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Christmas Story (1983)

A Christmas Story (original title)
Tous Public | | Comedy, Family | 28 November 1984 (France)
Trailer
0:54 | Trailer
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

Director:

Bob Clark

Writers:

Jean Shepherd (based on the novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by), Jean Shepherd (screenplay) | 2 more credits »
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Popularity
4,869 ( 220)
3 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

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

Christmas is approaching and 9 year-old Ralphie wants only one thing: a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun. When he mentions it at the dinner table, his mother's immediate reaction is that he'll shoot his eye out. He then decides on a perfect theme for his teacher but her reaction is like his. He fantasizes about what it would be like to be Red Ryder and catch the bad guys. When the big day arrives he gets lots of present under the tree including a lovely gift from his aunt that his mother just adores. But what about the BB gun? Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Peace. Harmony. Comfort and Joy... Maybe Next Year. See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Family

Certificate:

Tous Public | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The trolley cars originally came to Toronto from Cleveland. See more »

Goofs

When the kids run to their seats in the classroom after putting the plastic teeth in their mouths, a shadow of a boom mic is visible on the wall as the camera pans right to left. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Ralphie as an Adult: [narrating] Ah, there it is. My house, and good old Cleveland Street. How could I ever forget it? And there I am, with that dumb round face and that stupid stocking cap. Oh, but no matter. Christmas was on its way. Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas, around which the entire kid year revolved.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Early home video copies contained the following text immediately after the end credits:

"THIS TRANSFER IS DEDICATED TO 'POPPY' JOE BLUTH 1984." See more »

Alternate Versions

Theatrical and home video versions have the end credits scrolling in red text over a shot of the Parker house. The airings on TBS in the United States have the credits on white over a black background. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Nostalgia Critic: Hop (2019) See more »

Soundtracks

Taps
(uncredited)
Written by Daniel Butterfield
See more »

User Reviews

 
Pure joy!
25 December 2005 | by CMUltraSee all my reviews

How difficult is it to perfectly capture nostalgia? It must be pretty darn difficult or else everyone would make movies like this. It may not be absolute perfection but Jean Shepherd, Bob Clark and the outstanding cast came as close as anyone here.

Creating a story centered around nostalgia is a tricky thing as the memories that creates it are unique to each of us. The themes, however, are similar and that's where the success lies.

I didn't want a Red Ryder BB gun when I was that age but my Christmas wish was just as fervent and I schemed just as hard as Ralphie. The bully at my school didn't have yellow eyes but he was pretty much like Scut Farkus. And so on, from the fantastically flawed parents to the pop-heroes, A Christmas Story captures it all.

Truly wonderful.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. DVD site

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1984 (France) See more »

Also Known As:

Christmas Story See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

$3,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,072,473, 20 November 1983

Gross USA:

$20,605,209

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,618,717
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »

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