1988 Hollywood.
After reading the 1988 screenplay version of John Hughes' short story Christmas 59 - I went nuts. It was on the page. It was hilarious. It was touching and it was in so many ways an interesting study of obsession.
Many adventures later, the film was finished and released. I never imagined it would evolve into the classic it became. Of course I wanted the film to last. Of course I wanted each character to be memorable and quirky. Of course I wanted the lines to resonate. And to my surprise they have done.
Over the years several generations have enjoyed the film together, quoting lines from the film and sharing their favorite moments. Some have even re-created scenes outside their homes mirroring the visual craziness of the movie. I have been asked year after year if I had some moments, some prop, some image, some script page to sell. I never wanted to part with them.
But this year, I decided to create a collection of characters, released as NFTs, as mementos from the film. These are not “official” studio toys. They are works of art, made and inspired by the characters I brought to life. They are tokens of my memory, they are representatives of how I feel about these characters still. They are there to be collected by those whose memory of the film resonates with family, holiday spirit and general insanity - and the Christmas Vacation film and lore.
I also minted screenplay pages, notes and boards from the shooting script and the original 1988 draft. These pages are from my personal script that I held when directing.
And finally - to those who want some “inside baseball” stories of the making of…I will auction my own time to screen (virtual and live) the film with a group. We’ll be able to pause and discuss every moment of interest and stories behind the stories. And boy, are there a ton!
I hope this collection brings you as much joy as it did to me, creating it.
Best,
Jeremiah Chechik (Director, Christmas Vacation)