Forty years ago, the Griswold family found out that “it’s a long way down the Holiday Road” during their big screen debut inNational Lampoon’s Vacation. The Griswolds returned in 1985 with the first sequel,National Lampoon’s European Vacation. However, the Griswold clan has perhaps become best known for the third movie,National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which arrived in theaters in 1989 on its way toward becoming a holiday favorite.
Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo are the only actors to have stayed with the franchise through all five films, includingVegas Vacationin 1997 andVacationin 2015. Chase and D’Angelo have been playing Clark and Ellen Griswold since 1983, but their kids have been recast in every subsequent film. InChristmas Vacation, Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis stepped in to play the Griswold children, Rusty and Audrey.
The reason whyNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationis so beloved is that Clark is never more relatable than when he’s doing everything in his power to give his family the best Christmas possible. Even when his unstable cousin-in-law, Eddie (Randy Quaid), shows up unannounced with his wife and kids, Clark pushes himself to his breaking point. Chaos ensues, but it’s the kind of chaos that only comes from a place of love. It also helps that the movie is hilarious, and it’s been regularly played on cable since its release.
In the streaming era,National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationremains aDecember movie classic. Now, we’re going to tell you where you can stream it this holiday season.
Where can you watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?
If you want to see Clark and company deal with getting the perfect Christmas tree, shop for that elusive present, or fight off a rogue squirrel in a crowded living room, head toMaxto begin streaming. Launched as HBO Max in 2020, Max offers programs from its signature brands, such as HBO, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. Legacy shows likeThe Sopranos,The Wire,Succession, andGame of Thronescan all be watched on the service as well ascurrent movies likeThe Batman. And original programming, likeHacksandThe Flight Attendant, exists under “Max Originals.”
Because itstreams under WarnerMedia,National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationis also available to watch on TNT and TBS this holiday season. If you do not have cable TV, the Chevy Chase comedycan be accessed through live TV streaming services likeHulu + Live TVand Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV features a fixed lineup of cable channels, while Sling TV is an à la carte model that lets users pick and choose the channel lineup.
You can also check out other holiday movies on Max.
When does it stream for subscribers?
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationis currently streaming on Max.
Hulu is also streamingNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationthrough the end of December.
How much does it cost?
Huluusers have more options. The ad-supported tier is $8 per month or $80 per year. Without ads, Hulu is $18 a month. There are also Hulu + Live TV plans including Disney+ and ESPN+ that run $77 with ads, $82 with ads only on Hulu and ESPN+, or $90 a month for a nearly ad-free streaming service with the exception of ESPN+.
Is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation worth watching?
Absolutely! There’s no other modern holiday movie that gets the agony and ecstasy of Christmas quite as well asNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The film is funny and yet is still grounded in the painful reality of sharing your home with other relatives, having terrible neighbors, and being disappointed by the weird gifts you get on Dec. 25.
Both Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo return as the Griswold matriarchs, with future Oscar Nominee Juliette Lewis andThe Big Bang Theorystar Johnny Galecki as Audrey and Rusty, respectively. Randy Quaid makes an appearance as Cousin Eddie, and yes, that’s a pre-SeinfeldJulia Louis-Dreyfus as Clark’s yuppie neighbor. The movie was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and runs at a thrifty 97 minutes.
OnRotten Tomatoes,National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationregisters 70% on the Tomatometer and a 86% audience score. On Metacritic, the film holds aMetascoreof 49 and a user score of 7.9.
