Full disclosure: I didn't make this discovery on my own, Sarah pointed it out to me. She makes a great point, although ruined is maybe a strong word. Here is how uncle Eddie, who for all intents and purposes, is a likable and memorable character, changes the tone of the movie for the worse.
In the first half of the movie, or pre-Eddie, Clark plays the role of the family man buffoon. He is the funny goofball who creates most of the comedy, and his attitude towards Christmas is what drives the plot forward.
In the second half of the movie, or post-Eddie, the whole tone of the movie is different. This is because Clark transforms from the enjoyable fool to a serious character once Eddie arrives. Although Eddie's character is funny at times, he's basically just an idiot. The changing of Clark's character and replacement of the comedy source from Clark to Eddie essentially takes away the best part of the movie. Clark somewhat redeems himself with his huge rant at the end of the movie, but overall the second half of the movie just isn't as good as the first half because of Eddie's arrival. Eddie's character is good, but having his character drive the comedy at the expense of Clark's character was a mistake.
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