The tree has baubles, a Christmas classic signed by a Montrealer

The comedy The tree has balls (Christmas Vacation) is a staple of holiday programming on Quebec television. Just a few months ago, its director Jeremiah S. Chechik, a Montrealer exiled in Los Angeles, had no idea of ​​the importance that the French version of the film had in the hearts of Quebecers.

- met the filmmaker at Club Soda, a few hours before the first of three participatory screenings of the Christmas tree has balls. During these evenings, around ten actors are invited on stage to perform live certain key scenes from the film. The public also receives instructions to make themselves heard at key moments.

This is the third time that Jarrett Mann, who is also director of the SPASM genre film festival, has organized the event since 2019. And until recently, he had no idea that The tree has balls was directed by a Quebec filmmaker.

It was last year that someone tipped me off. I went to confirm on the [site spécialisé] IMDB and it was a nice surprisehe explains in front of the Club Soda stage filled with sets inspired by the film.

I almost couldn't believe it, that our favorite Christmas movie was directed by someone from our hometown.

I sent him a long letter, telling him about my love of the film and the fact that it was part of our popular culture in Quebec. I suspected he didn't know, and it was confirmed.

According to a survey carried out in 2020, The tree has balls was Canadians' second favorite Christmas movie, just behind Mom, I missed the plane.

A helping hand from Stanley Kubrick

Released in 1989, The tree has balls is part of a series of comedies inspired by the universe of National Lampoona humor magazine established at Harvard in 1969. It is based on a short story by John Hughes, Christmas ’59.

It stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, a family man who goes out of his way to plan the perfect Christmas party, becoming entangled in a maze of wacky situations.

This is Jeremiah S. Chechik's first feature film. After studying theater at McGill, the filmmaker made his debut as a fashion photographer, notably for Vogue in Italy. He spent a few years in Milan before moving to Toronto, then New York, turning to directing commercials.

In the 1980s, his artistic and avant-garde ads eventually caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who wrote about them in the pages of New York Times. A few days later, Jeremiah received a call that would change his life. It was Steven Spielberg. He wanted me to come work with Warnerhe explains.

After an aborted musical comedy project, Warner continued to offer scripts to the director, until the day he was completely seduced by a script by John Hughes based on his short story Christmas ’59. The history of Christmas tree has balls then began.

A timeless success

Although the film is set in Chicago, it was filmed in Los Angeles at the Warner Bros. Studios. Part of the filming also took place in Colorado, notably for the scene where Chevy Chase has a road rage attack.

The comedic actor, then a huge star in Hollywood, was known to be a bit difficult on film sets. But Jeremiah S. Chechik says that wasn't the case with him at all.

He was a big star at the time, but I was the director and he gave me all his respect. He was a very talented actor, he knew the character wellremembers the filmmaker.

My job was to push his instincts. What I wanted to do was to reveal all the character's emotions, and that was new for him, the pathos, the sadness. Perhaps this is why the film still exists in culture today [populaire]. Emotion is the foundation of comedy.

Beyond the performance of the performers, including that of Beverly D'Angelo in the role of Ellen Griswold, Jeremiah believes that the timeless success of the film is also due to judicious artistic choices.

I tried to make decisions that transcended the fashions of the day. Advertisements back in the day were very hipbut I wanted the film to be timelesshe explains.

It's very interesting, when I think about the decisions I made, like the choice of car, the artistic direction behind the Griswold house, the clothes. It transcends eras.

The participatory screenings of Christmas tree has balls are held Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (in original English version) at Club Soda.