National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Play trailer

2:13

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

PG-13

Released Dec 1, 1989

1h 37m

Holiday

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark's employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Home Alone

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Home Alone

Elf

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Elf

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Watchlist

TRAILER

for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

Die Hard

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Die Hard

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Muppet Christmas Carol

The Santa Clause

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Santa Clause

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Jingle All the Way

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jingle All the Way

Ice Age

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Ice Age

Critics Consensus

While Christmas Vacation may not be the most disciplined comedy, it's got enough laughs and good cheer to make for a solid seasonal treat.

Read Critics Reviews

William Thomas

Empire Magazine

If it doesn't make you at least giggle, then you clearly don't understand the true meaning of the festive season.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 12, 2020

Full Review

Time Out Staff

Time Out

Sure, it's crude, episodic and half the jokes don't work, but 'Christmas Vacation' may be the only modern Christmas comedy which really stands up to repeat viewings.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 12, 2020

Full Review

Steve Simels

Entertainment Weekly

Chase's befuddled Dad remains a genuinely amusing creation, and the sight gags are impeccably timed.

Aug 12, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A goofy satire of the middle-class WASP suburban holiday scene.

Rated: B-

Dec 22, 2024

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

It really delivers on the laughs. One of the best holiday comedies ever made

Dec 7, 2024

Full Review

Cassondra Feltus

Black Girl Nerds

From the wacky mishaps to oddly endearing characters, Christmas Vacation remains an uproarious, feel-good, oft-quoted holiday classic. Over 35 years, the film has become an annual must-watch for a fun, old-fashioned family Christmas.

Rated: 4.5/5

Dec 2, 2024

Full Review

Read all reviews

Chris E

Absolute classic! loved seeing this in the theater for the first time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

Andrew B

The best Christmas Movie ever! So fun to watch it on the big screen again!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

Abby

Great movie in any setting, but seeing this classic on the big screen just made it even better! (If that was even possible…) We had the entire auditorium to ourselves and I could cackle out loud without being shushed by my fiancé. A perfect date night for a Monday night!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

CMB

Loved watching an old favorite on the big screen!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/16/24

Full Review

John S

Great to see this classic Christmas movie on the big screen!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/12/24

Full Review

Lisa Marie

Christmas Favorite❤️❤️❤️

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/10/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Director

Chevy Chase

Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Jr.

Beverly D'Angelo

Ellen Griswold

Randy Quaid

Cousin Eddie Johnson

Diane Ladd

Nora Griswold

John Randolph

Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Sr.

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Trapped in Paradise

10%

42%

Trapped in Paradise

Watchlist

Mixed Nuts

13%

47%

Mixed Nuts

Watchlist

Home for the Holidays

64%

72%

Home for the Holidays

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Home for the Holidays

Surviving Christmas

8%

30%

Surviving Christmas

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Surviving Christmas

National Lampoon's European Vacation

37%

49%

National Lampoon's European Vacation

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

National Lampoon’s Best Movies

Five Favorite Films with White Reindeer Director Zach Clark

Five Favorite Films with Warwick Davis

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Trailer 1

2:13

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark's employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Producer: John Hughes, Tom Jacobson
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Hughes Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Holiday, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 1, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 22, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $70.0M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo, Dolby
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

Most Popular at Home Now