Rewatchables Reference

• The opening – Clark gets tailgated, goes under a truck, buys the tree. 'The thimble of the grithweld family chrithmeth.'
• The lights scene – the lights finally go on, Clark gets emotional: 'Thanks, dad. You taught me everything I know about exterior illumination.' Then Eddie shows up.
• Clark and Eddie in the living room – the dickey, the dog humping ('It's best that you let him finish'), 'Can I refill your eggnog? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere, leave you for dead?'
• Clark's meltdown when he doesn't get the bonus – 'cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing... Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where's the Tylenol?'
• Van: The model at the perfume counter (Nicolette Scorsese).

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo – 'right as she's filming Seinfeld. She looks exactly the same now.'
• Beverly D'Angelo – 'first ballot wake girl hall of fame. She looks incredible.'
• 'Shitter's full' became an all-time cultural catchphrase.
• Chevy's physical comedy – the sap on his hands, sticking to the magazine.
• This becoming THE generational Christmas movie – 'it's on every channel for two months every year.'

• Randy Quaid becoming a real-life lunatic – 'Randy Quaid becoming Eddie in real life.'
• Christmas Vacation 2 (2003 NBC TV movie) – Randy Quaid reprises the role, no Clark.

• Bill: Is this the best number three movie ever? Compares to Return of the Jedi, Lord of the Rings 3, Godfather 3. 'This might be the three with the longest legs.'
• Sean: This is Chevy Chase's best dramatic performance – 'you really believe the crisis of Clark.'
• Van: The movie gets 'weirdly, oddly touching' – 'I can't even afford to be an elf.'

• Bill: 'Here Comes Santa Claus' as the SWAT team shows up.
• Sean/Chris: 'Mele Kalikimaka' – 'huge song in my house growing up.'

• Brian Doyle-Murray as Frank Shirley (the boss) – 'He's excellent in this movie.'
• Nicholas Guest as Todd.
• Sam McMurray – also known from Raising Arizona.

Bill: Julia Louis-Dreyfus over Cousin Eddie – 'Eddie's in too much of it. Eddie's fucking Klay Thompson in this movie. I think it's JLD.'

Chris Columbus was supposed to direct but had a personality clash with Chevy. Hughes then gave Columbus the 'Home Alone' script instead.

• Sean: Ryan Reynolds as today's Clark – 'the person who is actually trying to have Chevy's career.'
• Van: Sterling K. Brown, inspired by American Fiction.

• The old Dodge pickup that tailgates Clark was also used in Overboard and 'They Live'.
• Chevy broke his pinky finger punching the Santa decoration.
• Eddie's shoes are the same ones Clark gave him in the original Vacation (callback).
• Beverly D'Angelo improvised grabbing Chevy's crotch when the SWAT team arrives.
• Ruby Sue was the little girl in 'Fatal Attraction'.

• Being trapped in the attic – 'has it ever worked better in a movie?'
• Jelly of the Month Club.
• Christmas lights on houses.
• Christmas in Chicago – '89-90, has it ever been better?'
• Van: Septic tanks.

• The tree changes sizes multiple times.
• There are no mountains in Illinois (filmed in Colorado).
• Full moon from December 18th to 24th.
• The squirrel wouldn't have stayed asleep in the tree.

• 'National Lampoon's Vacation' (the first one) – 'a fun three hours and 40 minutes.'
• 'Home Alone'.
• Bill: Four Christmases.

• Van: The sled with the silicone kitchen lubricant.
• Bill: Clark's Bears hat.
• Sean: Clark's Tasmanian Devil coffee mug; old-school Blackhawks jersey.

• 'Nobody has an easy holiday season.'
• Sean: 'Don't invite people over for Christmas.'
• Van: 'If the dog's humping your leg, let him finish.'

• Why didn't they make more Griswold movies? 'People don't like working with him.'
• Did Todd and Margo stay married after this holiday week?
• Did Clark ever get the pool?

Chevy Chase – unanimous.