Stanley Kubrick Is Indirectly Responsible For One Of Chevy Chase's Best Movies
Prior to directing "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" in 1989, Jeremiah S. Chechik had overseen many, many TV commercials, as well as the music videos for Van Halen's "When It's Love" and Hall & Oates' "Downtown Life." Chechik knew the commercial world well, having begun his career as a fashion photographer for Vogue, and having worked as a designer. After "Christmas Vacation," his career flourished, and he turned out many notable, high-profile films like "Benny & Joon," "Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill," the English-language remake of "Diabolique," and the sexy film adaptation of "The Avengers." After that, he moved mostly into TV, and has directed dozens of episodes of many, many acclaimed shows.
His movement from music videos into feature films, however, began in an unlikely way, and Chechik credits his big break on a flippant, sarcastic comment made by master director Stanley Kubrick. It seems that Kubrick, when he was being interviewed by the New York Times sometime in the late 1980s — likely around when Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" was causing a sensation in theaters — referred to several hot new TV commercials as his "favorite American filmmaking." The comment was a joke, but Kubrick was referring to the ultra-stylish ads that Chechik had directed.
Ironic or not, the comment had some major studios almost immediately reaching out to Chechik about possible feature directing jobs. Chechik tells the whole story in a 2011 interview with Den of Geek, explaining that he received a massive leg-up.
From music to commercials to the big screen
Chechik had a lot of drive and talent, but very little wherewithal when it came to forward momentum in his career. He was able to construct his own professional arc, up to a point, but — like many of us who have been on the job hunt — had to start walking from studio to studio with his hat out, asking if they could spare some employment. He said:
"I had studied theater when I was in university and so I had a background in that. I also had a background in music, and I had a background in design, and I thought, well, maybe filmmaking is the best kind of use for what I know. I chose to try and go into film. Now, I didn't know anything about how you would actually do it. So, I started showing my work to directors, who hooked me up with production companies, and I became a commercial director."
So far, so good. Chechik didn't list what products he directed commercials for, but the Canadian filmmaker was aware that he was bringing a lot more artistry and sensual style to the commercial world than the medium had previously warranted. His ads became popular enough in the late '80s to draw some playful derision from Stanley Kubrick. Chechik said:
"I had made these commercials that became quite iconic here in the US. They were very dark and sexy and sort of a little bit ahead of their time in terms of style. And what happened was they gained the notice of Kubrick, who had mentioned them as his favorite American filmmaking, ironically, in a New York Times article. By the Monday following the Sunday, the phone rang off the hook."
Chechik was a star.
The call from Spielberg
Kubrick's comment, of course, was meant as a criticism of the state of American films in the late 1980s. Kubrick observed, correctly, that mainstream American films had become increasingly slick and commercial, appealing to younger audiences and featuring more sequels and crass commercial exploitation than ever before. Hence, when asked about his favorite American movies, Kubrick cynically pointed to TV commercials as the medium of interesting cinema.
Cynical or not, Chechik got a call from no one less than Steven Spielberg. He said:
"[I]t was Kathy Kennedy and Steven Spielberg and they invited me to come up and see them at Amblin. Oddly, I had just moved here from New York maybe three weeks earlier. I thought, like, wow, I should have done this earlier. We had a terrific first meeting and I walked out of the offices with a deal at Amblin and Steven, Frank Marshall, Kathy as my producers to develop a film that took place in and around the Apollo Theater in New York City. So, I was beside myself happy and I felt, wow, it's pretty easy to break into the film business."
All it takes is a bitter compliment from one of the world's greatest filmmakers, followed by a telephone call from another one of the world's greatest filmmakers — followed by a decade of paying your dues — and you too can become an overnight sensation.
Eventually the Apollo Theater film Chechik mentioned fell through, but studio knew his name. Warner Bros. began sending him scripts for potential "A" productions, knowing Chechik could handle a commercial star vehicle or holiday tentpole.
Chechik eventually settled on a Chevy Chase vehicle, driving on the holiday road to "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
The rest is Christmas history.