A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story
This film has been preserved in the National Film Registry in 2012.
"You'll shoot your eye out!"
Genre: Family Comedy Christmas Directed by: Bob Clark Produced by: René Dupont Bob Clark Written by: Jean Shepherd Leigh Brown Bob Clark Based on: In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd Starring: Melinda Dillon Darren McGavin Peter Billingsley Cinematography: Reginald H. Morris Editing: Stan Cole Music by: Paul Zaza Carl Zittrer Production company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributed by: MGM/UA Entertainment Co. Release date: November 18, 1983 Runtime: 94 minutes Country: United States Canada Language: English Budget: $3.3 million Box office: $19.2 million

A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark, and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, with some elements from his 1971 book Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories. A seasonal classic in North America, it is shown numerous times on television, usually on the networks owned by the Turner Broadcasting System. Since 1997, a marathon of the film titled "24 Hours of A Christmas Story" has aired annually on TNT and/or TBS, comprising twelve consecutive airings of the film on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day each year.

Plot

Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), who spends most of his time dodging a bully (Zack Ward) and dreaming of his ideal Christmas gift, a "Red Ryder air rifle." Frequently at odds with his cranky dad (Darren McGavin) but comforted by his doting mother (Melinda Dillon), Ralphie struggles to make it to Christmas Day with his glasses and his hopes intact.

Why It's A Good Christmas Story

1. It's faithful to the novel the film was based on, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.
2. Speaking of the novel, Jean Shepherd, the author, not only played the narrator/Adult Ralphie, but he was the co-writer.
3. Peter Billingsley was great as Ralphie Parker.
4. Cool props, such as the leg lamp.
5. Famous lines, such as Oh, fudge! and You'll shoot your eye out!
6. That hilarious "Triple-dog-dare" scene, where Flick's tongue gets stuck on a frozen flagpole.
7. Another hilarious scene is Ralphie's fantasy on receiving an A+++++++++++ (An A undecuple plus)!

Bad Qualities

1. The English-speaking Chinese restaurant waiters are racist stereotypes in a PG-rated family movie. In fact, this part could easily offend anyone living in China, or Chinese immigrants in other countries (especially those living in the USA).
2. A lot of mild swearing for a PG movie like, Hell, Goddamn, Ass/Smartass and Bitch notably in the scene where Ralphie beats up the bully.
   • This is likely due to the PG-13 rating not being introduced yet for another year, despite this, the film got to keep its PG rating due to being released before PG-13's introduction.
3. Overuse of crying scenes.
4. The poster really spoils the Christmas Day scene where it shows that Ralphie has the bunny suit and the "Red Ryder air rifle"!

Trivia

• Because of the film's success, merchandise and items inspired by the movie are sold at Christmas time such as boxes of fudge that reference the "Oh fudge!" quote and a card game based on the film.

External links

• A Christmas Story at the Internet Movie Database
• A Christmas Story on Rotten Tomatoes

Comments

Loading comments...