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By Britt Gillette
Adapted from humorist Jean Shepherd's hilarious memoir In God
We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, A Christmas Story has climbed
the ranks of the annual holiday classic films list to claim
its
spot among the hallowed elite of the genre. If you’ve ever
tried
to lick a frozen telephone pole, or found yourself in a
ridiculous bunny outfit on Christmas morning, then A Christmas
Story is one comedy you won’t want to miss…
A Christmas Story focuses on one central character, fifth
grader Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and his all-encompassing
quest to receive a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB rifle for
Christmas, although I don’t think he realizes he could put an
eye out with one of those things… Thwarting Ralphie at every
turn are his mother (Melinda Dillon) and father (Darren
McGavin) who seem absolutely oblivious to their young son’s
dream.
Unable to come right out and say what he wants, Ralphie drops
subtle hints around the house such as placing clipped-out
magazine ads for the gun in his parents’ nightstand reading
material. When prodded for his true Christmas wish, Ralphie
blurts out that he wants a Daisy Brand Red-Ryder BB gun, but
his mother’s only reply is, “You don’t want one of those.
You'll shoot your eye out!”
A Christmas Story is filled with memorable scenes and
highlights that have helped built a cult following around the
life of a young boy obsessed with Christmas who is surrounded
by a varied cast eccentric friends and family members. When
Ralphie’s father beams with pride at his ability to win a
newspaper contest, his proudly displays his prize in the front
window of the family home, a three-foot lamp with a woman’s
long, stocking-covered leg as its base. Embarrassed, Ralphie’s
mother “accidentally” breaks it, sparking a war of words with
her husband. Meanwhile, Ralphie dreams of saving the whole
family with his Red-Ryder BB gun, thus earning the family’s
undying gratitude.
One of the best sequences in the film involves a family trip
to
the local department store, where Ralphie and his little
brother
Randy meet with the store Santa Clause near closing time.
Following a long, extended wait to reach the front of the line
to see Santa, Ralphie is so brimming with anticipation to tell
Santa what he wants that he can’t speak. So, Santa convinces
Ralphie that he wants a football. But before Santa’s helper
can
push Ralphie down the North Pole slide, Ralphie blurts out his
true wish, only to hear Santa’s reply, “You’ll shoot your eye
out with that, kid!”
One of the best Christmas comedies ever made, although few
come
close to National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, A Christmas
Story is a memorable holiday classic the entire family can
enjoy. Much like It’s A Wonderful Life, the film has only
grown
in popularity in the years since its release. The timeless
nature of its subject matter lends itself well to annual
holiday viewing, and it remains one of a handful of “must see”
films for the Christmas season…
About The Author: Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report
(thedvdreport.blogspot.com), a blog where you can find
more reviews like this one.
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