25 Days of Christmas Movies: Day 4 Christmas Vacation

(Editor's note: Today I will not be watching and reviewing Scrooged because, while I thought it was streaming where I could watch it, it is, instead, streaming on one of the three platforms that I don't have access/subscription to. Apologies if you were expecting Bill Murray today.)

I know, you all came expecting Bill Murray and here I've given you the ol' SNL bait and switch, instead reviewing the well loved classic starring the man America loves to hate... drumroll, please... It's Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase. Hey, I drive one of him.

I've always liked this movie but never loved it. There is a lot to like. The cast is enormous, with too many well-renowned actors and actresses to note, and there isn't a weak spot. Except, for me, the man at the top. My biggest complaint with Chevy isn't that I don't find him funny, because I do. It is that he finds himself funny and that comes across in everything he does on screen. He is aware that he is in front of the camera and this doesn't make him act, it makes him want to get cute and that is where some of the funny is lost. For me, he is the funniest when he is so angry that he is losing his mind because that is when he hams it up for the camera the least and just performs. And it's really good. So for all the Chevy lovers out there, I'm sorry, but I would have rather watched Bill Murray.

Anyways... 

This film pretty well encapsulates the chaos of large family Christmases. While mine are not near so large anymore, when I was a kid and still doing my parents larger family Christmas one side of the family always counted near or over forty people when we celebrated. It was a lesson in controlling chaos that I was too young to learn. I could only contribute to the chaos, not harness it. But this film, the unaware relatives, the animals, the kids shouting while really being unaware of what was going on, well it was very familiar and I'm glad my Christmases don't like that anymore. (Although I am sure that as my siblings have more children this will become the norm again.)

I had completely forgotten about the Pledge of Allegiance being said as grace and it made me laugh out loud. It's nice when old, familiar things can still surprise you.

Has there ever been a swear-laden tirade like Chevy Chase gives after getting his jelly of the month bonus. A true masterpiece of cursing. Like Swan Lake for people from the tri-state area.

A little note, when I was a kid I always wanted to sled down a hill at Mach-whatever-it-is-that-Clark-hits but now that I'm a little older and my joints are less... stable I honestly  don't think that is a very good idea.

A solid film and, while not my favorite, deserving of a rewatch most years.

I give it 8/10 Kidnapped Bosses in their Pajamas.

See you tomorrow where, as of this posting, I have no idea what the film will be.

JK