National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

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.

manthabeat

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 Clark has the entire family outside to witness the lighting of the house, the positions of the in-laws change instantly from being clumped together to strung out in a line, depending on whether the shot is overhead or at ground level.

Scott215

Continuity mistake: When Aunt Bethany asks "Do you hear it?", she leans forward in her chair. In the next shot she's suddenly sitting back, and leans forward again when she says, "It's a funny squeaky sound."

Scott215

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)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation mistake picture

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)

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation mistake picture

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)

Dr Wilson

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)

Dr Wilson

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)

Dr Wilson

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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.

movielove

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.

Dr Wilson

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.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Clarke is installing the Christmas lights, the rope on the ladder keeps appearing and disappearing. (00:23:00)

Dr Wilson

Continuity mistake: When the squirrel is being chased by Eddie's dog, it passes through the broken door and then vanishes. (01:22:07)

Dr Wilson

Continuity mistake: When they first step up to the tree in the forest, Audrey is still moving. In the overhead shot, she stops, and we can see tracks in the snow where all four have been standing. The problem is, there are a lot of tracks. We're lead to believe they just walked up to the tree.

manthabeat

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.

David Schaal

More mistakes in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Clark Griswold: [reciting 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.] When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and...and Eddie with a man in his pajamas and a dog chain tied to his wrist and ankles. What the...?

Bishop73

More quotes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Trivia: Eddie's son, Rocky, doesn't speak one line in the entire film.

More trivia for National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Question: What is the name of the Christmas Tree farm they went to to get their tree?

Answer: They didn't go to a Christmas tree farm. He took them to a huge forest to get one most likely because it would be easier to get one free then to pay for one.

They went to a tree farm. After running off the road and jumping the snowbank the wagon crashes through a sign that says "Trees." Clark then says, "We're here...and we made good time too." The humor is Clark forgoes a normal "farmed" tree for the "wild" monster he takes home.

False. They may have run over the tree farm sign, but they absolutely did not harvest a tree from the tree farm.

Answer: It was a tree farm (the car literally flies through a sign that says "Christmas Trees"). There's a deleted scene after they crash and walk to find a tree. Realizing that they didn't have a saw to cut the tree, the family walks to the lot attendant (an odd man, reclining in a lawn chair, wearing a Santa jacket and hat) to ask to borrow a saw. There is a conversation between them where Clark is told that they don't supply saws, but he gave him a shovel. THIS explains how the tree got dug out of the ground. You can actually see a picture of this scene on an old DVD cover.

Answer: They never went to a tree farm. Even though there is a sign that says "Trees", there is no employee there to greet them or even discuss how much the tress cost. Plus, trees on a tree farm are usually smaller and are always lined up in a row. The trees seen by the Griswold's are extremely large and are scattered about like what would be seen in a regular forest which is where they went.

They are never shown in the "store" area of the tree farm, so you can't say that there is nobody working there. They jump the snowbank, it shows them gathering themselves in the car, and the next scene is in the wilderness. It's a small, rundown tree farm, but it is a tree farm business, with a plowed parking lot, garbage cans, lights, other customers, etc. These tree farms usually had pre-cut trees for purchase, but you could also walk out and cut down your own for the "experience" if you wanted to. As someone who has walked a couple miles to get a Christmas tree in December in Minnesota, I can say with absolute certainty that this is accurate.

oldbaldyone

More questions & answers from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

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