Sometimes you just need a good laugh

When you hear the name John Hughes, a cavalcade of films come to mind — “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Home Alone” (and its sequels, 2 and 3), and my favorite Christmas movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is by far our family’s favorite holiday movie. The reasons are so numerous and diverse and at times so subtle, but I will try to explain. Let’s begin with the stellar cast.

Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold, and slapstick comedy, creative dialogue, and warm and touching moments make this one of Chase’s best acting performances.

The cast of characters also includes Clark’s wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), son Russ (a young Johnny Galecki), daughter Audrey (Juliette Lewis), parents and neighbors and even the boss and Mary at the department store. And let’s not forget Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his green dickie showing through his white V-neck sweater.

Released in 1989, we started watching it on VHS in the mid-1990s, then on DVD, and now on demand. This is our 26th year. We’ve watched it in Spanish and with the director’s commentary. It begins our holiday season. It just makes you laugh.

And now for the worst Christmas movie, in my humble opinion, “Christmas in Connecticut.”

This 1945 travesty is poorly written, poorly directed and most importantly poorly acted. Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet cast in a feel-good comedy? What were they thinking? None of the gags worked. The bathing of the baby, Greenstreet’s preoccupation with feeding his face, Stanwyck’s awkward one liners.

This movie shows why some movies are great and others, like this one, are not.

Jack Keane, San Carlos