The Griswold Family Tree Explained

The Big Picture

• Clark Griswold is the well-meaning but flawed father figure in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
• Ellen Griswold is Clark’s wife and tries to keep him on the right track.
• The Griswold family includes their children, Audrey and Rusty, as well as various other relatives who bring chaos to their Christmas celebrations.

Christmas time is almost here, so you know what that means. It means that Clark (Chevy Chase) and the Griswold family are ready to have “the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny effing Kaye” in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. An all-time holiday classic, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is legendary for capturing the hectic, neurotic, and sometimes maddening feeling of the holidays. The film stands remarkably well on its own despite being the third film in a franchise, following National Lampoon’s Vacation and National Lampoon’s European Vacation.

Christmas Vacation has consistently persevered as one of the greatest Christmas movie comedies ever developed, with the flawed but fun father figure Clark Griswold trying his damnedest to give his family the best Christmas ever. With all the holiday high jinks going on in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, you’d be forgiven not to know all the family members by name and how they’re all related to each other. If that’s the case, you’re in luck, as we’ve put together a handy dandy guide to the Griswold family tree.

Clark Griswold

Played by Chevy Chase

The head of the household, Clark Griswold is arguably the most famous role of Saturday Night Live alumni Chevy Chase. Clark has practically dedicated his life to being the picture-perfect representation of the suburban American dad. However, try as he might, nothing ever seems to go according to plan for Clark, and he consistently succumbs to his own vices, usually blowing up in profanity-laced rants when his family members finally revolt. For example, despite being married to a supportive and beautiful woman like Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), Clark can’t help himself from fantasizing about attractive women he meets on the family’s many vacations.

Clark has his problems, but the Griswold patriarch we meet in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is far and away the most likable and sympathetic incarnation. In contrast to the other movies, Clark, like many people worldwide, has an exceptional attachment to Christmas. To him, the Christmas season is a time when he can finally put his worries aside and enjoy the time with his family. As Clark soon realizes, hosting Christmas is much more complex than being an attendee. Clark goes all in on the yuletide cheer by getting a massive Christmas tree, putting up hundreds of lights, and hoping to surprise the family by building a pool in the backyard with his Christmas bonus check. As usual, though, things don’t go exactly as planned.

Ellen Griswold

Played by Beverly D’Angelo

Amidst all of Clark’s absurd antics and borderline infidelity, Ellen Griswold has been by Clark’s side through all of it. Played by Beverly D’Angelo (who returned to the Christmas movie genre somewhat recently by starring in Violent Night), Ellen is always trying to steer Clark on the right course. Many of these attempts are in vain, but Ellen is typically the one to come up with easy solutions to what Clark considers unsolvable problems. That’s abundantly clear when Clark tries and fails to light the house’s Christmas decoration, which Ellen solves with the simple click of a light switch.

Audrey Griswold

Played by Juliette Lewis

Yellowjackets star Juliette Lewis plays the eldest child of Clark and Ellen, Audrey, for the first and only time. How is that possible if this franchise has five movies in total? A running gag in the Vacation films is that different actors always play the two Griswold children in every movie. The Audrey we meet in Christmas Vacation is very much going through her angsty teenage years, not being keen on sharing her bedroom with her little brother to make more room for their holiday guests.

Rusty Griswold

Played by Johnny Galecki

Long before Johnny Galecki portrayed Leonard in The Big Bang Theory, he was one of the many actors to play Clark and Ellen’s son Rusty in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. While not nearly as pessimistic as his sister Audrey, Rusty still isn’t really stoked about helping his dad with his Christmas obsession. Still, he helps anyway, getting all the decorations ready for Clark’s high-maintenance vision of Christmas to be completed.

Clark Griswold Sr.

Played by John Randolph

It’s somewhat surprising that Clark is as stressed out as he is, given how easygoing and loving his father is. This is especially true since Clark Griswold Sr. is always smiling and showing support for his family. That goes double for his son, as he jumps at the opportunity to praise Clark when he succeeds and build him up when he fails.

Nora Griswold

Played by Diane Ladd

Three-time Oscar nominee Diane Ladd plays Clark’s mother, Nora. Just like her husband, Clark Griswold Sr., Nora is a loving and benevolent force in the Griswold household during the holidays, always helping when she can. At least, as long as there aren’t any wild squirrels involved.

Art Smith

Played by E.G. Marshall

In stark contrast to Clark’s parents, who are consistently very kind and supportive, Ellen’s parents are closer to Ebenezer Scrooge with their grumpy attitudes. That begins with Ellen’s father, Art Smith. It’s abundantly clear that Art and his wife are not exactly fond of Clark as a husband to their daughter, constantly giving him grief and sarcasm despite him being their host.

Frances Smith

Played by Doris Roberts

One of the most perfectly cast roles in Christmas Vacation is Doris Roberts as Ellen’s mother Frances Smith. Roberts would later become incredibly well-known for her performance as another judgmental mother-in-law on Everybody Loves Raymond. Just like her husband, Art, Frances is consistently criticizing Clark and his antics, almost always with a martini in her hand.

Eddie Johnson

Played by Randy Quaid

No character in the Vacation franchise has given Clark more headaches than Cousin Eddie Johnson (Randy Quaid), who, despite his title, is not related by blood to Clark or Ellen. He is, however, married to Ellen’s actual cousin, Catherine (Miriam Flynn). Clark is horrified when he sees Eddie has brought his whole family out to surprise Clark for Christmas, although he wasn’t invited. Despite this horror, Clark still knows that Eddie, while more than a little annoying, is still a good person with great intentions. Clark even goes as far as to help Eddie get presents for his own two kids when he finds out he and Catherine can’t afford them. Eddie later repays this kindness by kidnapping Clark’s boss, Frank Shirley (Brian Doyle-Murray), after the curmudgeon skimps out on Christmas bonuses.

Catherine Johnson

Played by Miriam Flynn

Compared to her wild and wacky husband, Catherine is a much more easy-going person. Much like Eddie, Catherine has a lot of love in her heart for her cousin Ellen and the rest of the Griswold clan. As such, she helps out where she can, but is also prone to mistakes, such as when she overcooks the turkey by more than a few degrees.

Rocky Johnson

Played by Cody Burger

The first of Eddie and Catherine’s two kids is Rocky Johnson, played by Heavyweights star Cody Burger. There’s not much to say about Rocky as he’s easily the quietest of the Griswold clan. He’s also practically inseparable from his sister, Ruby Sue (Ellen Latzen).

Ruby Sue Johnson

Played by Ellen Latzen

Ruby Sue Johnson, Eddie, and Catherine’s daughter, may seem like a minor supporting character, but she’s actually much more important to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation than you might think. When she accidentally catches Clark fantasizing about his pool, Clark learns that Ruby Sue, and Rocky don’t have the Christmas spirit. She bluntly tells Clark that Santa didn’t visit their house for Christmas last year despite doing nothing to be on the naughty list. It’s a key early moment where she helps Clark realize there’s a lot more to Christmas than fancy lights and swimming pools.

Uncle Lewis

Played by William Hickey

Just like he did as the voice of Dr. Finkelstein in The Nightmare Before Christmas, William Hickey plays a grouchy Christmas character with Uncle Lewis. It’s unclear which parent of Clark’s Uncle Lewis is related to, but honestly, Clark probably doesn’t know either. A chain smoker with a bad toupee, Uncle Lewis doesn’t look like he wants to be at the Griswolds’s house. Instead, he slips away any chance he gets to smoke a cigarette, even burning down Clark’s prized tree in the process.

Aunt Bethany

Played by Mae Questel

Last but certainly not least, Mae Questel steals the third act of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with her laugh-out-loud performance as Aunt Bethany. Lewis’ wife, Bethany doesn’t seem to know where she is on Christmas, as she confidently mistakes the Pledge of Allegiance for the Grace blessing at dinner. Though she may be a bit confused, Bethany still finds joy in the Christmas season and seems to enjoy the family camaraderie much more than Lewis does.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is available to stream on Max.

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