Double Feature
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Chevy Chase returns for a third time as Clark Griswold, the hapless dad who seems to never be particularly lucky dealing with his leisure time. His long-suffering wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and teenage progeny, Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and Audrey (Juliette Lewis), pull together to make the best of it when the Griswolds’ extended family decide to take their yuletide vacations with them. Hillbilly cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), his wife Catherine (Miriam Flynn), and their kids, arriving in their RV, are just the tip of the iceberg, with seasonal disasters involving Christmas lights, electrocuted cats and sewer gas snowballing as the frantic comic saga unfolds in slapstick manner.
“Producer John Hughes, who also wrote this newest chapter in the life of the Griswold family… definitely has a way with the foibles of parenthood. Whether it’s Uncle Buck or Mr. Mom or the booby-footed Clark, Hughes has found an irresistible formula in fatherly ineptitude… it will prove pater-familiar to fans of the 1983 original and the European Vacation sequel. Only it’s a bit more whimsical… a diverting stocking-stuffer.” – Rita Kempley, The Washington Post
- Director
- Jeremiah S. Chechik
- Writer
- John Hughes
- Starring
- Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Randy Quaid
- Year
- 1989
- Rated
- PG-13
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 97 minutes
Ernest Saves Christmas
High-flying reindeer! Mischievous elves! Warp-speed sleigh rides! When Santa Claus decides to retire and pass on his magic bag of Christmas surprises to a new St. Nick, he enlists the aid of a hilarious assortment of characters, including that lovable know-it-all Ernest P. Worrell! Along the way, Santa and Ernest help a cynical teen experience the season’s spirit like never before. And that’s where the fun – and magic – begin! (Buena Vista Pictures)
- Director
- John Cherry
- Writer
- Screenplay by B. Kline and Ed Turner
- Starring
- Jim Varney, Douglas Seale, Oliver Clark, Noëlle Parker
- Year
- 1988
- Rated
- PG
- Country
- USA
- Format
- 35mm
- Running Time
- 91 minutes