Question: Was there a deleted scene where Cathrine and Ellen were talking while making the turkey in the kitchen and/or doing something resulting in the bird being "overdone" totally and showing up in the scene at dinner causing the turkey to literally explode in a cloud of dust when carved by Clark? It just seems there was a scene missing there!
Answer: There was never a scene as described in the film, nor was there anything in any of the special features. Also, there is no mention of it in any of the commentary.
I remember the scene with Catherine and Eddie in the kitchen, putting the turkey in the oven. Catherine said she thought they were putting it in too early.
Answer: I have a DVD with the exploding turkey scene It's a classic.
Answer: I also remember vividly the scene where Catherine is cooking the turkey and have been trying to get a copy of the film where that scene is not deleted. Also checked with my wife, she recalls it too. I think we might have seen it on a very early VHS or LaserDisc version.
Continuity mistake: In the department store as Clark is talking with Mary, the lingerie sales lady, his left arm is supporting him on the glass counter as he is standing. The next shot when Rusty approaches, Clark is now bent down with his left arm resting on the counter.
Suggested correction: You actually see Clark go from sitting on the counter to bending down as the saleslady is modelling the undergarment.
That's not the part the mistake is talking about. The mistake is valid. Clark is sitting in the counter but is off screen when he changes position (so you don't actually see it). When Rusty enters the shot, Clark's hand ion the counter. In the next shot, his elbow is on the counter, with no time elapsing.
Corrected entry: When Clark is driving next to the old truck you see him floor the gas pedal. It's a Ford Taurus and the truck is old and hardly running, but in the next frame it's accelerating quickly past the car.
Correction: Just because the truck is old and beat up doesn't mean the guy driving it doesn't take care of the engine.
The log truck ran both of them down from behind.
Question: When Clark gets the lights to work, Eddie shows up. Eddie calls to Rocky and Ruby Sue to come see what Uncle Clark has done to the house. Then in the scene where Clark's boss is at the house, Clark refers to Eddie as his Cousin-in-law. Is this a mistake or is the word uncle just being used as a pet name for Clark for the kids?
Answer: No mistake or pet name. In America it's common to refer to your cousin's kids as your nephews or nieces and thus you would be their aunt or uncle. Technically, they would be your first cousins once removed, but in the English language there's isn't a specific word for that relationship, so most stick with nephew/niece and aunt/uncle relationship.
Eddie and Catherine are on Ellen's side of the family that is why he calls him cousin in law.
Question: What is surrounding the famous Jell-O mold? Is it shredded carrots?
Question: When Clark gives his boss a Christmas present, he is told to put it with all of the others. There are plenty of presents there, but they are all the same, as they have the exact same shape. What are these presents?
Answer: An idea someone mentioned helps resolve some of these "quirks" about the movie. Think of the movie as if Clark is retelling this story a long time in the future - maybe to his grandchildren. Same with the other Vacation movies - he is retelling the story from memory, and his memory sucks or is exaggerated. This explains why things that happen seem to be fantastic (the sledding, how goofy Eddie is, the children's age swapping around, how they got the tree, etc.). In the scene with the present for his boss, he is just remembering that everyone gave him a gift. He can't remember what they all looked like, so they all looked like his. It's also possible that everyone decided to get the same gift, I guess.
I know it's not your idea, but that is pretty deep for a Chevy Chase movie. It's simply that Clark isn't so special. He thought he was making a unique gesture to the big guy only to find out he was only one of a dozen or so—and obviously just as unoriginal as the rest.
Answer: They are desk organizers.
I'm wondering maybe it was one of the gags in the movie where the boss got the same gift from all the employees. I know there's a lot of gags in the vacation movies.
Answer: I've seen them in stores, it's a desk pen set with a matching business card holder.
Chosen answer: We don't know what is in the packages, but we can assume they are all the same, small, generic gift.
Answer: I think that they could all be tape holders.
Corrected entry: In the original "Vacation" and the "European Vacation" movies, Russ is older than Audrey. In "Christmas Vacation," Audrey is older than Russ.
Correction: Chevy Chase has said in interviews that the changing of the kids appearance as well as their age in Christmas Vacation was always part of the joke about how Clark forgets his kids names and never knows where they are etc.
Correction: This may also be an in-joke referring to a little-known fact related to the original film. In real life, Dana Barron (the original Audrey) is two years older than Anthony Michael Hall (the original Russ).
And in addition to Barron being older than Hall, the kids from European Vacation as well (Dana Hill was 4 years older than Jason Lively).
Correction: The age difference between Audrey and Rusty is never mentioned in any of the movies. Rusty mentions his age as 15 in European Vacation, and he is 12 according to the script for the original Vacation. Audrey's age isn't mentioned in either movie. Audrey and Rusty are 14 and 12 respectively according to the script for Christmas Vacation, which assumes this takes place prior to European Vacation (or that European Vacation wasn't considered canon because it wasn't written by John Hughes).
Question: I remember seeing a scene at Clark's boss' house with lots of people having a big party when Cousin Eddie shows up to kidnap him. What happened to that scene in the version I bought on DVD?
Answer: Are you sure it was this movie? The boss was in his jammies when he was kidnapped and his wife was alone when she called the police.
This does seem unlikely. Having him abducted from a party would change the entire end of the film. As you say, he's in his pajamas, which would make no sense.
Answer: I remember this scene as well, but can't find any notes on it anywhere.
Corrected entry: Some things in the chamber of Russ change from the scene where you see the grandfather in the bed and Clarke passing through the floor. (00:29:05 - 00:33:05)
Correction: That's not very specific. Does the bed change positions? Are there different posters on the walls? Is the wallpaper a different color? At least give one example of something that changes between the two shots.
The scene itself is specific enough. When multiple things move around, it's easier to say "some things change position", especially when it's obvious. While an example would make it easier, it's not necessary in all cases. Corrections should only be made when the scene has been observed so you can validate or invalidate the mistake. If you've watched the scene and didn't see anything change, then you could suggest an example be given.
No but there's a hole in the ceiling from clot going through it and then the scene where they're in bed which is after that the ceilings were peered as a poster up another mistake in the movie.
Corrected entry: Right before the grandma (Doris Roberts) faints due to the squirrel, Eddie's kids are on the brink of laughing before the scene cuts. Everyone is supposed to be scared.
Correction: Everyone might be scared at first, but once over the initial shock, kids could easily find the adult's panic amusing.
Nope that was a blooper they were laughing it never got cut from the scene.
Corrected entry: At the beginning of the movie, when the Griswold family are in their car under the wood truck, everybody panics but not Russ, who sings or something like that. (00:06:30)
Correction: Character choice: He's used to this kind of thing from his dad.
Being used to that kind of thing are you kidding me know once used to be and under a truck that scary and deadly a lot of these mistakes in the movie I have seen because I've watched this movie about 365 times.
Correction: I just watched this scene. Rusty isn't losing his mind or anything, but he is obviously scared/worried. His lips are quivering, which may be what you think is singing. He is certainly not happy with the situation.
Corrected entry: I've noticed in a couple of scenes where Chevy Chase and Beverly D'angelo are standing in the front hallway of their house, you can see the wooden rafters of the ceiling of the set in the dining room. (00:19:15)
Correction: I had an almost identical house in the 80's and the living room had oak beams and a full wall brick fireplace.
Correction: This is part of the ceiling, not part of the set. Some people choose to have exposed beams in their homes.
Yes but not in that type of house that they are supposed to be in there are no exposed beams in that particular style house back then.
Question: What is the name of the Christmas Tree farm they went to to get their tree?
Answer: They didn't go to a Christmas tree farm. He took them to a huge forest to get one most likely because it would be easier to get one free then to pay for one.
They went to a tree farm. After running off the road and jumping the snowbank the wagon crashes through a sign that says "Trees." Clark then says, "We're here...and we made good time too." The humor is Clark forgoes a normal "farmed" tree for the "wild" monster he takes home.
False. They may have run over the tree farm sign, but they absolutely did not harvest a tree from the tree farm.
Answer: It was a tree farm (the car literally flies through a sign that says "Christmas Trees"). There's a deleted scene after they crash and walk to find a tree. Realizing that they didn't have a saw to cut the tree, the family walks to the lot attendant (an odd man, reclining in a lawn chair, wearing a Santa jacket and hat) to ask to borrow a saw. There is a conversation between them where Clark is told that they don't supply saws, but he gave him a shovel. THIS explains how the tree got dug out of the ground. You can actually see a picture of this scene on an old DVD cover.
Answer: They never went to a tree farm. Even though there is a sign that says "Trees", there is no employee there to greet them or even discuss how much the tress cost. Plus, trees on a tree farm are usually smaller and are always lined up in a row. The trees seen by the Griswold's are extremely large and are scattered about like what would be seen in a regular forest which is where they went.
They are never shown in the "store" area of the tree farm, so you can't say that there is nobody working there. They jump the snowbank, it shows them gathering themselves in the car, and the next scene is in the wilderness. It's a small, rundown tree farm, but it is a tree farm business, with a plowed parking lot, garbage cans, lights, other customers, etc. These tree farms usually had pre-cut trees for purchase, but you could also walk out and cut down your own for the "experience" if you wanted to. As someone who has walked a couple miles to get a Christmas tree in December in Minnesota, I can say with absolute certainty that this is accurate.
Answer: YES! You are 100% correct about the deleted turkey-cooking scene! Both my husband and I remember this scene. It was Catherine and Eddie that cooked the turkey to thank Clark and his family for being hospitable. They had never cooked a turkey before and they thought cooking it at a low temperature for a LONG time would be ideal. It looked great, but completely dehydrated. THIS is why Catherine is so upset when the turkey pops open and steams - she ruined the turkey for everyone.