National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Continuity mistake: During Clark's rant, the shot goes from seeing him from behind the whole family to a frontal view of the family looking at him in shock. In the first, they are standing in line with the entrance to the room. You can even see Eddie's shadow on the wall as he's very close and slightly behind it. Also, on the other side, Audrey's arms are going down to her side and she's a little behind Art. In the next shot, there is no wall and Audrey is in front of Art. Her arms are also crossed.

Continuity mistake: When Clark is looking at his "bonus check", he's holding both the envelope and "check" together in both hands. In the next shot he's only holding the "check" in both hands and the envelope is no longer under it.

Bishop73

Continuity mistake: When Clark falls over while on the ladder, after ripping his sleeve off, his hands keep changing position on the ladder. When he first starts to fall, his right hand is gripping the side and in the next shot both hands are gripping the rung. In the next shot both hands are on the side of the ladder until the shot after he pushes himself away from the tree and they go back to being on the rung for a shot.

Bishop73

Continuity mistake: The entire Christmas bonus scene at end, Clark's tie changes. Take note of the pattern on the knot, which changes from shot to shot.

lifelinz

Continuity mistake: When Clark is talking to the pretty saleswoman and she says "well, you do have your coat on", he tilts his head down and to his right. In the next shot his head is to his left and he moves it to the right.

Bishop73

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)

More mistakes in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Todd: Hey, Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?
Clark: Bend over and I'll show you.
Todd: You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that, Griswold.
Clark: I wasn't talking to you.

More quotes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Trivia: When Clark smashes up the decorations when he can't get the lights working, Chevy Chase genuinely broke a finger when he punched Santa, but stayed in character, kicking the decorations instead, and that's the take used in the 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

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