National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) – Rewatch

Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold just wants to have the perfect traditional family Christmas at home, unfortunately that means including his family. This is the highwater mark of the Vacation series. It’s not a necessity, but watching the earlier entries adds flavor to this one from the always different Griswold kids to rehashed gags to the reappearance of cousin Eddie. Here the jokes are endless and hit all the right notes in ways that will resonant with anyone celebrating the holidays with family even at their most ridiculous. There are so many memorable gags that it’s easy to watch the entire film with a smile on my face.