directed by Bob Clark
It's nearing the time of year when this movie will be playing all day every day somewhere on a cable or streaming service. If you are under 40 or so you may wonder what the big deal is. Older people such as myself may remember watching the movie and experience a wave of nostalgia.
I still think the movie is funny. My good feelings about the film are not because the film is always laugh out loud hilarious but because I remember watching this movie with departed family members. So I associate this movie with better times.
Yes, many of the film's activities and attitudes are now dated. Most mothers work outside the home. Most kids would rather have the latest video game than a BB gun. A lamp of a female leg clad in fishnet stockings would be tame today. And there would be some sort of adult intervention if a child bully and his evil henchman chased other children home from school every day.
But some things are timeless. Adults and children live in different worlds with different rules. People often have outdated perceptions of younger relatives. Most parents love their children unconditionally.
This story is based on the semi-fictional memories of a man's childhood in 1940s Indiana. The adult Ralph Parker (Jean Shepard, the author who wrote the book upon which this movie is based) provides a voiceover to his adventures as nine year old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley). Ralphie has a gruff hot tempered father (Darrin McGavin ) known as "The Old Man", a fun but disciplinarian mother (Melinda Dillon) and an oft silly younger brother Randy (Ian Petrella).
All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB gun but everyone dismisses that request, warning him that he'll shoot his eye out. The movie is a series of humorous events which include but are not limited to :
- Ralphie's unending attempts to trick, guilt trip, or convince his parents or other adults to get him his Red Ryder BB gun
- Next door neighbors with a pack of irritating dogs
- The Old Man swearing up a storm (all rendered as gibberish) but being outraged when Ralphie does the same
- Ill-advised triple dog dares that end up with the fire department being called
- Long lines to see Santa
- The aforementioned lamp that Mrs. Parker hates
- Mrs. Parker's habit of bundling Randy up so tightly for winter that he can't get up if he falls
All in all a good fun movie. If you haven't seen it you should. There's a lot of irreverence and some occasional breaking of the 4th wall when Ralphie looks at the camera and grins. TRAILER
