It is very rare for comedy sequels to be successful, as it can be challenging to craft a follow up that avoids repeating the same jokes. While there are plenty of notorious disasters like Airplane II and Caddyshack II, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of the rare examples in which the sequel managed to surpass the original in terms of its cultural impact. The first Vacation film from 1983 was certainly a hilarious dark comedy, but National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation became a film that is rewatched every year in celebration of the Christmas season. Ironically, the connective tissue between the films is relatively thin, as Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo are the only two actors who appeared in all five installments within the franchise. Despite giving terrific performances, Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki didn’t return after National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation due to the gap between sequels.
The Vacation Franchise Always Recast the Griswold Kids

One of the recurring gags that has made the franchise so cheeky and endearing is that the actors playing Audrey and Rusty change within each Vacation sequel. The original film cast Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron, respectively, but the two young stars had aged too significantly for them to realistically play the same characters in the sequel, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, which was released two years later. The same issue was raised within the production of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which resulted in Lewis and Galecki joining the cast. Although National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was the most critically and commercially successful installment in the series, progress on a follow-up was slow, as the fourth film, Vegas Vacation, was not released until 1997. At that point, both Lewis and Galecki were established as adult stars, and could not realistically appear as teenagers.
The revolving cast playing the Griswold kids became a running gag, as Clark even remarks to Audrey and Rusty that “you guys are growing up so fast, I hardly recognize you anymore!” in Vegas Vacation in a moment that seems to break the fourth wall. Unfortunately, this self-aware moment is one of the only redeeming aspects of Vegas Vacation, a sequel that ditches the heartfelt family storyline of the earlier installments for a far more mean-spirited storyline. Beyond the fact that it was released far too late to capitalize on the popularity of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Vegas Vacation made a critical error in its depiction of Audrey and Rusty. Rusty spends the majority of the film in a bitter feud with his father, and Audrey is overtly sexualized in a storyline that involves her becoming a dancer in Vegas. Even if Galecki and Lewis were of the appropriate age to appear in the film, it is unlikely that showing up for such an uninspired sequel would have done their careers any favors.
Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis Were Great in ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has what is easily the best depiction of the Griswold kids, as it is one of the only films in the series that equally balances the perspective of each family member. Although a majority of the film revolves around Clark trying to get a bonus at work, it also deals with Rusty and Audrey having to cope with bringing their extended family to stay in their home. The characterization is not static, as Audrey and Rusty begin to take more responsibility, and serve as a reminder to Clark that raising his children is more important than anything he could earn through his job.
Lewis and Galecki ended up having more longevity than the Vacation franchise, as they ended up becoming far more popular stars in the aftermath of the third film’s release. Lewis earned a well-deserved Academy Award nomination for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s horror remake Cape Fear only two years later, and Galecki became a regular on Roseanne before popping up in cult classics like Suicide Kings and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Although the 2015 legacy sequel Vacation notably brought back both Chase and D’Angelo, its critical and commercial failure indicated that perhaps Lewis and Galecki were even more essential to the success of the franchise.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is streaming on Max in the United States.
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National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

Release Date

December 1, 1989

Director

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Runtime

97 minutes