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Parents' Guide to

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

By Andy Davis, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Christmas comedy has slapstick violence, strong language.

Movie PG-13 1989 97 minutes
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 33 parent reviews

Anya P.
Anya P. Parent
December 19, 2017
age 18+

May be funny but NOT a family movie!!!!

My pastor showed several funny moments from the movie which were funny. I decided to see a trailer before watching it with the whole family. I quickly realized that it’s not a movie for my family. I agree , there are funny moments, but there are some very inappropriate scenes as well. I don’t understand how any parent can watch a movie like that with their children....

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
5 people found this helpful.
HolyMilkMan
HolyMilkMan Parent of 9-year-old
December 14, 2022
age 16+

Stop the Woke Diversity Farce

This is a very funny adult movie. There are sexual undertones and occasional strong language. I would say 16 is a good age for this movie. I do take issue with the "flagging" of the Diversity Representation category. It's OK to have a movie with mostly white people in it, because we live in a majority white country. It's not a bad thing - it is how it is. Forcing "diversity" down peoples' throats, especially children, is evil. It engenders an anti-White mentality, which is just as racist as an anti-any-ethnicity mentality. It's not OK to criticize something for being "too white." The guidelines for reviews say, "we don't tolerate discrimination of any kind," but you will look the other way if it's anti-White discrimination? Forced diversity is brainwashing, and in practice is devastating to cultural bonds. Diversity SHOULD NOT be a category on a web site people visit to determine appropriate material for children.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 33 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) is determined to show his family a fun-filled, old-fashioned Christmas in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION. But as his extended family takes over his home and his grand-scale plans start going awry, Clark's perfect vision is thrown into chaos. With disaster looming around every corner, can he turn things around and remember what's really important about the festive season?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (33 ):
Kids say (105 ):

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 the original utterly tasteless will find National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to be slightly (but not much) cleaner. Chase has some good moments, and those who enjoy his double-talk and pratfalls will find redeeming value in this lukewarm movie. Clark's frustration at putting up 25,000 Christmas lights and a SWAT team descending on the family home to the tune of "Here Comes Santa Claus" 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), the uncouth second cousin (Randy Quaid), or the boss who stiffs Clark on his Christmas bonus (Brian Doyle-Murray) generate much in the way of laughs. The Griswold kids might as well be cardboard cutouts with their eyes permanently rolled. One inherent problem parents may have with this movie is how it juxtaposes juvenile humor with sexually suggestive scenes and strings of profanity -- it wants to appeal to younger viewers, yet it includes adult content.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about sequels. Why is a sequel rarely as good as the original? Do you think National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is a good sequel? Do you think it stands alone?

  • The film lacks diversity and leans into stereotypes. What stereotypes did you notice? Would you expect any characters or situations to be different in a modern movie with more of an awareness of reinforcing damaging portrayals?

  • Many holiday films have a message. What do you think the message might be here? How does it compare to other holiday movies?

Movie Details

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Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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