/em>\u00a0(which was made for $30 million). But it had no trouble making its budget back; the film\u2019s\u00a0final domestic gross was $71,319,526.<\/p>\n\n- Roger Ebert did not love the film.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Though it has become a bona fide holiday classic, not everyone was a fan of\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>. In his two-star review of the film,\u00a0Roger Ebert described the movie\u00a0as \u201ccurious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn’t work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- It\u2019s the only sequel in the\u00a0Vacation\u00a0<\/em>franchise to have its own sequel.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
But don\u2019t be disappointed if you didn\u2019t know that. Or haven\u2019t seen it. The 2003 film,\u00a0National Lampoon\u2019s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie\u2019s Island Adventure<\/em>, was made for television. It finds Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn (as Eddie and Catherine) stranded on an island in the South Pacific for the holidays. Yes, really. It currently holds a\u00a012 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<\/p>\n\n- Audrey is the only Griswold to appear in\u00a0Christmas Vacation 2<\/em>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Dana Barron, who played Audrey in the original\u00a0Vacation<\/em>, reprised her role for the\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>\u00a0sequel. Eric Idle, who appeared in\u00a0European Vacation<\/em>, also makes an appearance, playing \u201cEnglish Victim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- Cousin Eddie is Randy Quaid\u2019s best-known character.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
At least it\u2019s the role that gets him the most recognition. In\u00a0a 1989 interview with the\u00a0Los Angeles Times, Quaid admitted that he was amazed by the impact the character made. \u201cPeople still come up to me and quote lines from that part. I get a lot of recognition from that role\u2014probably as much, if not more, than any other.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n- Cousin Eddie is based on a real guy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Quaid borrowed many of Cousin Eddie\u2019s mannerisms from a guy he knew growing up in Texas, most notably his tendency toward tongue-clicking. But\u00a0Eddie\u2019s sweater\/Dickie combo? That was an idea from Quaid\u2019s wife.<\/p>\n
\n- You can buy your own dickie.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
National Lampoon\u2019s Christmas Vacation Collectibles\u00a0is a website dedicated to all things\u00a0Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>(obviously). Among the many fun items are Cousin Eddie wardrobe staples, moose mugs, and punch bowls.<\/p>\n\n- Eddie\u2019s son, rocky, doesn\u2019t speak in the film.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Nope, not a word.<\/p>\n
\n- Aunt Bethany is Betty Boop.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>marked the final film of Mae Questel, who began her career as the voice of Betty Boop in 1931. She passed away at the age of 89 in January of 1998.<\/p>\n\n- Bethany and Louis\u2019 entrance made the earth shake.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
At the same time the production filmed the arrival of Uncle Louis and Aunt Bethany at the Griswold house, a minor earthquake struck. The\u00a0camera shakes slightly as a result of it as Bethany walks through the front door.<\/p>\n
\n- Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>went straight to video in England.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Though the movie is a popular holiday film in the U.K. too, it was never actually shown in theaters there. Instead, it went straight to home video.<\/p>\n
\n- You won\u2019t hear \u201cHoliday Road\u201d in\u00a0Christmas Vacation<\/em>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Christmas Vacation\u00a0<\/em>is the only movie in the series that doesn\u2019t feature Lindsey Buckingham\u2019s song, \u201cHoliday Road.\u201d Instead, a new song\u2014the aptly titled \u201cChristmas Vacation\u201d\u2014was written for the film by married songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. A cover of the song appears on the 2007\u00a0Disney Channel Holiday\u00a0<\/em>album.<\/p>\n\n- Randy Quaid is the third cousin of Gene Autry.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Which may just sound like a random. But at the end of the film,\u00a0when the police raid the Griswold home, the version of \u201cHere Comes Santa Claus\u201d being used is Autry\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\n- Ellen Griswold lies to the cops.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
In the same scene, Ellen Griswold apologizes to Mrs. Shirley\u2014the wife of Clark\u2019s boss and Eddie\u2019s kidnapping victim\u2014assuring her that \u201cThis is our family’s first kidnapping,\u201d when, in fact, it is their second. At least the second that we know of: In the first\u00a0Vacation<\/em>\u00a0film,\u00a0the Griswolds force Lasky, the security guard at Wally World\u00a0(played by John Candy), to open the park for them.<\/p>\n\n- Chevy Chase, Beverly D\u2019Angelo, and Juliette Lewis reunited in 2012.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
The trio got together to film a series of Old Navy commercials for the holiday season. Though Johnny Galecki wasn\u2019t there, two previous Rustys\u2014Anthony Michael Hall and Jason Lively\u2014were. As was Dana Barron.<\/p>\n
\n- Johnny Galecki received an award from Chevy Chase.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
In a 2012 interview,\u00a0The Sydney Morning Herald\u00a0asked Johnny Galecki\u00a0whether he has kept in touch with Chevy Chase. He admitted that \u201cthe only time I\u2019ve seen him since that movie, which was 21 years ago I think, is when he presented us with our People\u2019s Choice Award, so that was really neat. If you\u2019re going to run into Chevy again it may as well be as he\u2019s giving you an award.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n- Chevy Chase and Beverly D\u2019Angelo were anxious to see another vacation movie happen.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
On July 29, 2015, the latest film in the\u00a0Vacation\u00a0<\/em>franchise\u2014simply titled\u00a0Vacation<\/em>\u2014made its debut. And it couldn’t have happened soon enough for Chase and D’Angelo. In 2011,\u00a0Chase told Ain\u2019t It Cool News\u00a0that \u201cI just got off the phone with Beverly D\u2019Angelo. We are trying to work up a new\u00a0Vacation<\/em>\u00a0and apparently, Warner\u2019s is working on one with grandchildren, but the one that Bev and I want \u2026 You know, we are just trying to think of ideas, because she is very funny and very brilliant, so when you get her in a writing mood and me in writing mood, it\u2019s good, but it\u2019s very hard to get the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n- The studio won that one.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Chase and D\u2019Angelo may have had their own ideas, but the studio moved ahead with that whole \u201cone with grandchildren\u201d thing. Written and directed by John Francis Daley (Sam from\u00a0Freaks and Geeks<\/em>) and Jonathan M. Goldstein (who wrote\u00a0Horrible Bosses<\/em>),\u00a0Vacation featured a grown-up Rusty (played by Ed Helms) taking his own family on a road trip.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last night, the FHSU University Activites Board helped get everyone into the Christmas spirit by presenting the classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. To get you… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":149,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,3505],"tags":[678,10680,10679,1357,4624,9390,487],"class_list":["post-30174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-local-movies","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-vacation","tag-mental_floss","tag-movie","tag-raven-dick","tag-union","tag-university-activities-board"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30174"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30185,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30174\/revisions\/30185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}