Every Law Broken In Christmas Vacation

The Reckless Acts of Clark Griswold

Christmas Vacation is a beloved holiday film, but an astonishing number of laws are broken and crimes committed throughout its 97-minute runtime. The struggles of Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) to reconcile his idealized version of Christmas with the reality of unexpectedly hosting his dysfunctional extended family in Christmas Vacation is a relatable one, even if the family antics are heightened to absurdity.

Griswold's car going off the road and into the snow

While it's easy to relate to Clark and his struggles in Christmas Vacation, there's no doubt he went way too far in his overreactions when his plans for the perfect Christmas in the suburbs of Chicago were thwarted. So far, in fact, that he was guilty of breaking numerous laws and code violations throughout the movie. Clark wasn't the only member of the extended Griswold family to potentially break the law, but he was certainly the worst offender. As YouTuber and lawyer Legal Eagle explains, from minor violations to serious criminal acts, Christmas Vacation is one crime-fueled holiday classic.

Rusty smiling at his dad in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

The very first indication that Clark Griswold doesn't exactly handle setbacks in a calm and mature way is right in the opening scene. Clark's temper and immaturity lead to a span of reckless driving that very well could have gotten himself or his family killed. It starts when Clark flips off a trucker and cuts him off. That in and of itself isn't illegal, but the game of highway one-upmanship Clark engages with after the fact, leading him first to get stuck under a moving semi and then sending the family station wagon airborne, is. Considering Illinois's laws for reckless driving are quite broad, Clark's negligence and dangerous maneuvers would be more than enough for a cop to pull him over.

Christmas Vacation Opening under truck

Property Damage and Code Violations

Clark's reckless driving is one thing, but as it turns out, what he is driving to may also be a criminal act. Cutting down a tree that's not on one's own property or in a designated area, such as a Christmas tree farm, can carry consequences. If that property belongs to someone else, cutting down the tree could very likely be seen as damage or theft of property. If it was a tree that the owner could have sold as hardwood or for lumber, that's also something to consider: Clark might owe him or her for the value of the tree. Considering it was a huge, old tree, the property owner might be owed a fair sum. Even if it's land owned by the federal government, there's no guarantee that the area is free to cut. In any case, Clark should have gotten permission before cutting down the big pine.

Christmas Vacation Christmas Tree lot of sap

Clark's neighbors Todd (Nicholas Guest) and Margo (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) may be stuck-up yuppies, but they had every reason to hate Clark Griswold; Clark is unquestionably a nightmare neighbor and a walking HOA violation. Throughout Christmas Vacation, Clark does significant damage to their property, whether through negligence or erratic behavior. The first time is admittedly not intentional on Clark's part. After all, it was impossible to predict that part of his gutter would fly off the roof, crash through Todd and Margo's window, and smash their new stereo system.

Todd mourning his stereo in Christmas Vacation

Clark Griswold is a walking code violation throughout the duration of Christmas Vacation. He's certainly on his HOA's bad side, but he also might be on the wrong side of the law when it comes to his Christmas lights. His lights being so powerful that they momentarily drain the city's power grid is played for comedy, but in real life it would earn him a hefty fine–at the very least. The way he has the lights rigged up also violates multiple safety codes: his electrical panel is too overloaded, he has too few outlets for too many cords and surge protectors, and all of it leads to multiple fire code violations.

Clark Smiling while standing in the snow in National-Lampoon's-Christmas-Vacation

Legal Infractions and Criminal Acts

Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) smoking a cigar in his robe in the snow in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Electrical and fire codes aren't the only safety regulations neglected during the film. In one of the rare instances in the movie where Clark actually acknowledges the illegality of an action in Christmas Vacation, it's when he observes Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) dumping his toilet chemicals directly into Clark's storm sewer. This violates multiple environmental safety codes, including in Illinois. Illinois state law (and likely some Illinois counties) prohibits the open dumping of waste and not properly disposing of it. It further prohibits dumping anything into a storm sewer. Cousin Eddie has no regard for environmental law – or for the Griswolds' neighbors, who almost certainly have some legal recourse for his actions.

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This is one of the nitpickier items, but it's still technically a crime. As his family gathers around, Clark casually mentions that until his bonus check arrived, he didn't have enough money to cover the down payment he'd deposited to build a swimming pool. His wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), is alarmed to learn this. In the context of the scene, it's because she's clearly worried he's overdrawn their bank account. However, she might have more to worry about: under Illinois law, it's illegal to write a check knowing one doesn't have the money to cover it, and is considered theft of a financial institution. It's not likely that Clark would ever be caught or punished for this, but the practice of check-kiting is very much in violation of state financial fraud law.

Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie watching Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold hold an envelope in Christmas Vacation

The final act of the movie finds Clark's family committing the worst crime of all, and one that brings down law enforcement, literally and figuratively, on the Griswolds' collective head. After Clark learns his supposed bonus check is a cheap gift subscription, he goes on an unfiltered tirade and he mentions that a great Christmas gift would be his cheapskate boss, Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle Murray), tied up in front of him. Dimwitted but loyal Eddie takes this seriously and takes it upon himself to kidnap Mr. Shirley and deliver him, tied in a big red bow, to Clark.

Christmas Vacation cousin Eddie kidnaps Clark's boss