MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Up 300 this week

A Christmas Story (1983)

8.0
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 8.0/10 from 72,972 users   Metascore: 77/100
Reviews: 412 user | 86 critic | 8 from Metacritic.com

Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s.

Director:

Writers:

(based on the novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by), (screenplay), 2 more credits »
Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 374 titles created 17 Apr 2011
 
a list of 1017 titles created 9 months ago
 
a list of 582 titles created 16 Jul 2011
 
a list of 10000 titles created 3 months ago
 
a list of 483 titles created 24 Feb 2012
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: A Christmas Story (1983)

A Christmas Story (1983) on IMDb 8/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of A Christmas Story.
3 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Comedy | Family | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

Returning from a hunting trip in the forest, the Henderson family's car hits an animal in the road. At first they fear it was a man, but when they examine the "body" they find it's a "... See full summary »

Director: William Dear
Stars: John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, Margaret Langrick
The Muppets (2011)
Comedy | Family | Musical
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.

Director: James Bobin
Stars: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper
Adventure | Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.1/10 X  

Identical twins, separated at birth and each raised by one of their biological parents, discover each other for the first time at summer camp and make a plan to bring their wayward parents back together.

Director: Nancy Meyers
Stars: Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson
Comedy | Family | Romance
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

The story begins with Spanky, who is the president of the "He-Man Woman Haters Club" with many school-aged boys from around the neighborhood as members. His best friend, Alfalfa, has been ... See full summary »

Director: Penelope Spheeris
Stars: Travis Tedford, Kevin Jamal Woods, Brittany Ashton Holmes
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

With his wife doing a book tour, a father of twelve must handle a new job and his unstable brood.

Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo
Comedy | Family | Fantasy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.2/10 X  

A Doctor finds out that he can understand what animals are saying. And the animals find out that he understands.

Director: Betty Thomas
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Ossie Davis, Oliver Platt
Good Burger (1997)
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.2/10 X  

Two dim-witted teenage boys, are forced to save the fast-food restaurant they work at from going out of business, despite a new-and-improved burger joint opening across the street that want to be the "Top Dog" in the fast food industry.

Director: Brian Robbins
Stars: Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.4/10 X  

Two men get laid off and have to become stay-at-home dads when they can't find jobs. This inspires them to open their own day-care center.

Director: Steve Carr
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

When a widower with 10 children marries a widow with 8, can the 20 of them ever come together as one big happy family? From finding a house big enough for all of them and learning to make ... See full summary »

Director: Melville Shavelson
Stars: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson
Bean (1997)
Comedy | Family
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

The bumbling Mr. Bean travels to America when he is given the responsibility of bringing a highly valuable painting to a Los Angeles museum.

Director: Mel Smith
Stars: Rowan Atkinson, Peter MacNicol, John Mills
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

In this remake of the Spencer Tracy classic, George and Nina Banks are the parents of young soon-to-be-wed Annie. George is a nervous father unready to face the fact that his little girl is... See full summary »

Director: Charles Shyer
Stars: Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Family | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5/10 X  

A group of juvenile criminals is sent for vacation to Kamp Kikakee. The clumsy Ernest has to care for them, although he doesn't even know how to take care of himself. The other children at ... See full summary »

Director: John R. Cherry III
Stars: Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, John Vernon
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Mother Parker
...
The Old Man Parker
...
Jean Shepherd ...
Ian Petrella ...
...
...
...
Yano Anaya ...
Jeff Gillen ...
...
Colin Fox ...
Ming the Merciless (scenes deleted)
...
Flash Gordon (scenes deleted)
Leslie Carlson ...
Christmas Tree Man (as Les Carlson)
Jim Hunter ...
Freight Man
Edit

Storyline

Ralphie, a young boy growing up in the '40's, dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun. He sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way, he runs into opposition from his parents, his teacher, and even good 'ol Santa Claus himself. Written by Angela Anuszewski <axa143@psu.edu>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

christmas | bb gun | school | 1940s | tongue | See more »

Taglines:

'Tis better to give than to receive. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Family

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

18 November 1983 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Božićna priča  »

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 4,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was set in Hammond Indiana. References were made throughout the film to support this claim. Examples: Harding school (on 165th St.) where Flick stuck his tongue to the flagpole, Goldblatt's department store, the mention of Griffith (a city that borders Hammond), Cleveland Street, Hohman Ave, and other streets that are located in Hammond. Although the movie was not filmed in Hammond the houses and look of the film is very authentic. Jean Shepherd (Writer) grew up in Hammond. See more »

Goofs

Vehicles parked outside Warren G. Harding School include a 1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster and a 1947 Ford half-ton pickup. See more »

Quotes

The Old Man: [shouting] Don't anybody move! Hold it right there! The fuse is out.
See more »

Crazy Credits

"Ming the Merciless" and "Flash Gordon" are listed as characters despite being cut from the general release. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Simpsons Game (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

"Romeo and Juliet Overture"
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

The funniest, most touching family Christmas film of ALL time!
15 March 1999 | by (Chicago suburbs) – See all my reviews

I lived the life of Ralphie! Even though I'm a girl and was born in the late seventies, my Christmases were much the same as Ralphie's.

From playing Santa on Christmas morning to sipping my Dad's Christmas cocktail to visiting Santa at the department store, I lived the very same Christmas memories. This movie brings out the true essence of Christmas happiness. Everyone, young and old, can relive the magic of being a child.

Ralphie's vibrant imagination and inventiveness in his ploys to seduce his parents into buying him the ultimate gift are "pinch-his-chubby-cheeks" adorable. And Randy...need I say anything?? He is the perfect picture of the baby brother!

This movie is universal in its appeal to audiences of all ages, race, and nationalities. My husband, who grew up in Lebanon and who's first language is Arabic, even knew the famous "oh fudge" line when I first played this movie for him here in the States.

I get giddy every time I sit down to watch this movie. Curling up with a warm cup of cider in front of the fireplace, wrapping Christmas presents, making Christmas cookies, or writing a letter to Santa Claus...those are all perfect times to watch this classic family film. This has been and always will be my all-time favorite Christmas film.


75 of 96 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
I do wonder how Asians feel about... Flywiththeowl
Was The Old Man An Atheist? Requiem57
Was She Not the Coolest Mom? Buskieboy
Overrated Lonewolfsanscub
Why Did Ralphie's Mom. . . v_anzaldua
Favorite quotes/lines from the movie willywiggler
Discuss A Christmas Story (1983) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?