Honestly, we’ve all been there. You see the perfect tree at the lot—or in Clark’s case, eight miles into the snowy abyss of the Colorado wilderness—and you think, "Yeah, that'll fit." Then you get it home, and suddenly you’re losing a window and half your sanity.
The Clark Griswold Christmas tree isn't just a movie prop. It’s a symbol of every overambitious holiday project that ever went south. It’s the "big, bold, and beautiful" dream that ends with a squirrel in your hair and a tree that’s literally too big for your living room.
But if you look closer at National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, there’s a lot more going on with that tree than just Chevy Chase being a goofball. From the weird logistics of how they actually got it out of the ground to the filming locations that nearly got buried in seven feet of snow, the story behind the greenery is as chaotic as the movie itself.
The Mystery of the Missing Saw
Let’s talk about the most famous plot hole in holiday cinema history.
Clark drags Ellen, Rusty, and Audrey out to the middle of nowhere. They find the tree. It’s glowing. It’s majestic. It’s clearly twenty feet tall. Then Audrey asks the million-dollar question: "Dad, did you bring a saw?"
Clark hasn't. He stares at the tree with that "Sparky" look in his eyes. The next shot? The tree is strapped to the roof of the Ford Taurus Wagon, roots and all, covered in dirt.
For years, fans wondered how he did it. Did he use his bare hands? Did he kick it down in a fit of rage?
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It turns out there was a deleted scene that explains everything. In the original script, Clark actually goes back to a dilapidated trailer run by a guy named "Jolly Jerry." After Clark pays a ridiculous $75 for the tree, Jerry gives him a shovel because the "buyer provides their own damn saw."
The scene was cut because it’s way funnier to just see the giant root ball on top of the car. It makes Clark look like a superhuman force of nature fueled purely by holiday spirit (and desperation).
Where the Magic Actually Happened
Even though the movie is set in suburban Chicago, the Clark Griswold Christmas tree hunt took place in the Rockies. Specifically, the crew headed to Breckenridge, Colorado, in the spring of 1989.
The tree-cutting scene was filmed near the Breckenridge Golf Course on Tiger Road. At the time, that area was pretty much empty. No houses, no subdivisions, just miles of snow.
Production was actually a nightmare.
While they were filming in the Frisco and Breckenridge area, a massive storm dumped 87 inches of snow in just five days. That is over seven feet. It got so bad the crew couldn't even film outside anymore. They had to move into the gymnasium of what is now Summit Middle School to film the interior shots of Clark trapped in the attic.
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Breaking Down the Tree Logistics
- The Size: The tree in the living room was clearly a different beast than the one in the woods. When it finally "snaps" open, it shatters the windows of the Griswold house.
- The Species: While the movie calls it a "Griswold Family Christmas Tree," it was likely a Douglas Fir or a Colorado Spruce given the filming location.
- The Second Tree: People often forget there were two trees. After Uncle Lewis accidentally torches the first one with his cigar, Clark goes out with a chainsaw and cuts down a replacement from the neighbor's yard.
The Tree as a Fire Hazard
There’s a subtle bit of continuity that most people miss. Early in the film, the dog, Snots, is seen drinking water out of the tree stand. Clark warns that if the dog keeps it up, the tree will dry out.
Well, he was right.
By the time Uncle Lewis (played by the legendary William Hickey) leans in with that cigar, the tree is basically a giant tinderbox. It doesn't just catch fire; it explodes in a wall of flame.
Behind the scenes, the "burnt" version of the tree was a meticulously crafted prop. But the fire itself? That was real movie magic. They used a controlled ignition to make sure it looked like a total disaster without burning down the entire set on the Warner Bros. backlot.
Why the Clark Griswold Christmas Tree Still Matters
Why do we care about a fictional tree from 1989?
Because the Clark Griswold Christmas tree is the ultimate "expectation vs. reality" meme before memes existed. We want the perfection. We want the 25,000 lights. We want the tree that "shines with the spirit of the family."
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But what we usually get is the sap on our hands and the realization that we forgot the saw.
Chevy Chase actually broke his finger during the scene where he’s kicking the plastic reindeer later in the movie. He didn’t break character, though. He just kept going. That’s the energy of the whole film—painful, messy, but ultimately worth it.
Actionable Tips for Your Own "Griswold" Tree
If you're planning on going big this year, don't be a Clark. Follow these steps to keep your house (and your sanity) intact:
- Measure twice, buy once. Remember that a tree always looks smaller in a field than it does in a room with an 8-foot ceiling.
- Bring the saw. Seriously. Digging it up by the roots is a great way to ruin your car’s suspension and your back.
- Hydrate the beast. A dry tree is a fire hazard. If you have a dog like Snots, get a covered tree stand so they don't drink the "tree juice."
- Check your fuses. 25,000 lights will blow a circuit. Make sure you aren't plugging everything into a single outlet in the garage.
The real lesson from Clark is that the tree doesn't have to be perfect. Even after it was burnt to a crisp and replaced by a stolen pine from the neighbors, the family was still there. That’s the whole point.
The next time you're struggling to get the lights to work or realize your tree is crooked, just remember: at least there isn't a squirrel living in yours. Yet.