A Christmas Story (1983)

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Directed by Bob Clark.

Starring Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, Darren McGavin.

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Nine years after the Yuletide slasher flick Black Christmas, Porky's director Bob Clark once again took on the holiday genre, switching from gasps to laughs with A Christmas Story. Adapted from a memoir by humorist Jean Shepherd (who narrates), the film centers on Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a young boy living in 1940s Indiana, desperately yearning for a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. Despite protests from his mother (Melinda Dillon) that he'll shoot his eye out, Ralphie persists, unsuccessfully trying to enlist the assistance of both his teacher and Santa Claus. All the while, Ralphie finds himself dealing with the constant taunts of a pair of bullies and trying to not get in the middle of a feud between his mother and father (Darren McGavin) regarding a sexy lamp. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

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Reviews and discussions

for crying out loud!
by chesterfilms in chesterfilms Blog

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"One of the most re-watchable films i have seen, a christmas story is completely perfect. bob clark captures the 1940's so perfectly that i thought it was an old film (when i was young). the narration played against ralphie's facial expressions, darren mcgavin as the loving yet flawed father, randy and the zeppelin. everything works. nothing falls short. it's hilarious and sweet but never sappy. there is a reason it's played 24 hours straight every christmas! " [More]

#3...(three way tie)
by eagle795 in eagle795 Blog

hasn't rated it.

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"The most modern of the Christmas classics, but since its set in the 40’s it has a decidedly old fashioned vibe. It’s really kind of subversive, subtly mocking the wanton craving for that perfect Christmas gift and our contemporary focus on the secular trappings of the holiday instead of remembering the true reason for the season. But it pokes fun at society in a very sweet & good spirited way. " [More]

Re: Top 5 films from your child ...
by pippin06 in Top 5

liked it.

"How could I not have responded to this convo yet?!?! Excellent topic. I refuse to relinquish my childhood completely anyway. As such, this will be tough for me, but here goes:1. Star Wars / Empire / Jedi - They may be obvious choices, but as we are embarking upon the 30th anniversary of Star Wars/New Hope, and as we are embarking on the 30th year of...something else...I have to say that I've never known a world without these movies, they're still my favorite, I still watch them, and I watched them a gajillion times when I was a kid. And poo on those prequels, which are so inferior despite their fancy CGI special effects.2. The Muppet Movie / The Great Muppet Caper / Muppets Take Manhattan - The three Muppet motion pictures where Jim Henson was still the voice of Kermit. I refuse to watch any of the rest of the series except A Muppet Christmas Carol for that reason. With the exception of Star Wars, no group of characters has made a more delible impression on my life. I ... " [More]

The death of Bob Clark
by Risselada in FRESH

liked it.

"Well the news today is that Bob Clark was killed this morning along with his song in a car crash. The other driver was drunk and a driving without a liscense. The article I read indicated Bob Clark's noteriety as being the director of A Christmas Story.Now this event is beyond tragic. I am not saying anything less than that. But I looked at Clark's list of other films he has made, and I almost wonder if the film world is not better off for the fact that he will no longer be making any more movies. I guess it may not be the most fair assessment considering the fact that A Christmas Story is the only film of his I've seen, and I do enjoy it. But looking at the general reviews of most of the rest of his catalogue I find mostly excessive panning. Many of these films are infamously horrible. " [More]

Favorite Christmas Movie?
by superdrive0 in Christmas Movies

loved it.

"What's your favorite christmas movie? Mine is definitely A Christmas Story. I watch it all the time, even when it's not christmas. " [More]

Re: Guess The Movie Quote
by billhr in Best movie quotes

loved it.

"Easy...A Christmas Story. (Nada fada Bumpus' Dogs! Nadafinger!) " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

loved it.

Marketed somewhat confusingly as a family film by the director of Porky's, Bob Clark's A Christmas Story took a while to catch on. But video and cable have conspired to boost its reputation into that of a latter-day holiday classic, and deservedly so. Its secret may be its ability to appeal to both children and adults. Clark wonderfully captures both Jean Shepherd's period detail (that's not just any BB-gun, it's a Red Ryder BB Gun) and, even more importantly, his ability to tell the story from a child's point of view. The film is plenty nostalgic, but it also captures the frustration and occasionally the outright terror of childhood and the absurdity of adult behavior. Of course, the earthy, bawdy humor doesn't hurt nor does the fact that Shepherd himself provides the near-constant narration. ~ Keith Phipps, All Movie Guide

Tags: christmas , Classic , Leg-Lamp , shoot-your-eye-out , frozentounge
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