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.
Continuity mistake: While Clark is having his difficult conversation with Mary, the department store counter girl, the knot on his tie alternates between being cinched tight to loose around his collar.
Continuity mistake: When Clark begins his rant about Mr. Shirley, Grandma Frances is directly behind Grandpa Art, with Rusty. The next shot of her and Rusty is almost standing next to Art.
Continuity mistake: Before Clark goes off on his rant about his boss, Grandma Frances places her hand on Rusty's shoulder, but the next shot has her hand on the side of Rusty's head.
Plot hole: When Bill and Clark are discussing the bonus delivery situation, it is December 21st, and Bill says his son received a delivery at his home via company courier. The bonus checks were to arrive to the employees before Christmas Eve, which would have given them plenty of time to contact each other that none of them got the bonus checks but did get enrollment in the Jelly of the Month Club.
Continuity mistake: The RV of Eddie is parked near the end of Clark's driveway by the large tree in the yard when Clark illuminates his house. When the family disperses and heads into the house, the overhead shot now shows the RV is parked up against the Griswold's garage door, far away from the edge of the driveway.
Factual error: In the scene where Clark is working on the lights the full moon is shown. This is December 14th according to the advent calendar. On December 24th when Santa's sleigh goes sailing over the moon, it is still full.
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: 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.
Revealing mistake: After Clark cuts the rope on the large tree, it spreads out and branches start breaking windows. One of the branches has a pole of some type pushing it through the window.
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.
Revealing mistake: When Clark is on the sled, there's one frontal shot when the snow flies in the air before he touches it.
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.
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: 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.
Revealing mistake: After the squirrel lands on the coffee table, it rises up and twitches its tail in a mechanical motion, showing it is really a puppet.
Continuity mistake: As the shots quickly change from the front of Catherine and Rusty to their backs, Catherine is either holding Rusty tightly to her, loosely, or not at all.
Revealing mistake: When Lewis's coat catches on fire after the Christmas tree explodes, the square on his coat that holds the "fire" is evident.
