Best Vacation ever! (Christmas Vacation (DVD))

Name: buttonman

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Product:	Christmas Vacation (DVD)
Date:	14/11/00 (206 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No Christmas bonus

Disadvantages: Freeloading relatives

This movie franchise started out well,but stumbled with 'European Vacation' (cars parked IN Stonehenge I ask you!).So this yuletide classic was a welcome return to form before the latest installment,the lamentable 'Vegas Vacation'.

The film's strenghths lie in sticking to themes familiar to us all,namley the nightmare of Christmas in general and the pain of families in particular.

Chevy Chase reprises his role as Clark W Griswold a hapless but optimistic family man who tries his best for his disinterested family.Beverley DiAngelo plays Ellen the sexy wife who appears mostly in a blouse that had 50% off if you get my snowdrift.As ever in this series the children Rusty and Audrey are played by different actors from the previous movie,with Audrey being played by a young Juliette Lewis.The scummy freeloading relatives,Eddie and Catherine along with their brood of horrible children make their usual appearance,with Randy Quaid showing again that no one does the 'v-neck and turtleneck' look better.

The film uses an advent calender as a way of introducing various vingettes showing the families Christmas preparations such as picking a tree and buying your wife sexy undergarments from an even sexier assistant.Nostalgia also makes it's familiar appearance with Clark enjoying old cine film movies before being brought back down to earth.

The main part of the film starts as relatives arrive each barmier than the last,with one wrapping her cat and another setting his toupee alight.The relatives are all great caricatures with each seeming more familiar than the last.Clark's sesonal goodwill starts to recede when a squirrel wrecks the house shortly before Eddie's dog does the same.

There are two great set pieces in the film with Clark covering his house in thousands of lights blinding his neighbours and sending his electic meter spinning and then covering his sled in nonstick oil and literally takin
g off.Christmas looks doomed when after the presents are destroyed Clak's long awaited bonus cheque turns out to be a jelly club membership.Still there's plenty of time for Eddie to redeem himself..

There is a feeble subplot involving their trendy neighbours who the Griswolds routinely annoy and injure accidentally such as when Clark's frozen ice from his gutter flys off and destroys their Hi-fi.I only mention them really as the lovely Elaine off Seinfeld plays the wife!.

The film has a generally feel good air and as it'll doubtlessly be shown this Christmas I'd recommend you give it a look to get that festive spirit flowing.Not quite my generations' "It's a wonderful life" but close enough.

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