The yearly question among 25-30-year-olds around the holidays is “What is your favorite holiday film?” From Home Alone to The Santa Clause, there really is no wrong answer. 20 years ago, while watching TV and eating Christmas Eve leftovers, I stumbled upon a young boy in a pink bunny suit and wondered, “What the hell am I watching?”
I noticed that although the film was almost over, it was going to be playing again right after. 20 years later, I am thankful for that moment as I discovered what has become not only my favorite holiday film but a yearly reminder of what it felt like to be a kid at Christmas. That film is A Christmas Story.
A Christmas Story is based on the writings of author Jean Shepherd showing us Christmas through the eyes of the lead character, a boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley), whose only Christmas wish is for “an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200 shot range model air rifle.” Throughout the film, he uses all his nine-year-old intellectual power to scheme to ensure that he will find one under the Christmas tree. Despite that, at every turn, Ralphie meets the classic adult dismissal of his request with the good ol’ saying, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
While simple in premise, the film defines the holidays. 33 years since the release of the film, there are many sequences within the film that stand as nothing short as classic. From the infamous scene where Ralphie’s friend is not just dared but triple-dog-dared to stick his tongue onto a frozen lamp post to Ralphie’s father winning the “major award” of a lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg, and even to Ralphie and Randy’s visit to a department store Santa Claus. Ralphie sees it as his last resort option to get his gun. Santa’s helpers are disgruntled and don’t help the terrified kids but just turn around and put them down on Santa’s lap, and afterwards Santa kicks them down a slide to floor level. What follows is the realization that we all want a pink bunny suit.
This is all thanks to the performances of the cast. Peter Billingsley is charming and endearing as Ralphie and becomes very difficult to not root for him to get his ultimate Christmas prize. Ian Petrella brings memories of winter mornings when my mother would bundle me up where I could barely move that left me saying, ” I feel you, kid”.
The late Darren Mcgavin, while full of profanities, is a riot throughout and has become one of the all-time great movie dads. Finally, we get to the woman that has not eaten a warm meal in 15 years, Ralphie and Randy’s mother, played by Melinda Dillon who brings a charm to her character that will bring memories of a time where we were fully dependent on our mothers bailing us out of situations. This cast made this film as classic as it is.
A Christmas Story takes us to a time that no longer quite exists in America. Kids are no longer left unattended in the line for Santa while the innocence of kids’ radio programs has been replaced by iPads and kids just growing up too fast. For old timers like myself, the final scene of Ralphie sleeping with his Christmas prize will always hold true to me and brings back yearly memories of one of the easiest times of anyone’s life, their childhood.
Reel Talk gives A Christmas Story 4 Reels
