National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

The definitive film about a host's Christmas going wrong. Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold wants a perfect family holiday, and every set piece, from the lights that will not switch on to the uninvited relatives in the RV, pushes him a little closer to snapping. Anyone who has hosted the in-laws will recognize the slow boil. It is mostly fine for older children, though some innuendo and Clark's eventual tirade make it better suited to teenagers than toddlers.