Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany have just arrived and Aunt Bethany says, "Oh dear, did I break wind?" Ellen helps Aunt Bethany fully remove her coat. Seconds later, within the same scene, Ellen is still helping Bethany off with her coat. (01:02:45)
Continuity mistake: In an early shot of the outside of the house, the motorhome that Eddie and family show up in is parked in the driveway. The problem is, they don't appear until later in the film. (00:37:55)
Continuity mistake: When the Griswolds are driving to the tree farm, they are being harassed by the rednecks in the truck. Several shots of the front of the truck show only two passengers, but one view of the truck through its rear window shows three passengers. (00:04:17)
Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany arrive, the wreath on the front door is lit with Christmas lights. When the door opens from inside the home, there are no lights on the wreath....it is just plain green. (01:01:58)
Continuity mistake: When Clark and Eddie are standing next to the Christmas tree drinking eggnog, when Eddie walks over to the decoration and knocks it over, in one shot his glass is less than half full and in the next it is almost completely full and he takes a gulp. (00:45:55)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is sliding down the hill on the sled, several times you can see fins on the bottom to help whoever was riding it control the direction a little better. When Clark is rubbing the oil on the bottom of the sled before he starts it is completely flat on the bottom. (00:50:28)
Continuity mistake: After Eddie et al arrive at the Griswolds, "Snots" is introduced. When everyone else has gone into the house, Clark is left outside with the dog. A shot shows the dog at Clark's side, and if you look at Clark's sleeve, he's wearing a sweater, but actually has on a windbreaker. At the end of the movie, Clark's wearing the sweater. Apparently the shot was taken of him and the dog, and edited back into the film early on. (00:44:30)
Continuity mistake: After the tree burns up from Uncle Lewis' stogie, he turns around revealing fire on his back. Right as he is turning, the shot cuts to Clark and back to Lewis. In this new shot, Lewis' hair is different (compare the wigs), indicating the person getting the fire on his back put out is a stunt person.
Continuity mistake: In the opening scene, when the family is on their way to get a Christmas tree, they get into a road rage battle. If you look closely at the shape of the headlights, the car the family is in and the stunt car are noticeably different.
Continuity mistake: When the SWAT team charges into the Griswold's house and orders everyone to freeze, Ellen's head is behind Clark's right arm in the shots from the rear, while the shots from the front show Ellen's head in front of Clark's right arm.
Continuity mistake: When Clark is outside, trying to get the lights to work, Ellen comes out the door, pulling a sweater around her shoulders. First it is on one shoulder, then both, then one, and at the end of the scene she has it on properly, with both arms in the sleeves. (00:36:10)
Continuity mistake: When Uncle Lewis lights the cigar that sets the Christmas tree on fire, watch closely. It shows side shots of Clark eating his dinner, and you can see the tree in the living room. The camera cuts back to Lewis lighting his cigar, and then back to Clark at the exact same angle as before. The tree is gone. (01:11:10)
Continuity mistake: In the department store as Clark is talking with Mary, the lingerie sales lady, his left arm is supporting him on the glass counter as he is standing. The next shot when Rusty approaches, Clark is now bent down with his left arm resting on the counter.
Continuity mistake: After the SWAT team busts into the Griswold's home and an officer yells "Freeze!", Clark's right arm changes position from either being raised or lowered as the scene quick cuts.
Continuity mistake: When Clark is going crazy, he cuts the newel post. But it's still in place in the later scene, when the family has problems with the squirrel. (01:18:15 - 01:21:20)
Continuity mistake: After Clark receives what he thinks is his bonus check, he says if there is enough money left over he will fly all of the relatives out to see the new pool. Everyone reacts with excitement, particularly Ellen, who is standing right next to Clark. She lets out a cry of excitement and raises her arms. The next shot is taken from the opposite point of view (from over Clark's shoulder). In this next shot, you can see everyone else still excited with the sudden exception of Ellen. She went from shrieking in excitement to having her mouth closed and her arms back down at her sides.
Continuity mistake: When Clark is going into the attic to hide presents, the ladder that smacks him in the face is a sliding ladder, but later when he is shut in the attic and uses the ladder to attract attention it is a folding ladder.
Continuity mistake: When Clark's uncle drops the match that sets the sewer on fire, his toupee falls off and at the end of the scene you can see him trying to put it back on, although it's burnt pretty badly. In the final scene where everyone is dancing around, his toupee is back on and in perfect condition. (01:32:35)
Continuity mistake: When Clark finally opens the christmas lights, he has the wires in his hands. The shot later, when all the family comes, the wires are not there and his arms are wide open. (00:39:55)
Continuity mistake: When Clark is holding the gutter, it bends and ice is thrown from inside of it. The problem is that you can't see any ice during the first shot when it bends, and also that the ice goes in the wrong direction. (00:24:25)
Suggested correction: You actually see Clark go from sitting on the counter to bending down as the saleslady is modelling the undergarment.
That's not the part the mistake is talking about. The mistake is valid. Clark is sitting in the counter but is off screen when he changes position (so you don't actually see it). When Rusty enters the shot, Clark's hand is in the counter. In the next shot, his elbow is on the counter, with no time elapsing.
Bishop73