National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Summary
Christmas Vacationis a dear holiday plastic film , butan astonishing number of laws are broken and crimes committed throughout its 97 - minute of arc runtime . The battle of Clark Griswold ( Chevy Chase ) to reconcile his idealise variation of Christmas with the reality of circumstantially host hisdysfunctional lengthened family inChristmas Vacationis a relatable one , even if the family caper are heightened to absurdness . Everyone can empathize with Clark ’s desire to quicken the Christmas he remembers from his childhood , his struggles with his tightwad Bos shorting him a vacation bonus , and strain to maintain his patience with his less socially aware relatives .
While it ’s easy to tie in toClark and his struggle inChristmas Vacation , there ’s no doubtfulness he run short way too far in his overreactions when his plan for the perfect Christmas in the suburbs of Chicago were thwarted . So far , in fact , thathe was guilty of breaking numerous laws and code violations throughout the motion picture . Clark was n’t the only extremity of the extended Griswold family to potentially break the natural law , but he was certainly the unfit wrongdoer . As YouTuber and lawyerLegal Eagleexplains , from underage assault to serious criminal number , Christmas Vacationis one crime - fueled holiday classic .
National Lampoon ’s Christmas Vacation is a holiday classic , and it ’s important to have sex where to look to pelt , rent , or purchase it .
8Reckless Driving
Clark put his family’s life, and the lives of other drivers, in danger.
The very first indication that Clark Griswold does n’t exactly care setback in a calm and mature fashion is right in the opening scene . Clark ’s temper and immatureness atomic number 82 to a span of reckless driving that very well could have gotten himself or his family killed . It starts when Clark flips off a trucker and cuts him off . That in and of itself is n’t illegal , but the game of highway one - upmanship Clark engages with after the fact , leading him first to get stick under a moving semifinal and then send the family place wagon airborne , is . Considering Illinois ’s laws for heedless driving are quite wide , Clark ’s negligence and dangerous maneuver would be more than enough for a cop to tear him over .
7Cutting Down The Christmas Tree
It was never clear Clark had permission to be on that land.
Clark ’s heedless drive is one thing , but as it wrench out , what he is driving to may also be a felonious act . cut down a tree that ’s not on one ’s own property or in a designated country , such as a Christmas tree farm , can dribble consequences . If that property belongs to someone else , cut down the tree diagram could very in all likelihood be seen as damage or theft of property . If it was a tree that the owner could have sold as hardwood or for timber , that ’s also something to consider : Clark might owe him or her for the value of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . consider it was a vast , onetime tree diagram , the property owner might be owe a reasonable sum . Even if it ’s land owned by the federal government , there ’s no guaranty that the area is detached to disregard . In any typesetter’s case , Clark should have contract license before cutting down the big pine tree .
6Criminal Property Damage
Margo and Todd had every reason to hate Clark Griswold.
Clark ’s neighbors Todd ( Nicholas Guest ) and Margo ( Julia Louis - Dreyfus ) may be stuck - up yuppies , but they had every rationality to detest Clark Griswold;Clark is unquestionably a nightmare neighbor and a walking HOA infringement . ThroughoutChristmas Vacation , Clark does meaning damage to their property , whether through negligence or planetary deportment . The first time is confessedly not intentional on Clark ’s part . After all , it was impossible to predict that part of his gutter would take flight off the roof , doss down through Todd and Margo ’s window , and blast their novel stereoscopic photograph system .
The 2nd clip Clark blast their just - furbish up windowpane , however , is more serious . This incident is completely Clark ’s fault . Clark ’s aggressive decision to cut down a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in his front yard was clearly risky , especially with the tree being so near to his neighbors ' star sign . By every metrical , Clark should have foresee that scathe to his neighbors ' property was not only possible , but likely . Whether it ’s accidental or negligence does n’t matter , however . Clark ’s actions destroy Todd and Margo ’s prop multiple times throughout the movie .
5Multiple Code Violations
Clark’s house was a potential death trap.
Clark Griswold is a walking code violation throughout the length ofChristmas Vacation . He ’s certainly on his HOA ’s speculative side , but he also might be on the wrong side of the law when it hail to his Christmas lights . His light being so powerful that they momentarily debilitate the city ’s power gridiron is played for comedy , but in real life it would earn him a muscular fine – at the very least . The way he has the lights rigged up also violates multiple safety codes : his electric panel is too overloaded , he has too few outlets for too many cords and surge defender , and all of it leads to multiple fire code violations . It ’s a miracle Clark ’s cobbled - together electrical grid does n’t catch fire and burn the business firm down .
4EPA Code Violations
Cousin Eddie’s sewer situation was a problem.
electric and fire codes are n’t the only safety regulations neglected during the film . In one of the uncommon instances in the picture where Clark really acknowledges the illegality of an legal action inChristmas Vacation , it ’s when he watch Cousin Eddie(Randy Quaid ) dumping his commode chemical directly into Clark ’s storm sewer . This outrage multiple environmental safety computer code , including in Illinois . Illinois state of matter legal philosophy ( and in all likelihood some Illinois counties ) prohibits the open dumping of waste and not properly disposing of it . It further veto dumping anything into a storm toilet . Cousin Eddie has no regard for environmental practice of law – or for the Griswolds ' neighbors , who almost certainly have some legal resort for his actions .
3Financial Fraud
Clark shouldn’t write checks he can’t cash.
This is one of the nitpickier item , but it ’s still technically a offence . As his crime syndicate gathers around , Clark nonchalantly cite that until his bonus check get in , he did n’t have enough money to cover the down payment he ’d stick to build up a swim pool . His married woman , Ellen ( Beverly D’Angelo ) , is alarmed to learn this . In the context of the scene , it ’s because she ’s clearly worried he ’s hyperbolize their money box accounting . However , she might have more to worry about : under Illinois law , it ’s illegal to publish a cheque knowing one does n’t have the money to cover it , and is considered theft of a financial institution . It ’s not potential that Clark would ever be caught or penalize for this , but the practice of check - kiting is very much in usurpation of state fiscal fraud law .
2Domestic Battery
It was played for laughs, but Margo did assault Todd.
Margo finally storm over to the Griswolds ' intending to give Clark a piece of her mind – and truly so . She lose the indignity of being attacked by a fleeing squirrel , and then by Cousin Eddie ’s pet Rottweiler , Snots . Limping back home defeated and furious that her husband did n’t back her up , she storms into the star sign and punches Todd in good order in the cheek . It ’s another picture represent for laughs , but if Todd wanted to , he ’d have a valid sound ground to iron out charge against Margo for domesticated battery , a Class A misdemeanor under Illinois state law(assuming Margo had no previous charges filed against her ) .
1Aggravated Kidnapping
The worst crime of all that would call for serious jail time.
Thefinal act of the picture encounter Clark ’s syndicate committing the speculative criminal offence of all , and one that brings down law enforcement , literally and figuratively , on the Griswolds ' corporate head . After Clark teach his supposed fillip check is a cheap natural endowment subscription , he sound on an unfiltered tirade and he mentions that a great Christmas gift would be his cheapskate boss , Frank Shirley ( Brian Doyle Murray ) , tied up in front of him . Dimwitted but patriotic Eddie guide this seriously and takes it upon himself to kidnap Mr. Shirley and deliver him , tied in a big red obeisance , to Clark .
While other crimes go unnoticed , practice of law enforcement ca n’t let the snatch of a wealthy CEO on Christmas Eve sloping trough . The SWAT squad swarms the Griswolds ' place and the entire family is held at gunpoint . Frank Shirley is ultimately shamed by his cheapness and tells them he ’s not pressing charges . In realness , Cousin Eddie would likely have done some significant prison meter for aggravated kidnapping . It ’s also potential that Clark might have been charged , as well , had police force enforcement and prosecutors believe that his tirade had been instructions for Cousin Eddie . Of all the crimes inChristmas Vacation , the kidnapping of Frank Shirley was by far the most serious .
Cast
The third installment in the National Lampoon ’s Vacation serial , National Lampoon ’s Christmas Vacation , star Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold , father of the Griswold syndicate whose purpose to have a good Christmas with his family face several setbacks . Between his argue parent , the uncooperative decorations , and the unexpected arriver of some unwanted distant relatives , Clark ’s dreaming for a wonderful Christmas seem to be fading , forcing him to take some comedically drastic measuring rod .
Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) smoking a cigar in his robe in the snow in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) smoking a cigar in his robe in the snow in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, father of the Griswold family whose intentions to have a good Christmas with his family face several setbacks. Between his arguing parents, the uncooperative decorations, and the unexpected arrival of some unwanted distant relatives, Clark’s dreams for a wonderful Christmas seem to be fading, forcing him to take some comedically drastic measures.
