A Christmas Story (1983)

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:

Bob Clark

Writers:

Jean Shepherd (based on the novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by), Jean Shepherd (screenplay),

Stars:

Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz

3 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melinda Dillon	...	Mother Parker
Darren McGavin	...	The Old Man Parker
Scott Schwartz	...	Flick
Jean Shepherd	...	Ralphie as an Adult (voice)
Ian Petrella	...	Randy
Tedde Moore	...	Miss Shields
R.D. Robb	...	Schwartz
Zack Ward	...	Scut Farkus
Yano Anaya	...	Grover Dill
Jeff Gillen	...	Santa Claus
Peter Billingsley	...	Ralphie
Colin Fox	...	Ming the Merciless (scenes deleted)
Paul Hubbard	...	Flash Gordon (scenes deleted)
Leslie Carlson	...	Christmas Tree Man (as Les Carlson)
Jim Hunter	...	Freight Man

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.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | bb gun | school | 1940s | tongue | 

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Taglines:

Peace. Harmony. Comfort and Joy... Maybe Next Year.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. DVD site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 November 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Božićna priča

Filming Locations:

3159 W. 11th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Christmas Tree Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 2005, the original home used for the exterior shots of the family home was put up for auction on eBay and avid fan of the movie Brian Jones managed to purchase the home directly from the seller for $150,000.00 USD. Jones then spent the following year restoring the home to the way it looked on screen. The exterior of the home was completely restored and the interior was renovated to match the interior of the home shown in the movie. (Parts of the interior was actually filmed in a Toronto studio) On November 25th, 2006, the famous home finally opened its doors as a tourist attraction. Jones spent close to $500,000.00 USD in preparation for this grand opening. In addition, Jones also purchased the house next door and converted it to a gift shop and museum dedicated to the film and the house.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie Mr. Parker enters reading a newspaper distressed that the White Sox had just traded "Bullfrog". Bill Dietrich the Bullfrog was released from the Chicago White Sox on September 18, 1946. That would place this scene some time in the middle of September - a little too early to be thinking of Christmas lists or for Indiana to be covered in snow. The movie seems to be set in 1939 or 1940 anyway.

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Quotes

Miss Shields: Now I know that some of you put Flick up to this, but he has refused to say who. But those who did it know their blame, and I'm sure that the guilt you feel is far worse than any punishment you might receive. Now, don't you feel terrible? Don't you feel remorse for what you have done? Well, that's all I'm going to say about poor Flick.
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] Adults loved to say things like that but kids knew better. We knew darn well it was always better not to get caught.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Referenced in The Nostalgia Critic: Captain America (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Deck the Halls"
(uncredited)
Traditional

User Reviews

A timeless Christmas film

"A Christmas Story" is a rare film about children yet for adults. While kids will definitely enjoy this Christmas-themed saga, adults will find a deeper level of depth than they may remember from seeing the film at a younger age.

The movie strikes a sharp contrast between the exaggerated, polysyllabic narration of Ralphie, filled with nostalgia and lucid memories, and the soft, high-pitched childlike wonder of Ralphie's spoken word. The narrator is clearly not the same character as the one portrayed on film, but a character wholly outside the story, reliving his childhood emotions and anecdotes. Yet he is the heart of the film, the true center of gravity. This is because the movie is not about a scary Santa Clause and a BB gun - it's about childhood memories and the feelings they evoke. To that end, "A Christmas Story" is flawless.

"A Christmas Story" tells of the epically materialistic journey of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) as he searches for the golden, upheld idol of all red-blooded American boys: A Red Rider Air Rifle. Ralphie spins an intricate web of cunning and deceit as he plots to get his hands on it - including an essay, a trip to Santa Claus and more. The movie also shows us a glimpse of his family - his irritable, foul-mouthed father with a good heart, his whiny brother Randy, and his sweet, all-American mother. It is not so much a continuous story as a series of vignettes, but it ultimately serves the movie's purpose.

This is a funny film. The narration by Jean Shepherd is filled with love for this story. He absolutely captures the emotions and logic of childhood. In a subtle but amusing moment, Shepherd intones the incomparably eloquent pouring forth of thought into writing - only to have Billingsley note in his awe-filled, high-pitched voice that "I think everyone should have a Red Rider BB gun. It's very good for Christmas." (paraphrased). Most of the humor is similar - the natural exaggeration of a child as expressed by Shepherd's consistent string of hyperbole.

Also, there's a reason why it's played constantly on cable TV throughout the Christmas season - it's a movie everyone can relate to. There are moments of such pure truth here that few can deny their power. I'm sure that there is a scientific law left unwritten that determines that every kid must at some point fantasize about his parents feeling absolutely terrible and forever regretting some unutterable punishment they inflicted on their child

• in this case, the immortal washing of a mouth out with

soap.

Obviously, "A Christmas Story" is not a film that can be compared to Casablanca or Citizen Kane. It simply excels at its simple goals, and comes together as an extraordinarily entertaining piece of cinema.