A Christmas Story (1983) review

A Christmas Story (1983)

Directed by: Bob Clark

Produced by: René Dupont, Bob Clark

Screenplay by: Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, Bob Clark

Starring: Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley

Imagine it’s the morning of Christmas Day. While you’re eagerly opening presents with your loved ones, what do you have on TV for proper ambiance? You might find special holiday editions of morning talk shows, Christmas-themed sitcom episodes, or airings of classic movies like “A Christmas Story.” Cut to the middle of the day; you’re at a party with extended family, what’s playing in the background? The NBA has a whole marathon of basketball games, there might be some football on, the annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is happening, or…oh, “A Christmas Story” again. Later on it’s dinnertime, everyone’s relaxing and filling their bellies with turkey, potatoes, yams, pudding, pie, etc. Meanwhile, what’s on TV? Well, there’s…still “A Christmas Story”?! You get the idea; originally a sleeper hit, this movie went on to become the ultimate cinematic holiday juggernaut, revered to the point that TNT has run a 24-hour marathon of it every Christmas Day since 1997. And while I personally think it’s overplayed beyond parody, I get the appeal, as it does capture the anxiety-riddled whimsy of the holiday through the eyes of a kid.

Based on the humorist novel “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd, who not only wrote the screenplay but also narrates, it’s about a young boy named Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) as he experiences a particularly memorable Christmas with his parents (Darren McGavin & Melinda Dillon) and little brother Randy (Ian Petrella) in early 1940s suburban Indiana. The overarching plot is that for Christmas, more than anything, he wants a Red Ryder BB gun, even though he’s constantly fed the answer, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” But the run time of the movie runs through a series of vignettes the Parker family experiences throughout the season; Ralphie’s father, who Ralphie refers to as “the Old Man,” wins a table lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg, Ralphie and his friends Flick (Scott Schwartz) and Schwartz (R.D. Robb) are tormented by school bully Scut Farkus (Zack Ward), and there are shenanigans with a frozen flagpole, a faulty home furnace and a misspoken fudge.

That’s the best way to describe the overall story; there isn’t really a singular narrative, it’s just a bunch of events and how Ralphie reacts to them, all the while with the goal of his coveted Christmas gift, and using any ingenuity he thinks he possesses to coax his parents into getting it for him. I’m not going to lie; the first time I watched this movie I didn’t really relate to Ralphie. I thought the idea of a kid wanting a gun for Christmas was strange, and I was kind of alienated by how some of the familial relationships were portrayed. But I’ve become much more understanding over time, as I can see the imagination and heart in how a child approaches so many topics. The fantasies are over-the-top in a believable way, as that’s how a kid’s mind works; you can take his daydream of being a hero cowboy and apply it to many different situations. Guess how many times I drew myself winning the last game of the NBA Finals. Every conflict, no matter how fleeting, feels so important, from him receiving his mail-order decoder pin to attempting to win his teacher Miss Shields (Tedde Moore) over with his essay, and the film smartly blends Ralphie’s sensibilities with how he connects with his parents. The Old Man harbors similarly frivolous ambitions and temperament, while the mother is stern but also kind and understanding.

Honestly, if the chemistry among the Parker family wasn’t so good, I don’t think the movie gains this great a reputation. The cast of Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon, Peter Billingsley and Ian Petrella all work really well together, and you just kind of enjoy watching them and their various traditions. There’s plenty of subtlety in their interactions, as while they may have problems like any family unit, the love and unity are always there. But the movie isn’t entirely wholesome; in fact, it can be downright uncomfortable at times, though still in a fairly innocent way. Director Bob Clark—who had already delved into Christmas horror with “Black Christmas”—gives us an impressive display of camera angles that really sells the uneasiness. The scene where Ralphie meets Santa Claus (Jeff Gillen) at the mall but struggles to get the words out of his mouth because he’s so nervous is like something out of a fever dream, there’s such a disorienting visual style. However, the imagery can be soft and inviting as well, with some of the aesthetics unforgettable.

There are a lot of movies that get so much exposure that we become jaded to them, and may even try to convince ourselves that they’re not good; I think “A Christmas Story” was one of those movies for me, as I remember a Christmas at my aunt and uncle’s house where my cousins spent all afternoon wanting to watch it, and I wanted to watch something else, and I just got so tired of it being on all day when I didn’t understand what the big deal was. I still wouldn’t say I love it, as there’s a lot of repetition, awkward pacing and editing choices that feel strange just for the sake of it. But I will say that I get it now; I understand why this would strike a personal chord with so many people. For as over-commercialized as Christmas can be, there’s something to be said about a movie that celebrates all the little things that might not seem special at the time but you look back on fondly: boring parades, ruined meals, presents you didn’t want, or just sitting by the tree with the snow falling outside. It’s one I appreciate more as an adult than I did as a kid, and it’s led to several spin-offs and adaptations in other media. Most recently, there was “A Christmas Story Christmas,” an HBO Max exclusive film released last month, returning Billingsley to his role as Ralphie for the first time. I don’t see anything having the same impact, as much like Ralphie’s BB gun, the original will be like no other gift received before or since.

My rating: 8/10