Original ‘Christmas Vacation’ Director Shares Chevy Chase’s Awful Behavior

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As a seasoned cinephile who’s seen more movies than I can count on my fingers and toes, I have to say that Chris Columbus’ tales from Hollywood’s golden age are as captivating as any blockbuster film. His anecdotes about working with the legends of the industry, including his brush with Chevy Chase on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, are nothing short of legendary.

Chris Columbus, known for directing movies such as Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire, and the first two Harry Potter films, recently shared some intriguing details about his attempt to direct the popular Christmas film, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, back in 1989. However, the young director had to walk away from the project due to working with an actor who is notoriously challenging and disheartening – Chevy Chase, a star within the National Lampoon franchise. Columbus decided to leave before things became more problematic.

Columbus reminisced about his involvement in Robert Eggers’ film “Nosferatu” during an interview with Vanity Fair, where he serves as a producer. Back in the ’80s, Columbus had already made his mark as a writer on Steven Spielberg projects like “Gremlins,” “The Goonies,” and “Young Sherlock Holmes.” Eventually, he took up directing, catching the eye of genre maestro John Hughes who wanted him to work on his next screenplay. However, Columbus was chosen to direct the Griswold Christmas movie; but as he shared, his tenure in that role didn’t extend for too long.

Initially, I found the script exceptional. Later on, during Christmas in December, I began shooting some additional scenes for Chicago. We were almost ready to begin production on the movie… and that’s when I encountered Chevy Chase. Despite my urgent need to produce a film at the time, I came to understand that collaborating with him was not feasible for me.

During that time, we were working on the secondary filming crew. We hadn’t begun principal photography or constructing sets yet. However, it was December, which required me to travel to downtown Chicago and capture footage of all the department stores and related areas. I also had two discussions with Chevrolet during this period.

Chevy Chase’s notorious misconduct in the entertainment industry is well-known. This former SNL cast member was eventually let go from the TV series Community, and he was also barred from revisiting Studio 8 due to an incident when hosting an episode. The sets of Vacation were no exception, and unfortunately, Columbus bore witness to it firsthand.

“I Need This Job Desperately, but I Know I Will Not Make a Good Movie with This Guy.”

In our initial encounter with Chase, we found ourselves alone together, as Columbus recounted. He felt it was crucial for Chase to understand that he was in charge of the film project. Columbus shared his vision for the movie and his intentions for its creation. To everyone’s surprise, Chase remained silent throughout a full half hour. It wasn’t until later that he spoke up, saying something that left everyone puzzled. Despite its illogical nature, Columbus swears by this story, having seldom shared it before.

Forty minutes into the meeting, he paused and questioned, “Hold on, are you the director?” I confirmed, “Yes, I am in charge of this film.” His response was utterly strange and confusing. To this day, I can’t decipher its meaning. He stated, “I thought you were a drummer.” I replied, “Well, alright. Let’s get back to discussing the film.” Just thirty seconds later, he announced, “I must leave.

It appears that all these events unfolded without Hughes being involved, as he was the one who initially collaborated with Columbus on another project and likely knew about the actor’s unpredictable conduct and interactions with directors. After working with Chase, this is what Columbus recalls happening next: “We shared a dinner where John Hughes was present, but I barely made an appearance. It was mainly Chevy and Hughes discussing various topics other than Christmas Vacation. We spent around two hours together, and I left the dinner thinking there was no way I could make a movie with this person. To begin with, he didn’t seem interested in the project. He treated me poorly. I didn’t need this. I would rather not work again. I’d rather focus on writing.

I reached out to John and explained, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to pull this off. I really want this job, but working with that individual on the film might not yield a good outcome, and I don’t want to disappoint you.” To which he responded, “I get it entirely.

Chris Columbus: The King of Christmas Movies

Among the limited number of Hollywood personalities who have successfully crafted heartwarming Christmas films, Columbus is undoubtedly one of the finest in this exclusive group. Notably, Joe Dante’s film Gremlins, which was adapted from Columbus’ script, has become a traditional holiday viewing, even though it offers an unusual take on the season. Columbus has also penned films like Christmas with the Kranks, and more recently, he wrote and directed the sequel to The Christmas Chronicles for Netflix. It’s high time we began recognizing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a holiday movie too.

Without a doubt, no other Christmas movies hold the same significance as “Home Alone” and its sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”. It’s fascinating to consider that if Chris Columbus hadn’t courageously decided to step down, the series about Kevin McCallister’s homebound adventures and crime-fighting escapades might not have left such an indelible mark, and Columbus himself would have charted a very different professional path. The director himself has shared this insight:

After finishing work on “Christmas Vacation,” the following weekend, John handed me another script – this time for “Home Alone.” For me, “Home Alone” felt even more personal and had a superior script. I thought to myself, I can truly make an impact with this project, without having to deal with Chevy Chase. And that was it.

If handling humor from Chevy Chase for a few hours doesn’t bother you, check out the hilarious “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” which is currently streaming on Max. Here’s the link: [Link]

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2024-12-24 18:03