The third (and most beloved) installment in the long-running Vacation franchise, this film centers upon suburban patriarch Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and his vain efforts to recreate the fun, old fashioned Christmas celebrations of his youth. As ever, slapstick, property destruction, cutting remarks, kidnapping, and other assorted forms of mayhem ensue.
Ryan is joined by Rachel and Sylvan for an in depth look at this seasonal perennial. Talking points for this outing include soured nostalgia, class struggle, how the Vacation movies reflected the perception of the Reagan administration, and the uneven legacy of Chevy Chase as a comedic leading man (there's also some chatter about Randy Quaid's legacy, but that's dropped fairly quickly because it's sad).
