Original ‘Christmas Vacation’ Director Quit Because ‘I Couldn’t Work With’ Chevy Chase: ‘He’s Not Engaged. He’s Treating Me Like S—. I Don’t Need This’

https://variety.com/2024/film/news/chris-columbus-quit-christmas-vacation-chevy-chase-bad-behavior-1236257773/

21 comments

  1. > “I was signed on…and then I met Chevy Chase. Even given my situation at the time, where I desperately needed to make a film, I realized I couldn’t work with the guy,” Columbus said. “I was one of the many who couldn’t work with him. And I called John and I said, ‘This is really hard for me, but I can’t do this movie with Chevy Chase.’ We were in the midst of shooting second unit. We didn’t start shooting the movie or building sets. But it was December, so I had to go to downtown Chicago and shoot all of the department stores and all of that. I had two meetings with Chevy.”

    > “My first meeting with him, I sat down with him. It was just the two of us,” Columbus continued. “He had to know I was directing the movie. I talked about how I saw the movie, how I wanted to make the movie. He didn’t say anything. I went through about a half hour of talking. He didn’t say a word. And then he stops and he says—and this makes no sense to any human being on the planet, but I’m telling you. I probably have never told this story. Forty minutes into the meeting, he says, ‘Wait a second. You’re the director?’ And I said, ‘Yeah…I’m directing the film.’ And he said to me the most surreal, bizarre thing. I still haven’t been able to make any sense out of it. He said, ‘Oh, I thought you were a drummer.’ I said, ‘Uhh, okay. Let’s start talking about the film again.’ After about 30 seconds, he said, ‘I got to go.’”

    > Columbus was baffled by Chase’s comment. He eventually met the comedian again for a dinner, this time with Hughes present. The director said “I was basically nonexistent” at the table as Chevy and Hughes talked to each other about everything but “Christmas Vacation.”

    > “We spent two hours together, and I left the dinner and I thought, ‘There’s no way I can make a movie with this guy,’” Columbus told Vanity Fair. “First of all, he’s not engaged. He’s treating me like shit. I don’t need this. I’d rather not work again. I’d rather write…Who says anything like that to anybody? It makes no sense. So to tell that story almost makes no sense, but it actually happened. I thought, This was how we’re going to work together? I’m going to be on set and he’s not listening.”

  2. No offense OP, but do you just post articles from entertainment magazines without any comments or summary?

  4. Christmas Vacation is amazing but damn, everything you ever hear about this man is how much of an asshole he is

  5. Chevy Chase is the biggest asshole who also happens to be in several of my favorite comedies

  6. I always think of how much he could have done in his prime if Chevy had gotten out of his own way, I mean at least he didn’t OD with the rest of the greats of his era.

  8. I remember reading an essay/blog Kevin Smith wrote years ago before Community really helped bring his behavior to the spotlight. Smith met with Chevy when he was hired to write a new Fletch movie and he talked about how excited he was to meet one of his idols and he described how that excitement quickly dwindled at a dinner where he basically acted like an ass living in the past. It’s a very interesting insight into this guy. I have no idea how Chase survived so long in the business, being the way he is. But Christmas Vacation was a holiday staple growing up, and I actually liked Vegas Vacation as a kid. Some people just can’t get out of their own way though.

  9. It’s so damn odd to me that a man this funny has no sense of humor.

  10. One of the reasons I’m not as big a fan of this movie as other people is that you can see his ego. Clarks family really took a backseat in this movie compared to the other ones.

  11. Chevy Chase is out of the spotlight but last I saw of him, he’s old and still a dick sitting at home wondering why he doesn’t get cast anymore. I heard the guy had a tough childhood which can fuck you up but if you find yourself an old man still acting poorly because of it, you’ve failed to find what you were supposed to find as an independent adult.

  12. Was he always this way or was it after fame? Curious if anybody knows of stories before his fame?

  15. So if he asked him to marry him it would have been alright?

  16. At some point he dug himself such a big hole with his reputation, I think he just leans into it now.

  17. chris columbus went on to quite a successful career. chevy… fizzled out because no one can stand him.

  18. This isn’t new. He’s been known to be a horrible person to work with for decades.

  20. Honestly, hearing all these stories and comments about his behaviors, anxieties, and mental health struggles, i wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the spectrum, seriously.

  21. Yeah, that’s his thing. He’s an asshole.

    A funny as hell asshole.

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