mr composer

With 25 minutes to go, I opened up a browser window to IMDb and went ahead and gave this film a 3-star rating. Yes, it had the origin of the classic song "I Only Had Eyes for You", but was otherwise mediocre most of the time, and anywhere from inane or offensive the rest of the time. Even an ear-catching bit of very non-timeless dialog like, "I can do what I want! I'm free, white, and 21!" Worst of all, with 25 minutes to go, no vintage dazzling Berkeley choreography. It was obvious why it was not to be mentioned in the same breath as "42nd Street", "Footlight Parade", or "Gold Diggers of 1933."

Then...wow! Berkeley choreography/cinematography goes into overdrive! Some of the wackiest, most beautiful visually stunning pieces ever featuring Berkeley's movement, Ruby Keeler's face (several of them, in fact), some amazing dissolves, and the beautiful black and white images dominate the last third of the film. I wish the first hour wasn't so underwhelming, but the rest of it does its best to make up for it!

Why I waited until I had seen this film for what must be the fifteenth time to comment on it, I don't know. It has taken me a while to decide exactly what I think of the film. It is a movie that I can never go through a Christmas without watching at least part of it. Although it plays homage to "It's a Wonderful Life", it does not quite align itself as a classic, nor does it sustain itself in humor and delight as "A Christmas Story". This movie is supposed to be over-the-top and sometimes it is difficult to suspend the disbelief. Randy Quaid as Eddie simultaneously induces nausea and laughter. That may be the best way to describe "Christmas Vacation."

There are maybe a total of twenty minutes that I now frequently skip in my annual Christmas watching. What can never be missed, however, are: Any scene with Aunt Bethany, both attempts of lighting the house, all the scenes with Todd and Margot, the opening scene of finding the Christmas tree, the brilliant title animation, Clark Griswold's great monologue after receiving his "bonus", and the payoff during the reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". This a just a great highlight reel of really funny Christmas moments.

This film is a remake of a 1982 French film, "Le Pere Noel est une ordure." I am unfamiliar with the original, so I cannot compare the two. On its own, "Mixed Nuts" probably averages three or four laughs per minute. How could it not? The dialog is snappy, and some of the funniest people in America at the time appear in this film such as Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn (who can sometimes make me laugh without saying a word), Adam Sandler, Parker Posey and Liev Schreiber before they had any noteworthy films. There are cameos by funnymen Steven Wright, Jon Stewart, Garry Shandling. Even a barely post-toddler Haley Joel Osment makes an appearance.

The movie has its flaws, but even those are amusing. For instance, every time there is shouting among the characters (which happens frequently) the music score actually competes for attention with some peppy arrangement of a Christmas carol. While this is unnecessary and potentially annoying, it adds one more element for laughter. The setting is original, a soon-to-be-closed apartment used for a suicide hot-line headquarters. The conflict is predictable and maybe a bit shallow (money miracle needed to avoid shutting down), and the payoff is the most unbelievable use of et deux machina that is conceivable. In spite of this, the movie's strengths (dialog and comedy performances) far outweigh these flaws. Take off your serious film face and enjoy this entertaining flick, one which definitely needs a better DVD release.