History Characters / NationalLampoonsVacation

* UglyGuyHotWife: Averted in the original series, as Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are pretty evenly matched. The 2015 revival, however, shows that he didn't quite age so well.

!!!'''Appearances:''' Film/NationalLampoonsVacation

* EveryoneHasStandards: They have very little respect for Clark, but when he loses his temper about his boss for stiffing him and his fellow employees out of a Christmas bonus, they're very distressed; they even showed full support for Clark when he confronts his boss for this.

* DeadpanSnarker: Art is a very grumpy one towards Clark. Oddly enough, he subverts this with everyone else and is perfectly pleasant to them... Even Eddie!
* EveryoneHasStandards: They have very little respect for Clark, but when he confronts his boss about stiffing him and his fellow employees out of a Christmas bonus, they're in full support of him.

[[folder:As a whole]]

* SharedFamilyQuirks: Sarcasm and unstoppable good intentions (specifically the boys in the case of the latter).

[[folder:Clark W. Griswold Jr.]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/ChevyChase
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

-->''"The journey sucks. That's what makes you appreciate the destination."''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/BeverlyDAngelo
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/DanaBarron, Creator/DanaHill, Creator/JulietteLewis (pictured top), Creator/MarisolNichols, Creator/LeslieMann (pictured bottom)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure'' | ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

[[folder:Russell "Rusty" Griswold]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall, Creator/JasonLively, Creator/JohnnyGalecki (pictured top), Creator/EthanEmbry, Creator/EdHelms (pictured bottom)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

!!Other Characters
[[folder:The Johnsons]]
!!As a whole

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/RandyQuaid
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure''

-->''"I got laid off when they closed that asbestos factory, and wouldn't you know it, the army cuts my disability pension because they said that the plate in my head wasn't big enough."''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/MiriamFlynn
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation'' | ''Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/JaneKrakowski
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/JohnPNavinJr
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/EllenHamiltonLatzen, Creator/JulietteBrewer
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation''

-> '''Portrayed by:''' Creator/VioletRamis
->'''Appearances:''' Film/NationalLampoonsVacation

* OneSceneWonder[=/=]WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Daisy appears in a couple of brief scenes and doesn't even get a mention in ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation'' or the other sequels.

[[folder:Rusty's Family]]
!!As a whole:

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/ChristinaApplegate
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/SkylerGisondo
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/SteeleStebbins
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

[[folder:Extended Family]]

-->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/ImogeneCoca
-->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/DianeLadd (Nora) and Creator/JohnRandolph (Clark)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/DorisRoberts (Frances) and Creator/EGMarshall (Art)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/MaeQuestel (Bethany) and Creator/WilliamHickey (Lewis)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/ChrisHemsworth
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

-->''"Even the strongest faucet sometimes lets out a few drops."''

[[folder:Other Characters]]

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/ChristieBrinkley
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'' | ''Film/VegasVacation''

-->''"It's too bad you're married. I'm in the mood for some fun."''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/HannahJeter
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/BrianDoyleMurray
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

* YouLookFamiliar: Brian had previously played the Kamp Komfort manager in ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/NicoletteScorsese
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/NicholasGuest (Todd) and Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus (Margo)
->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation''

* {{Yuppie}}s

-->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/CatherineMissal
-->'''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Vacation}}''

->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus and Creator/NicholasGuest

* PetTheDog: Todd is genuinely concerned for Margo's safety when she comes home mauled.

* LethalChef: Cooks the family Christmas dinner, but puts the turkey in way too early and essentially ends up serving them turkey jerky. In ''Vegas Vacation'', Rusty falls ill after eating the chicken she and Eddie serve them that was literally grilled on a boulder under the scorching Vegas sun.

* WomenAreWiser: She is the most level-headed member of this family of five.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Aunt Bethany, in spades.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: The only thing he tells Russ he does for fun around the house is masturbate.

* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Aunt Bethany is utterly senile. Every line out of her mouth is hilariously clueless, and her prayer before the family's Christmas feast is The Pledge of Allegiance.

* AssholeVictim: With the exception of Ellen, none of the Griswalds are sad to see her go.

* CoolOldGuy: Clark Sr. is a very sweet old man who wants to see Clark succeed at providing his family with a happy Christmas vacation just as much as he does. It's even mentioned in the original ''Vacation'' that he sat down with Rusty when he was a kid and let him have a sip of his beer.

Clark's uncle and aunt who come and stay with the family on Christmas Eve.

* CrappyCarnival: In ''Christmas Vacation'', Eddie remarks that he works at a carnival cleaning up vomit and hopes to be promoted to weight-guesser or sideshow barker. (The second of these would be a notable achievement, since Eddie says in ''Vacation'' that Dale was born without a tongue!)

* CrappyCarnival: He works at the carnival cleaning up vomit and hopes to be promoted to weight-guesser or sideshow barker.

* CuteMute[=/=]TheVoiceless: Never says a word during her few scenes.

* TheStoner: When Audrey informs her that being a farmer isn't considered very cool, she counters her claim by introducing her to her stash of weed.

* CrappyCarnival: He works at the carnival cleaning up vomit.

* AxCrazy: ''Christmas Vacation'' puts a chainsaw in his hands while he seeks to find another Christmas tree after his first goes up in flames.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: He seriously is an affable and well-meaning father a majority of the time. It just takes a big pile of disasters for the fall to settle in.
* BlatantLies: Gives these way too much. In the original alone, he told Russ that the girl he'd skinny dipped with in the hotel pool was simply a pool waitress, having previously lied to the girl by telling her he wasn't married.
* BumblingDad: May even rival ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]] himself'' for the poster boy of his trope.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Despite his awkwardness and awful luck in his regular life Clark is apparently very good at his job which seems to be a (usually) well paying high-level research and development role at his company. Notably in contrast to his boss Clark seems to actually know and care about the science behind the products the company is making.

* CoolOldGuy: In the 2015 film, Clark happily gives his grandson a guitar he received from Bob Dillan. (No, not ''that'' Music/BobDylan).

* DistractedByTheSexy: A RunningGag is that Clark will fixate on some young model and completely forget about whatever else he's doing.
* DrivesLikeCrazy: Though he puts this skill to good use in ''European Vacation'' when he chases down the man who kidnapped Ellen.

* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Lights one in ''Christmas Vacation'' when things are proving to be as stressful as anticipated.

** She's also pretty upset with Clark in the very first scene of ''Christmas Vacation,'' where he dangerously messes with a redneck pickup truck driver on the road with the whole family in the car.
* WomenAreWiser: Consistently the most level-headed of the main cast.

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: She and Russ were a pair of bickering siblings who were shown to genuinely care for each other in the original. The first sequel, ''European Vacation'', turns Audrey into a BigEater who complains about missing her boyfriend the whole time. ''Christmas Vacation'' once again takes her into a different direction, making her into the biggest DeadpanSnarker in the family with lovable daughter tendencies. By the time she's grown up, she possesses DumbBlonde tendencies.

* NotAllowedToGrowUp: At least until the 2015 sequel, where she's played by Creator/LeslieMann.

* HeroicBSOD: Had one in the revival after his car runs out of gas in the desert, blows up, and his family tells him that the whole vacation was a disaster. See ClusterFBomb above for the transcript. Oddly, Russ's tirade is PlayedForDrama more so than Clark's in past installments.

** In the first scene of the movie, Russ is trying to talk to a kid in the airpline he's piloting, only to be knocked into him in the most awkward positions due to turbulence.

* NotAllowedToGrowUp: Until the 2015 sequel, where he takes the center role played by Creator/EdHelms.

[[/folder]]

The Griswolds' snobby neighbors.

The Griswald's snobby neighbors.