Cover of "National Lampoon's Christmas Va...

Besides A Christmas Story National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation probably is one of the funniest Christmas DVDs. Many people can recite the dialogue word-for-word.
Clark Griswold vows to create “the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever,”. As you can guess things are not that easy. Wayward cats, senile aunts, a scrooge-like boss and a cousin that can only be described as “eccentric” combine to help this movie bring a little humor to the Yuletide season.

Worth remembering is the scene where Clark sets out to decorate the house for Christmas and his quest culminates in a 25,000 light extravaganza that covers every square inch of the house. In the process, he nearly breaks his neck several times. In my opinion the beginning of the movie drags a little but as soon as all Griswold relatives have arrived it gains momentum. And Christmas Vacation covers every holiday tradition available: the sleigh ride with a specially prepared turbo sleigh, the turkey dinner, Christmas lights, finding a tree, hiding presents etc.

Released in 1989, Christmas Vacation has little content that makes it seem dated. But what makes Christmas Vacation such an enduring film is that everyone who watches it can relate to the events within. Almost everyone has a strange relative or a pair of snotty elitist neighbors. Overall, this movie is a barrel of laughs.

Colleen from Simple Kind Of Life writes:
“Is there anything funnier than Cousin Eddie dumping the sewage from his RV into the street? Or Clark getting a membership to the jam of the month club, instead of his Christmas bonus? My favorite part is when he drags his family into the woods to get a tree – probably because MY father did that very same thing to us, determined not to pay for a Christmas tree!”

Colleen’s statement captures exactly why I think Christmas Vacation is not forgotten like all those other 80s comedies. Everyone can relate to it. And I hope everybody can laugh about it because your own Christmas is not as messed up and chaotic as the one of the Griswold family.

Read another very good review of Christmas Vacation here.

What do you think about this movie? Does it qualify as one of the funniest Christmas DVDs of all time? Or do you have other suggestion? Tell me in the comments!