Samuel Johnson’s famous quote “Hell is paved with good intentions” could best be embodied in the character of Clark Griswold. The father of family vacations desires what every male parental figure seeks…quality time with his family. But time after time, the best intentions of the Griswolds usually translate into hellacious circumstances for Clark.

In ‘Christmas Vacation’, Clark attempts to simplify a holiday vacation by removing the traveling element and inviting relatives to a “good old-fashioned Christmas” at the Griswold residence. Unfortunately, this seemingly controlled environment for family bliss results in at least eight uncontrollable meltdowns by Clark during the film. Not all are over-the-top outrageous, but every moment shows how good circumstances can go bad in a heartbeat. But it’s only through these outlandish meltdowns that Clark finally achieves his goal.

Stuck Under A Truck

A pleasant ride through the countryside to obtain the “most important of Christmas symbols” turns into a tight situation when Clark instigates two locals in a pickup truck. It’s the first time we see Clark lose focus of the Christmas prize. Instead of making a “one-fingered point” to these bad drivers, he could have steered the front-wheel drive sleigh clear of this slippery condition.

Saucer Sled Rollercoaster Ride

A fun recreational event turns into disaster when Clark’s competitive nature adds kitchen lubricant (and a major headache) to his saucer sled ride. In a wild expedition to the local Wal-mart, Clark encounters every wooded obstacle in a path to Guinness World Record destruction. However, it is possible his actions were rational if his intent was to simply escape the company of his cousin Eddie.

Christmas Lights Fight

After receiving help from his reluctant son, Clark’s effort to illuminate the exterior of his house fails miserably. With his 25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights in the dark, Clark goes berserk by shouting obscenities in the company of his entire family. Fortunately, the collateral damage of his rage is contained to a miniature sleigh and the timely flip of a switch finally shows Clark the angelic glow of his handiwork.

Squirrel Surprise

The long journey to find the perfect Christmas tree comes back to haunt Clark when a “funny, squeaky sound” turns out to be a displaced squirrel. The ensuing chase throughout the house causes panic in all family members leaving Clark to head the cleanup crew. His makeshift coat-and-hammer plan doesn’t work as designed, but eventually Clark’s panic subsides when the squirrel is welcomed by a neighbor’s open arms.

Smoke If You Got ‘Em

The Griswold family tree finally meets its demise when the pyrotechnics of Uncle Louis’ cigar lighting burns it to a crisp. With the symbol of his family spirit in ashes, Clark is somehow able to transform his demand for restitution into a curtain-wrapped rescue of his tree assailant.

Newel Post Repair

Clark’s desperation to replace the family Christmas tree leads him to cutting down the nearest evergreen with a chainsaw. After showing signs of a mental breakdown, his surrogate coffin…err…tree also leads to a timely repair of a loose stairway newel post. Although not a blatant outburst, Clark’s quick fix implies his internal percolator is coming close to its boiling point.

Leaving So Soon?

With the house in disarray, Clark’s extended family tries to exit the evening without his permission. Even though hell’s threshold is within grasp, he expresses that no family member will be bailing out from the unstoppable descent into Christmas oblivion.

The Bonus of No Return

Of all the things to finally light Clark’s freak-out fuse, a small glimmer of hope turns his dream of a swimming pool into a nightmare of preserves. The untimely delivery of a jelly-of-the-month membership instead of a bonus check produces one of the all-time greatest rants in movie history. Clark’s powder keg of anger explodes into a burst of superlatives directed at his boss, worthy of every preceding circumstance of the past hours.

But thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Even through the impending kidnapping and S.W.A.T.-induced ransacking of the Griswold residence, Clark’s family stands by him. They understand that he wasn’t to blame for everything and even through all the turmoil, his good intent was still intact. Clark’s vacation finally comes when he recognizes his family’s spirit of forgiveness and that is why we can enjoy his unfortunate circumstances year after year.

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