Christmas Vacation
Christmas Vacation
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“Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people, and I want him brought right here! With a big ribbon on his head! And I want to look him straight in the eye, and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?“
Summarize the plot to “Christmas Vacation”
"Christmas Vacation," also known as "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," revolves around Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, who attempts to have a perfect, old-fashioned Christmas filled with family, friends, and holiday cheer. Here's a brief summary:
- **Setting Up Christmas**: Clark is overly enthusiastic about Christmas. He decorates his house extravagantly, including the infamous lighting of the house which goes awry when he falls off the roof.
- **Family Arrives**: Clark's in-laws, including his grumpy father-in-law, his eccentric aunt, and his feisty cousin Eddie, come to stay for the holidays, leading to humorous chaos.
- **The Holiday Spirit**: Despite numerous mishaps like cooking a turkey that explodes and setting their tree on fire, Clark tries to keep everyone's spirits high.
- **Work Problems**: Clark's hoping for a Christmas bonus at work to fund a pool he's promised his family, but instead, he gets a one-year membership for a jelly-of-the-month club, leading to his famous rant about his boss.
- **Cousin Eddie's Surprise**: In a misguided attempt to help, cousin Eddie kidnaps Clark's boss, bringing him to the house in his underwear tied up with a ribbon as a last-minute 'gift' for Clark.
- **The Climax**: After several comedic disasters, including an unfortunate sledding incident with a revamped toboggan, the community power grid fails due to the Griswolds' excessive light usage.
- **Resolution**: Just when things seem their bleakest, a surprise visit from other relatives brings unexpected gifts, including envelopes with money which turns out to be Clark's real bonus, solving all their financial woes. The movie wraps up with the extended family serenading the police about being arrested (for real this time), but all is forgiven in the spirit of Christmas.
The film is known for its slapstick humor, the dysfunctional family dynamic, and its heart-warming portrayal of holiday perseverance amidst chaos.