Great Christmas movie! There are only two iffy parts. The first one is when Clark is looking at what he imagines what his pool would look and there was a female stripper that was stripping but, the camera turns away before anything is seen. The second is when Clark gets his Christmas bonus, it turns out to be some jelly club thing and he says lots of four letter words.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Silly humor for the holidays; some iffy.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships
updated 11.09.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–14
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was written by Andy Davis
Parents need to know that much of the slapstick humor is obviously directed at preteens, from the cartoon opening to an impossibly high-speed sled ride, but some profanity and mild sexual references make this a questionable choice for the under-13 set. Many laughs depend on mishaps like falling from ladders or traveling in a car stuck underneath a big rig, but nobody gets hurt. A pet cat, however, gets electrocuted. The foul language is toned down a bit from the previous Vacation movies, but moderate to extreme profanities are sprinkled liberally throughout the show. This movie makes all of its characters look ridiculous, but the only negative stereotype is of a busty woman who sells lingerie in the local mall.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about sequels. Why is a sequel rarely as good as the original?
- Is there a temptation on the part of movie-makers to essentially repeat a winning formula?
- If you've seen the other Chevy Chase Vacation movies, did you find anything in this movie surprising?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
What’s the Story?
Clark Griswald (Chevy Chase), a hard-working father of two teens, is determined to show his family a fun-filled, old-fashioned Christmas in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION. By the time all of the in-laws and a crude second cousin show up, Clark has 25,000 lights stapled to the house and this predictable comedy is in full swing. Lowbrow, potentially offensive humor makes this best for older viewers. For a moment during the opening scene, it looks like we're going on the road again with the Griswald's. Actually, the family is just going to the country to chop down a 40-foot tree for an old fashioned Christmas at home, the first in a string of overblown escapades in Clark Griswald's quest for the perfect holiday. "I just know how you build up things in your mind," warns his loving but slightly confused wife, Ellen. But this fanatical family man won't be deterred until his miserly boss has been kidnapped and a SWAT team descends on his house to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus."
Is It Any Good?
For those who enjoyed the original Vacation, this holiday edition offers virtually the same story and characters with more predictability and less help from the supporting cast. Those who found Vacation utterly tasteless will find this to be slightly (but not much) cleaner. Chevy Chase has some good moments, and those who enjoy his double-talk and pratfalls will find some redeeming value in this lukewarm movie. His frustration at 250 strings of Christmas lights and his overtures to a busty sales lady are among the movie's best moments.
The producers attracted some decent talent to act as Clark's foils, but neither the stuck-up neighbor (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), nor the disgusting second cousin (Randy Quaid), nor the boss who stiffs Clark on his Christmas bonus (Brian Doyle-Murray) generate any laughs to speak of. The Griswald kids might as well be cardboard cutouts with their eyes permanently rolled. One inherent problem parents will have with this movie is how it juxtaposes juvenile humor with sexually suggestive scenes and strings of profanity.
Movie Details
Studio: Warner Home Video, Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Run time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/1/1989, DVD release: 11/18/1997
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations
Run time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/1/1989, DVD release: 11/18/1997
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for profanity and sexual situations
Our Members Say
See all 17 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
My favorite movie
My favorite Christmas movie. I wish that I could watch while they are awake, but I might just skip through the scenes that aren't appropriate.
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
My favorite movie
My favorite Christmas movie. I wish that I could watch while they are awake, but I might just skip through the scenes that aren't appropriate.
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I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
- Negative role models
I think this is the better one of the three movies like concerned wise so i think kids that know right from wrong and no not to say bad words or anything could handle this
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I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Inappropriate language
- Drinking, smoking, or drug use
OH MY GOSH!!!!! TOO MUCH LANGUAGE!!!!!!
Language, language, and more language. You can barely go a scene in this movie without at least 1 profanity.
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I rate this title pause for age 12 and give it
stupid
The movie has no point at all. It's not worth watching it's stupid and not appropriate for children under 12. If your children are begging you to see it tell them the truth: you don't want to see it. It's just not worth it.
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I rate this title pause for age 12 and give it
i laughed
not good for kids it does have bad language
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
Fantastic Holiday Movie
This is an all time favorite holiday movie. Although it is very enjoyable and hilarious. It's not all that great for younger kids. I would give it a 12+ But please make sure your child is mature, or it could get a little awkward... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
NOT APPROPRIATE
This movie had sexual dialogue and scenes and pictures, and plenty of language. Many sexual and crude comments, and I can't see how anyone could say an eleven year old could watch it. DO NOT WATCH!
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
I loved this movie
This movie was another sequel to how Clark Griswald screwed up his family's holiday. I loed it I laughed through the whole thing. I like Eddie, and the squirrel.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Ok, not for kids, but still...
The funniest National Lampoon movie of them all!!! You've got to see this at Christmas. If you've got kids, wait until it airs on television- that way it will filter some of the language and sexual content.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Funniest Christmas Movie Ever!
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
funny
one of the funniest christmas movies ever made, ever!. for kids 10 and up because it is a little inapropriate like flipping someone off, but on tv they don't show the middle finger. Overall an appropriate movie for tweens and up.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
OK
... but a little too coy for its own good. Funny though. Ok for 11+
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
holiday classic
overall okay for family viewing, there are couple of scences, that are not for children.
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I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it
FUNNIEST.MOVIE.EVER.
This movie was so good, I had to watch it again just to get over how good it was. It may be for kids my age. I loved it, but some of the jokes I didn't really get. At the end, I was a little worried about what Clark said. He was swearing alot, but my fave part out of that scene is when Clark screams, "Haliguliah, holy sh*t!" another good part was when a character says, "I'm gonna get you somethn' REEAAALLLYYYY nice, Clark!" Funny. Good. Wonderful!
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Ratings at a Glance
| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 100% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
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