I Just Rewatched Christmas Vacation, And I Need To Talk Out This A+ Joke I Only Just Noticed

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I’ve watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation so many times, I figured I’d seen everything. But during my yearly viewing of this classic 1989 Christmas movie – which is definitely one of the best – I spotted something new happening in the background during one of Clark’s most uncomfortable moments.

I’m not referring to Clark’s awkward interactions or even the famous lines from Christmas Vacation. I’m thinking about the scene around the middle of the movie, when Clark brings his boss, Mr. Shirley, a Christmas gift. Mr. Shirley is busy yelling at someone on the phone (“I’ll retool you!”) but tells Clark to put the gift on the table with the others. It’s easy to see all the presents lined up, but I just realized they all look exactly the same – including the gift Clark and Ellen worked so hard to choose for Mr. Shirley.

I’m not sure if we’re meant to figure out what the gifts are, but the way they’re all shaped like the letter ‘L’ seems deliberate. It looks like everyone received the exact same present.

From what we’ve gathered about Mr. Shirley, it seems like he’d appreciate an hourglass if you’re trying to make a good impression.

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It’s slightly softened my opinion of Mr. Shirley that everyone gave him the same present, especially considering he keeps messing up Clark’s name and didn’t seem to value the presentation report. It doesn’t justify replacing Christmas bonuses with a Jelly of the Month club, though. Still, I understand why he wouldn’t be excited to receive another identical gift.

We might never find out what Clark and his coworkers got their boss for Christmas, but I haven’t been this delighted by a small detail in a re-watch of the movie since I first noticed Cousin Eddie was wearing a little turtleneck under his sweater.

You can currently stream Christmas Vacation with a subscription to either Max or Disney+.

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2025-12-23 22:08