How Old Is Rusty in Christmas Vacation?

By Anna Duncan

If you’ve ever watched the classic holiday movie “Christmas Vacation,” you might have wondered how old Rusty, one of the Griswold children, is. While his age isn’t explicitly stated in the film, there are a few clues that can help us figure it out.

First and foremost, we know that Rusty is younger than his older sister Audrey. In one scene, Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) tells Audrey to “go get your younger brother and sister,” implying that Rusty is indeed younger than her.

Additionally, we can make an educated guess about Rusty’s age based on the ages of the actors who played him and Audrey. Juliette Lewis, who played Audrey, was born in 1973, while Johnny Galecki, who played Rusty, was born in 1975. This means that at the time of filming (which took place in 1989), Lewis would have been 16 years old and Galecki would have been 14.

Given this information, it’s safe to assume that Rusty is supposed to be around 10 or 11 years old in “Christmas Vacation.” This lines up with his behavior and dialogue throughout the movie – he’s old enough to understand what’s going on around him (for example, he knows what a SWAT team is), but still young enough to be excited about Christmas presents and Santa Claus.

In conclusion, while Rusty’s exact age isn’t revealed in “Christmas Vacation,” we can infer from various clues that he’s likely around 10 or 11 years old. Of course, this doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things – what’s more important is how hilarious he and the rest of the Griswold family are throughout their holiday misadventures.

So if you’re looking for a good laugh this Christmas season (or any time of year), be sure to give “Christmas Vacation” a watch – and keep an eye out for little Rusty!