The original director ofNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationaddresses leaving the movie over a fight with Chevy Chase, calling him “a complete jerk.” Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik, with a script written by John Hughes, the classic 1989 comedy and the thirdVacationmoviefollows Clark Griswold’s attempt to have a good-old-fashioned family Christmas, though his plans spiral hilariously out of control. Chevy Chase ledChristmas Vacation’s castas Clark Griswold alongside Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Randy Quaid, and many more.
During a recent interview withEmpire Magazine,the originalNational Lampoon’s Christmas VacationdirectorChris Columbus addressed leaving the movie over a fight with Chevy Chase. The original director shot second-unit establishing shots for the movie, but after meeting with Chase, who “was a complete jerk,” Columbus decided to leave the movie, even though he desperately needed the job. Soon after, John Hughes sent him the script forHome Alone, which became his breakthrough project. Read his full comments below:
John Hughes had the same agent as me, and sent me the script for Christmas Vacation. I thought it was very funny. I even shot some initial establishing second-unit shots for the movie - shots that are in the film now. And then I met with Chevy Chase. It’s no surprise - you’ve heard this story a million times - but he was a complete jerk. And even though I was in a situation where I desperately needed a job, I decided that I had to bow out. Two weeks later, I got two scripts from John Hughes again. One was a script called “Reach The Rock,” which I didn’t respond to. And the other was Home Alone.
What Leaving Christmas Vacation Meant For Chris Columbus
He Went On To Direct Home Alone
From his early days onSaturday Night Liveto his last regular role onCommunity,Chevy Chase has commonly been accused of being difficult to work with, having clashed with someone on nearly every production he’s worked on. In the case of Chris Columbus, his clash with Chevy Chase and his subsequent decision to bow out ofNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationended up kickstarting his career. Though he would be replaced by Jeremiah S. Chechik, andChristmas Vacationwent on to become a classic, John Hughes sent him the script for another Christmas comedy,Home Alone.
Where To Watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is a holiday classic, and it’s important to know where to look to stream, rent, or buy it.
Home Aloneended up being a much bigger box office hit, grossing over $476 million on an $18 million budget, the second-highest-grossing film of 1990, and became Columbus' breakthrough. He returned to direct the sequel,Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and followed this success with another box office smash hit,Mrs. Doubtfire. While many ofChris Columbus' moviesduring the remainder of the 1990s were met with mixed results,Columbus found commercial acclaim once againfor directing the first twoHarry Pottermovies,Sorcerer’s StoneandChamber of Secrets, to much success.
Our Take On Chris Columbus Leaving Christmas Vacation
It Kickstarted His Career
Chris Columbus' clash with Chevy Chase and his subsequent decision to leaveChristmas Vacation, which may have seemed like a setback at the time, ultimately benefited the director. Though his replacement, Jeremiah S. Chechik, directed a belovedChristmas movie,his name has largely been forgotten. Meanwhile, Columbus went on to directHome Aloneand many more box office hits, such asMrs. Doubtfireand twoHarry Pottermovies. In hindsight, Columbus' clash with Chase and decision to leaveNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacationset the stage for a successful career.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Cast
The third installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, father of the Griswold family whose intentions to have a good Christmas with his family face several setbacks. Between his arguing parents, the uncooperative decorations, and the unexpected arrival of some unwanted distant relatives, Clark’s dreams for a wonderful Christmas seem to be fading, forcing him to take some comedically drastic measures.
