As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold Jr. (Chevy Chase) is determined to have an absolute perfect family Christmas, he pester his wife, Ellen (D’Angelo), and their kids, as he attempts to ensure everything is in place, from the big day to the tree and home decorations. But things only go haywire quickly. Clark’s new hunk cousin, Eddie (John Turturro) and his posh family show up unexpectedly and begin living in their fancy camper on Griswold land. Clark is incensed. To make matters worse, his boss decides to honor his contract by giving him a free holiday while giving out large sums of money for each of his customers. Everything comes to a head when Clark gets kidnapped by the ultrasidence crew and brought to a mental institution called “The Crazy House” where he meets some new friends who also have something they want – namely, Clark!
Although this movie has some great monster movie sequences and some pretty intense moments, it is not the most outrageous or even the silliest Christmas movie ever made. It is instead the story of a normal man who completely loses his mind during the course of his holiday, completely loses his sense of reality, and basically gets swept up in the middle of a snowstorm while on his way to a Christmas party. This movie is just as entertaining for people who don’t care about snow at all as it is for those who do. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that it is one of the more sanely written Christmas movies ever made.
Another Christmas Vacation movie that I must mention is A Christmas Carol. Despite the fact that Carol is one of those female Christmas movies that star chicks, it is also a great and funny film. Carol stars Anne Bancroft as Carol, who lives a single Christmas with her younger sister Ruth in Flatwoods, Colorado. The movie takes place around Christmas and involves lots of snowboarding, sledding, and a few other mishaps along the way.
One of my personal favorite Christmas Vacation scenes is A Christmas Carol, which takes place around the same time as The Snowman. A Christmas Carol features John Cleese playing the title role as the aging reindeer, while Tim Matheson plays the owner of a candy store named Candygiving. The movie is a classic, and one of my all time favorites. While I do not know if the snowman is considered the best Christmas Vacation scene, it is certainly in the top ten.
I think that one of the most annoying things for people to try to do during their Christmas vacation is to go wrong with their Christmas lights. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term Christmas lights, you should know that they are strings of lighted bulbs that are hung on your roof, patio, or any other area around your house during the holiday season. They are often used to create the appearance of a more elaborate scene, such as a snowy Christmas tree, or a wreaths that are placed at specific locations. While it is true that these lights are sometimes difficult to find and often expensive, you should know that you can still take a go at putting them up and having some fun. I have put together a couple of short paragraphs that will give you a basic idea of what goes into setting up and wiring Christmas lights, as well as how to avoid making any major mistakes.
One of the most famous Christmas Vacation scenes occurs at the ski resort of Breckenridge, Colorado. You may not have driven through any of the many snow covered mountain passes in this area before, but if you have, then you definitely have seen the sign for the Breckenridge Ski Resort. It is located on Colorado’s beautiful Pikes Peak Mountains, and it is one of the most famous ski resorts in the country. The Breckenridge ski resort lights up every year for the best skiing and snowboarding imaginable, and you can take a short ride down to the base of the mountain with your snowboard strapped to your car. This is a great scene to go to when you are taking your Christmas vacation in Breckenridge, and if you are unable to make it down to the base of the mountain, I would highly recommend that you leave and catch a ride down to the valley floor sometime later in the evening.
