National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

November 30, 1989 (US) • Comedy • 97m

Overview

It's Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids. Clark's continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.

Director

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writer

John Hughes

Top Billed

Chevy Chase

Keywords

squirrel holiday boss rottweiler christmas tree vacation sequel family dinner neighbor domestic life fantasy sequence lights christmas christmas bonus jello christmas eve romantic adoring

Where to watch

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Top Billed Cast

Chevy Chase

Clark Griswold

Beverly D'Angelo

Ellen Griswold

Juliette Lewis

Audrey Griswold

Johnny Galecki

Rusty Griswold

John Randolph

Clark Griswold Sr.

Diane Ladd

Nora

E.G. Marshall

Art

Doris Roberts

Francis

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Margo Chester

Randy Quaid

Cousin Eddie

Miriam Flynn

Cousin Catherine

Mae Questel

Aunt Bethany

Nicholas Guest

Todd Chester

Cody Burger

Rocky

Ellen Hamilton Latzen

Ruby Sue

William Hickey

Uncle Lewis

Sam McMurray

Bill

Nicolette Scorsese

Mary

Keith MacKechnie

Delivery Boy

Brian Doyle-Murray

Frank Shirley

Natalija Nogulich

Helen Shirley

Tony Epper

Bozo #1

Billy Hank Hooker

Bozo #2

Alexander Folk

SWAT Officer

Jeremy Roberts

Cop

Woody Weaver

Cop

Michael Kaufman

Young Executive

Doug Llewelyn

Parade Announcer (voice)

Crew

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Director

Thomas E. Ackerman

Director of Photography

John Hughes

Screenplay

Angelo Badalamenti

Original Music Composer

John Hughes

Producer

Gerald B. Greenberg

Editor

Tom Jacobson

Producer

Michael A. Stevenson

Editor

Dick Ziker

Stunts

Lou Kleinman

Sound Editor

Wylie Stateman

Supervising Sound Editor

Stan Gilbert

Supervising ADR Editor

Kaye Pownall

Hairstylist

Neal Burger

Sound Editor

Douglas Knapp

Camera Operator

George H. Anderson

Sound Editor

Glenn T. Morgan

Sound Editor

Victoria Sampson

Sound Editor

Ted Rhodes

Key Grip

Marcia 'Mavis' Girard

Script Supervisor

Ron Payne

Music Supervisor

Jim Harrison

Music Editor

David McCullough

Visual Effects

James R. Alexander

Sound Mixer

Charlie Picerni

Second Unit Director

Larry Kemp

Supervising Sound Editor

Matt Earl Beesley

First Assistant Director

Eric Engler

Second Unit Director of Photography

Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Editor

Neil David Pontecorvo

Greensman

Stephen Robinette

Hairstylist

Richard Dean Rankin

Construction Coordinator

S. Bruce Wineinger

Construction Coordinator

Greg Agalsoff

Boom Operator

Vicki Jackson-Lemay

Second Second Assistant Director

John Agalsoff Jr.

Cableman

David P. Newell

Assistant Property Master

Kenneth J. Gagnon Sr.

Construction Coordinator

Bryan Denegal

Second Second Assistant Director

David J. Negrón Jr.

Production Illustrator

Rickley W. Dumm

Sound Effects Editor

Doug Hemphill

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Timothy W. Tiedje

Property Master

Gary A. Hecker

Foley Artist

Glen Cooper

Standby Painter

Chris Jenkins

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Tim A. Davison

Stunts

Cheryl Wheeler Duncan

Stunts

Philip Romano

Stunts

Tommy J. Huff

Stunts

Scott M. Robinson

Key Grip

Gregory J. Barnett

Stunts

Jeannie Epper

Stunts

Scott Wilder

Stunts

Ralph Eggleston

Animation

Mark Smith

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Bill McIntosh

Stunts

John Robotham

Stunts

Kevin Kelley

Chief Lighting Technician

Tama Takahashi

First Assistant Camera

William H. Burton Jr.

Stunts

John C. Meier

Stunts

Steve Picerni

Stunts

Jason White

Stunts

Tony Fucile

Animation

Dave Woodman

Animation

Edward Steidele

Foley Artist

Kenny Bates

Stunts

Albert Hood

Electrician

Andrew Barrett

Orchestrator

Franklin Jones Jr.

Scoring Mixer

Hoyt Yeatman

Visual Effects

Ron Phillips

Still Photographer

John Wagner

Second Assistant Camera

Bill Kroyer

Animation

Franklyn Warren

Extras Casting

Cheryl Beasley Blackwell

Set Costumer

Shirley Walker

Conductor

Dan Marrow

Transportation Coordinator

Mark M. Pompian

Animation

Noon Orsatti

Stunts

Randy Nolen

Steadicam Operator

Eddie Marks

Costume Supervisor

Steve Kelso

Stunts

Charlie Picerni

Stunt Coordinator

Chad Randall

Stunts

Leslie Hoffman

Stunt Double

Craig Asato

Second Assistant Camera

Charles John Bukey

Best Boy Grip

David L. Parrish

First Assistant Camera

Kurt Young

Dolly Grip

Carlyn Montes De Oca

Assistant Editor

Eileen Peterson

Unit Publicist

Bob Scott

Animation

Mari Grimaud

Costume Supervisor

Robert C. Decker

Location Manager

Dino DiMuro

Sound Effects Editor

Sammy Thurman

Stunts

Angelo Badalamenti

Orchestrator

Karen Baker Landers

First Assistant Sound Editor

Annie Ellis

Stunts

Richmond G. Cogswell

Video Assist Operator

Erik Cord

Stunts

Dennis Venizelos

Animation

Kathryn Camp

Assistant Editor

Bill Silic

Chief Lighting Technician

Kirk Bales

Assistant Camera

William Coss

First Assistant Camera

Harold Jones

Stunts

Bill Silic

Gaffer

Juel Bestrop

Casting Assistant

Charles Samek

Orchestrator

Mark A. Lanza

Sound Effects Editor

Sandra Lee Gimpel

Stunts

Mike Amorelli

Assistant Chief Lighting Technician

Ann Lukacs

Assistant Camera

Stephen Andrzejewski

Assistant Location Manager

Thomas J. Busch

Location Manager

Robert Fernandez

Scoring Mixer

Daniel Grodnik

Executive Producer

Gary L. Karas

Special Effects

Janet Brady

Stunts

Billy Hopkins

Casting

Joe Gilbert

ADR Editor

Risa Bramon Garcia

Casting

David Baldwin

Sound Editor

Barbara Adamski

Property Master

Dieter Sturm

Special Effects

Chris Buchinsky

Visual Effects

Matty Simmons

Executive Producer

Heidi Levitt

Casting

Lee Harman

Makeup Artist

Ramey E. Ward

Associate Producer

Lisa Fischer

Set Decoration

Stephen Marsh

Production Design

Michael Kaplan

Costume Design

John Rozman

Leadman

William S. Beasley

Associate Producer

William S. Beasley

Unit Production Manager

Justin Klarenbeck

Visual Effects

Mauri Syd Gayton

Associate Producer

Beala Neel

Art Direction

Frank Capra III

Second Assistant Director

Dan Hegeman

Sound Editor

Allen Hall

Special Effects

Bill Kroyer

Opening Title Sequence

Eric Jewett

Assistant Director

Collection

National Lampoon's Vacation Collection

National Lampoon's Vacation

National Lampoon's European Vacation

Vegas Vacation

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Reviews

r96sk

⭐ 7/10

February 5, 2025

<em>'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'</em>, unlike predecessor <em>'National Lampoon’s European Vacation'</em>, is more akin to the original. A good watch it is, if still off from the first flick. The festive vibes are there, it's perhaps a bit too mean-spirited at times but overall works.

The cast are the cast, I don't think anyone stands out as being a great performer but they are all satisfactory. Chevy Chase is the obvious lead, don'… read the rest.