12 Reviews of Christmas - A Christmas Story (1983)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with more 12 Reviews of Christmas . We're taking a look at A Christmas Story, released in 1983, and the very definition of simple and sweet. 

         So, the movie follows Ralphie Parker, a kid in the town of Hohman, Indiana, who lives with his mother, father, and little brother Randy. This particular Christmas, in the year 1940, Ralphie really wants a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. However, his wish is repeatedly shot down: first by his mother, next by his teacher Miss Shields, and lastly by a department store Santa at the Higbee's Department Store, all of them saying the same thing: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid"

         The majority of the movie is a series of vignettes threaded together to form a story, and here are some examples. One of Ralphie's schoolmates is dared by local bully, Scut Farkus, to stick their tongue on a frozen pole (something I'm sure every kid who lives in places it snow has done), Ralphie finally snaps and fights back against Scut, and his mother has to break up the fight. Ralphie's dad gets a lamp shaped like a woman's leg with fishnets on it, and a scuffle later causes it to break. Ralphie's dad also has issues involving fixing the furnace, replacing a tire on the car when it pops, and dealing with the neighbor's dogs, who eat the family turkey on Christmas, forcing the family to eat out at a Chinese restaurant. 

         Ultimately, though, Ralphie does get his Red Ryder air rifle, and while testing it out, he knocks his glasses off with a ricochet, and he accidentally steps on them in the snow while searching for them. In the end, Ralphie goes to bed, deeming his Red Ryder air rifle the "best Christmas gift he ever got and would ever get." 

        Okay, so I have only ever watched this movie one time, and it was when Cinemark was showcasing it in December of 2011 as part of their "Classics Series." And when I watched it, I thought it was cute. Peter Billingsley was terrific as Ralphie, both Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin we're memorable as his parents, and Ian Petrella was adorably hilarious as Randy. Zack Ward was a real stand out as Scut Farkus, and the rest of the cast did really well. 

          I also enjoyed the very simple storytelling of this movie. It really showcases the views of the world from the perspective of a child. It's this very childlike world view that makes this movie so memorable and apparently a must watch every Christmas. In my opinion, the one time I've watched it was definitely enough, and I give A Christmas Story a rating of 5/5. 

        This is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back tomorrow with my review of It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie as we inch closer and closer to the end of this year's 12 Reviews of Christmas.

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