Forty years ago, the Griswold family found out that “it’s a long way down the Holiday Road” during their big screen debut in National Lampoon’s Vacation. The Griswolds returned in 1985 with the first sequel, National Lampoon’s European Vacation. However, the Griswold clan has perhaps become best known for the third movie, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which arrived in theaters in 1989 on its way toward becoming a holiday favorite.
Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo are the only actors to have stayed with the franchise through all five films, including Vegas Vacation in 1997 and Vacation in 2015. Chase and D’Angelo have been playing Clark and Ellen Griswold since 1983, but their kids have been recast in every subsequent film. In Christmas Vacation, Johnny Galecki and Juliette Lewis stepped in to play the Griswold children, Rusty and Audrey.
The reason why National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is so beloved is that Clark is never more relatable than when he’s doing everything in his power to give his family the best Christmas possible. Even when his unstable cousin-in-law, Eddie (Randy Quaid), shows up unannounced with his wife and kids, Clark pushes himself to his breaking point. Chaos ensues, but it’s the kind of chaos that only comes from a place of love. It also helps that the movie is hilarious, and it’s been regularly played on cable since its release.
In the streaming era, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation remains a December movie classic. Now, we’re going to tell you where you can stream it this holiday season.
Where can you watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?
If you want to see Clark and company deal with getting the perfect Christmas tree, shop for that elusive present, or fight off a rogue squirrel in a crowded living room, head to Max to begin streaming. Launched as HBO Max in 2020, Max offers programs from its signature brands, such as HBO, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. Legacy shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, and Game of Thrones can all be watched on the service as well as current movies like The Batman. And original programming, like Hacks and The Flight Attendant, exists under “Max Originals.”
Because it streams under WarnerMedia, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is also available to watch on TNT and TBS this holiday season. If you do not have cable TV, the Chevy Chase comedy can be accessed through live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Hulu + Live TV features a fixed lineup of cable channels, while Sling TV is an à la carte model that lets users pick and choose the channel lineup.
You can also check out other holiday movies on Max.
When does it stream for subscribers?
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is currently streaming on Max.
Stream National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Max
Hulu is also streaming National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation through the end of December.
Stream National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on Hulu
How much does it cost?
To access Max, subscribers can choose between a plan with ads and a plan without ads. With ads, Max costs $10 a month or $100 a year. Without ads, Max costs $15 a month or $150 a year.
Hulu users have more options. The ad-supported tier is $8 per month or $80 per year. Without ads, Hulu is $18 a month. There are also Hulu + Live TV plans including Disney+ and ESPN+ that run $77 with ads, $82 with ads only on Hulu and ESPN+, or $90 a month for a nearly ad-free streaming service with the exception of ESPN+.
Cable TV subscribers can watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for free on TNT and TBS. Without cable, the film is available through live TV platforms like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV. Sling TV offers two basic packages: Orange and Blue. Separately, those packages cost $40 per month and they cost $55 if purchased together. Extra Sling channels will cost anywhere from $3 to $11.
Is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation worth watching?
Absolutely! There’s no other modern holiday movie that gets the agony and ecstasy of Christmas quite as well as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The film is funny and yet is still grounded in the painful reality of sharing your home with other relatives, having terrible neighbors, and being disappointed by the weird gifts you get on Dec. 25.
Both Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo return as the Griswold matriarchs, with future Oscar Nominee Juliette Lewis and The Big Bang Theory star Johnny Galecki as Audrey and Rusty, respectively. Randy Quaid makes an appearance as Cousin Eddie, and yes, that’s a pre-Seinfeld Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Clark’s yuppie neighbor. The movie was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and runs at a thrifty 97 minutes.
On Rotten Tomatoes, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation registers 70% on the Tomatometer and a 86% audience score. On Metacritic, the film holds a Metascore of 49 and a user score of 7.9.
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