Do You Remember National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?
by Teresa McGlothlin
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Since the film's 1989 release, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has been a holiday time classic. Have you watched it enough times to recite it word for word like Aunt Bethany saying the Pledge of Allegiance at dinner? Find out how well you know it by taking this quiz!
1: What does Clark forget to bring on the hunt for a Christmas tree?
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During the opening sequence, you see Clark driving the family out to the woods to find the perfect tree. When he finds it, he realizes that he forgot his ax. Ever the handyman, Clark digs it up. You'll see the roots once it's on the top of the family car.
2: What's the name of the character played by actor Randy Quaid?
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Randy Quaid got into his part as Cousin Eddie by imitating someone that he knew in Texas. The brother of Dennis Quaid was nominated for several awards during the '70s, and he has an impressive line of films under his belt, including a 2003 sequel version of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
3: Do you remember how Clark passes the time when he's stuck in the attic?
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When Clark manages to get himself locked in the attic, he digs through an old truck for warm clothing. Inside the trunk, he finds home movies from his childhood. If you watch closely, the screen flashes 1955.
4: What's the problem when Clark's lights won't light up?
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Including falling off the roof, Clark goes to a lot of effort to make sure his lighting display can be seen from outer space. When they fail to light up, Clark has an epic meltdown that involves punching a plastic Santa in the face. Ellen accidentally fixes the problem when she flips a switch in the garage.
5: Which one of these characters went on to have a big role on the series "Seinfeld?"
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Clark's pretentious and rightfully annoyed neighbor Margo Chester. Hot off the heels of "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," she went on to play Elaine on "Seinfeld" the very same year of the film's release, 1989.
6: Aunt Bethany wraps up her cat and what other bizarre Christmas gift?
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When Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis arrive, they come bearing gifts. Russ brings a box to his parents that contains her cat, and Cousin Eddie follows with a leaking box of Jello. Later at dinner, Clark figures out that the Jello mold is topped with cat food. Eddie likes it, though.
7: Which of the family members gets to say the dinner blessing?
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During dinner, Clark sits at the head of the table and gets the honor of carving the overly dry turkey. When he asks Aunt Bethany to say the blessing, she recites the Pledge of Allegiance. While Eddie stands up and puts his hand over his heart, Clark simply rolls his eyes and says, "Amen."
8: Do you recall the part of the turkey that Cousin Eddie asks Clark to save for him?
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As Clark is preparing to slice into Catherine's turkey, Cousin Eddie asks him to save the neck. Once Clark carves into the deflated bird, he makes light of the situation by assuring Cathering that it can still be served and saying, "There's the heart."
9: How does the Griswold family tree catch on fire?
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Clark sees a fireball coming from the living that prompts him to get up from the dinner table. His inspection reveals that Uncle Lewis set the tree on fire while trying to light a cigar. He also has to put Uncle Lewis out because he's smoldering.
10: Do you remember the name of Cousin Eddie's Dog?
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Cousin Eddie arrives in his RV with the kids, the wife, and his dog named Snots. Later, Clark catches Snots drinking the water from underneath the tree. As a result, the tree becomes so dry that it was easy for Uncle Lewis to accidentally set it on fire.
11: When the family goes sledding, what does Clark use to oil up the sled?
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Clark doesn't know it when he oils up the sled with the kitchen lubricant he created at his job, but he is in for the ride of his life. He states that it's "500 times more slippery" than other oils. When he finally crash lands at a Walmart, Cousin Eddie says, "Bingo!"
12: "I can't even afford to be a(n) _____." Can you correctly fill in the blank and finish Clark's thought?
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Clark is quite disappointed when he thinks his Christmas bonus isn't showing up. As he's lamenting his woes, he states, "I can't even afford to be an elf." Clark is feeling foolish because he was anticipating a large check, and he had already put a $7,500 down payment on a swimming pool.
13: As Clark imagines everyone around the pool, which non-family member does he see in his fantasy?
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Early in the film, Clark has a hard time hiding his attraction to the department store clerk while he's trying to find a gift for Ellen. As he stands at the window dreaming about the pool he wants to give his family, she appears again. Only this time, she's wearing a bathing suit.
14: When the delivery driver arrives with Clark's bonus check, why does the driver say that he's late?
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Clark was left to anxiously wait for his bonus check. Just when he had given up, the delivery man knocks on the door and says that he's late because the check feel between the seats. At first, Clark is overjoyed to receive the bonus; then, he opens it and loses his mind.
15: What kind of membership does Clark get instead of the bonus he's expecting?
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Clark is overjoyed to open his bonus when it arrives. But after all the hype and anticipation, he's enraged to find a certificate to the Jelly of the Month Club instead of the money he was expecting. That's when he goes on his epic rant that ends with, "Where's the Tylenol?"
16: Why does Catherine say that Cousin Eddie doesn't eat squirrel anymore?
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Clark replaces the incinerated tree with a new tree, but it has a squirrel inhabiting it. As he tries to get the squirrel to come out, he remarks that he thought Cousin Eddie enjoyed eating them. That's when Catherine chimes in and tells Clark that Eddie no longer eats them because they are too high in cholesterol.
17: Is it Clark's mom or Ellen's mom who later played a major character on "Everybody Loves Raymond?"
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Even though Ellen was a little nervous about their parents being together over the holidays, the couples seem to get along well. Although, Ellen's mom is a little less tolerant of Clark's antics than his own parents. The actress who played the character, Jean Stapleton, went on to play the mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond" only seven years later.
18: After being kidnapped and hearing Clark plead his case, how much does Clark's boss raise the bonus?
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Clark passes out when Mr. Shirley not only give him a bonus but also raises it by 20%. Mr. Shirley's wife is furious that her husband would perform such a Scrooge-like act. In the end, Mr. Shirley finds a heart and allows the officers to leave without arresting anyone.
19: Instead of the Christmas star, what does Uncle Lewis says Clark is wishing upon?
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Ever the pragmatist, Uncle Lewis attempts to squelch Clark's Christmas spirit by informing him that he isn't wishing on a star. Uncle Lewis insists that he's wishing on the light from the sewage plant. Clark can't be talked out of it; he knows he's pulled off the Christmas he wanted.
20: What's the name of the song Aunt Bethany sings when the sewer explosion sends Santa and his reindeer flying into the air?
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Aunt Bethany seems a little confused about her holidays. At the dinner table, she recites the Pledge of Allegiance. When the explosion happens, she stands on the doorstep and gives her rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner." Perhaps, she thinks she's at a 4th of July celebration.
