Director Chris Columbus has opened up about his decision to walk away from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” citing his uncomfortable interactions with Chevy Chase during their initial meetings. In a candid discussion with Vanity Fair, Columbus, 66, revealed that after getting on board the project, his encounters with Chase, 81, were so strange that he realized he simply couldn’t collaborate with him.
Columbus explained how, despite his eagerness to direct a film at the time, he quickly sensed that working with Chase would be unmanageable. Reflecting on the encounter, he recalled, “I was signed on…and then I met Chevy Chase.” The meetings left Columbus feeling disheartened, eventually prompting him to reach out to John Hughes, the film’s writer, to relay that he could not continue with the project due to his poor rapport with Chase.
During their first meeting, Columbus described a surreal moment when Chase failed to recognize him as the director, even after they had been talking for nearly forty minutes. Chase reportedly asked Columbus if he was a drummer, to which Columbus, baffled, responded, “Uhh, OK. Let’s start talking about the film again.” After only a brief resumption of the discussion, Chase claimed he needed to leave.
The awkwardness continued during a subsequent dinner that included Hughes, where Columbus felt invisible as the two men engaged in conversation that hardly acknowledged him. “We spent two hours together, and I left the dinner thinking, ‘There’s no way I can make a movie with this guy,’” Columbus shared, emphasizing his sense of being disregarded by Chase.
Ultimately, Columbus decided to step back from “Christmas Vacation,” turning to the more personal project of “Home Alone.” Hughes was sympathetic to Columbus’s situation and handed him the script for what would become a beloved Christmas classic, steering him away from the troubles with Chase, whom Columbus felt was treating him poorly. This shift not only gave Columbus a better script but also the chance to avoid an unproductive partnership.
“Home Alone” went on to become one of the most cherished holiday films in history. As for Chase, Page Six has reached out for comment regarding Columbus’s remarks.
