Ellen: You set standards that no family activity can live up to.
Clark: When have I ever done that?
Ellen: Parties, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, holidays…
Clark: Goodnight Ellen
Ellen: Vacations, graduations…
Can you relate to these lines from Christmas Vacation?
or maybe you resemble these……
Clark: Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny(bleeping) Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white (bleep) down that chimney tonight, he’s gonna find the jolliest bunch of (bleeps) this side of the nuthouse.
Reading these lines, and chuckling out loud at the dysfunction also makes me cringe at the familiarities resembling my own family Christmas experiences.
Being picked on and teased was a ritual I endured at every family get together. My tender feelings were often hurt. After a certain age I didn’t quite like any type of teasing. Most all of us have experienced that one relative that pokes fun at us for one thing or another, and while it may be a little humorous it leaves a mark.
Besides teasing, some family member may decide to pop a top on that bottle of bitterness, anger and revenge mixing it with a shot of crown royal and then spilling it out at the Christmas dinner table. Those lines like, “why did you” and “you always” along with “you never” end up with “I’m never coming back here again” or “I’m not going if so-n-so is gonna be there”. Most all of us have experienced the bitter “absent” family member at one get together or another. Which always leaves at least one non involved member melancholy at the holidays as they miss their loved one and longing for everyone just to get along…..especially at Christmas.
Whether you are the romanticist, the hard nosed realist, or the bitter bender it’s possible your expectations are too much for any family to live up to, thus creating a crazy Cuckoo Nest Christmas.