Why 'Christmas Vacation' remains a beloved holiday movie

Matthew Zwillick, of Malverne, has a bit of a reputation. The 47-year-old education administrator is known for his obsession with Christmas lights, much like Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), the lead character from his favorite holiday film, "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation."

"People call me Clark," says Zwillick, who wears a rotation of 10 "Christmas Vacation" T-shirts. "I connect with him because he plugs in all the extension cords into one outlet, struggles to figure out which lights are working and ends up hanging off the roof. During the holiday season I have that film playing multiple times a week in the background while I’m doing work."

Meanwhile over in Riverhead, Melissa Micari is in charge of the merriment at her house.

"Clark’s mission resonates with me," says Micari, 43, who met Chase at Christmas Con in New Jersey during 2023. "We have 10 Christmas trees in our house. Everyone gets one in their bedroom. Plus, outside I have a programmable light show with music, which I’ve been working on since August."

NEW STATUS

Since its release in 1989, the popularity of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has grown exponentially, entering the seasonal film into the new Christmas classics category alongside "A Christmas Story" (1983), "Home Alone" (1990) and "Elf" (2003). The movie returns to the big screen on Dec. 10 at Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in Bay Shore and on Dec. 17 at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts.

The plot focuses on the Griswold family in suburbs of Chicago led by father figure Clark, who goes out of his way to deliver the perfect Christmas holiday for his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), daughter, Audrey (Juliette Lewis), son, Rusty (John Galecki), and extended family. The harder he tries, the more things go awry.

"The movie was released in 1989, but could just as easily be released today and relate as well as it did back then," says WBLI (106.1 FM) morning DJ Syke (Andrew Sykora), 42, of Babylon. "No matter how many years go by, it transcends time and relates to everybody’s holiday experience in some way, shape or form."

CONNECTING WITH THE CHARACTERS

Despite being a farce, the film has a significant amount of relatability for many viewers.

"This whole movie is my life growing up," says Stacy Cardona, 45, of Rocky Point, who drinks eggnog from her "Christmas Vacation" Marty Moose mug. "We used to call ourselves the Griswolds. My dad would plan these awesome trips, but everything would get messed up. He could never admit when he was wrong, yet things would keep happening."

Chris Parente, 53, of Holtsville, first saw the film during his college years but didn’t fully appreciate it until he became a father.

"As a dad you start to realize the difficulty of organizing your family for the holidays and the stress that is involved," says Parente, who has Clark’s inflatable "family truckster" with a giant Christmas tree atop on his front lawn. "There are a lot of dynamics and personalities at play. You view the film differently as you start to realize what Clark is going through."

The Garcia family, of Massapequa Park, loves the movie so much they designed their 2023 Christmas card based on "Christmas Vacation."

"We do a different theme every year," says Alex Garcia, 49, who collects "Christmas Vacation" action figures. "Each of us played different characters. People really got a kick out of it."

FAVORITE SCENES

The film is packed with zany scenes that escalate as it goes off the rails. One particular favorite is the runaway squirrel. After Clark cuts down his own Christmas tree in the woods, which is too big for his living room, he discovers it came with a surprise guest that terrorizes his family.

"Whenever the squirrel jumps out, I scream and if my husband rewinds it I scream again. It makes my kids laugh," says JoAnn Green, 69, of Farmingdale, who has a collection of "Christmas Vacation" tree ornaments. "Every year my children put a stuffed animal squirrel in my tree just to tease me."

Al Grabow, 51, of Mastic Beach, adds, "Twenty years ago, in order to get my daughter to leave the Christmas tree alone and prevent it from falling on her, we told her there’s a squirrel in the tree. It really worked because she stopped touching it."

Many people cite the dinner table scene as a highlight featuring all the quirky characters like clueless Aunt Bethany (the late Mae Questel) who recites the Pledge of Allegiance instead of saying grace, crazy Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), who shows up unannounced with his wife and kids plus cranky Uncle Lewis (the late William Hickey), who accidentally burns down the Christmas tree while lighting his cigar.

"Families aren’t perfect," says Robert Solis, 56, of Huntington, who watches the film religiously. "There are disagreements and bickering as well as relatives that are out there, but at the same time you still love and care for them."

WATCH ON REPEAT

Certain films contain a unique quality known as rewatchability, meaning they can be enjoyed upon repeat viewings without losing their punch.

"I must put on ‘Christmas Vacation’ every year when I’m decorating my tree," says Patricia Bendersky, 57, of West Islip, who wears a Griswold’s Tree Farm sweatshirt. "My family is always like, ‘Oh god, not again’ but I love it. It’s what starts the holidays for me."

Erick Kacharaba, 46, of East Rockaway, watches "Christmas Vacation" all year long.

"It doesn’t matter whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter. I love it and never get bored of it," says Kacharaba, who owns a talking Clark Griswold doll. "Whenever it’s on TV, I’m watching it and I own the DVD."

Physical therapist Frank McCoy, 55, of Setauket, has it playing on a loop in his office throughout the season.

"I watch it at least once a day starting a week before Thanksgiving," he says. "I never get sick of it. Having it on makes me happy."

TAKEAWAY MESSAGE

Although it aims at laughs, "Christmas Vacation" has a heartfelt message within its comedic center.

"The film is really about family," says Lisa Phillips, 57, of Bellmore. "Christmas is a time to get together, enjoy each other and pray for better things for everyone. You try to see the good in people, then carry that mindset into the new year."

Stephen Gariglio, 73, of West Islip, adds, "Clark learns to try his best while still enjoying the holiday as well. It’s important not to do too much or overthink things. Just have a good time with it."