10 "Burn Some Dust Here. Eat My Rubber!"
To say that Clark Griswold was out of touch with the cool kids was definitely an understatement. He demonstrated this time and time again by failing to realize just what an imbecile he was being, particularly during the opening act. While driving out into the wilderness to get a Christmas tree for the house, Clark suffered a bit of road rage.
9 "Can't See The Line, Can You Russ?"
Clark might have been a loving father and a devoted husband, but he clearly had some trouble ignoring the opposite sex, particularly if the woman in question was attractive. While out shopping for Christmas gifts, he came across Mary, who was eager to show him some lingerie.
8 "Russ, When Was The Last Time I Overdid Anything?"
Clark wanted to make that year's Christmas the best ever, and that meant going above and beyond the call of duty. This was a trademark of his personality - a desire to get a rise out of his family and loved ones by giving them an awesome spectacle. That year, it was a house loaded to the brim with Christmas lights.
7 "Surprised, Eddie? If I Woke Up Tomorrow With My Head Sewn To The Carpet, I Wouldn't Be More Surprised."
After struggling to get his enormously ambitious Christmas light project to work in one of the funniest National Lampoo n movie scenes, Clark was overcome with joy. The entire family came out on the front lawn to witness the blinding spectacle, giving cousin-in-law Eddie Johnson, his wife and kids, and their dog Snots time to slip in unnoticed.
6 "Can I Refill Your Eggnog For You? Get You Something To Eat? Drive You Out To The Middle Of Nowhere... Leave You For Dead?"
Within the first hour of showing up, Eddie had already worn out his welcome with Clark. He'd gotten into the eggnog, and started recounting stories that normal folks would be ashamed of. It was becoming too much for Clark to bear.
3 "We Needed A Coffin... Uh, I Mean... A Tree..."
After Uncle Lewis inadvertently burnt down the family Christmas tree while lighting a cigar, Clark got the bad news about his supposed bonus. He was coming apart at the seams, yet he was determined to salvage the operation. His first order of business was to go outside with a chainsaw and slice down the nearest tree.
2 "Nobody's Leaving! Nobody's Walking Out On This Fun Old Fashioned Family Christmas! Noooo, No, We're All In This Together!"
When things got so bad that Christmas seemed unsalvageable, Clark's family decided to pack up and take off, rather than stick around for the aftermath. They believed it was better if everyone just left before things got worse.