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)
Revealing mistake: After Eddie kidnaps Clark's boss, he drives off and if you look at the ground the snow looks like soap bubbles, because you see them waving around. (01:23:36)
Visible crew/equipment: When Clark is on his sled, just before he crashes into the cabin, the shadow of the camera is visible on it. (00:50:50)
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)
Revealing mistake: When Clark is on the sled, there's one frontal shot when the snow flies in the air before he touches it.
Revealing mistake: When Clark is putting Christmas lights on the top of his house, the ladder falls but stays at the same angle. (00:20:50)
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)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the movie, when Clark is outside of the house with Eddie's dog, all the police cars have disappeared. (01:34:10 - 01:35:00)
Suggested correction: It's the end of the movie with credits rolling, I would think the people behind the movie wanted it that way with Clark looking proudly of his Christmas night. his last line in the movie, he said "I did it" and the lights went off on the "THE END" sign. So, that's what I think about the ending. It's not a mistake. It would be if the sign wasn't shut off and started rolling credits after he said his line and nothing's there.
Revealing mistake: When Clark and Ellen are in the bed and Clark's hands are sticky, you can see that he actually grabs her hair to give the illusion that they are stuck, and he turns one of the pages of the magazine just fine. (00:12:30)
Continuity mistake: The christmas tree is visible from the dining room, but when Lewis goes beside it to smoke a cigar, you can't see him. When the tree is on fire, you don't see Lewis again and you can only see a branch of the tree.
Revealing mistake: When Clark starts to set up his Christmas lights, there is a scene where the ladder collapses. If you look closely you can see the wire coming out from under his jacket to keep him from falling forward. (00:20:55)
Continuity mistake: When the squirrel jumps out of the tree and the whole family is hiding around the corner in the front entry, the camera alternates shots frequently from the front of the family to the back of the family. Each time the angle changes, Catherine's stance changes from her arm being around Russ to her arm at her side.
Continuity mistake: Less than a day after the ice breaks the neighbors' window, it has fixed itself in the outside shots as Clark is stuck in the attic.
Continuity mistake: When Clarke is installing the Christmas lights, the rope on the ladder keeps appearing and disappearing. (00:23:00)
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