A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story Movie Poster

"A tribute to the original, traditional, one-hundred-percent, red-blooded, two-fisted, all-American Christmas..."

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid."  A Christmas Story, released in 1983, was, as the name might suggest, a Christmas comedy.  The movie was based on the short stories of author Jean Shepherd, from his book In God We Trust, All Others Must Pay Cash.  The movie starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker.  Although the film received mixed reviews at the time, in hindsight, its popularity and favorable consideration has gone up considerably.  It is now considered a cult classic, and is often aired on TV and cable around Thanksgiving and Christmas with regularity.

In the movie, 9 year old Ralphie Parker has only one Christmas wish, and that is to receive the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200 shot Range model BB gun.  Everyone is against it, explaining that he will end up shooting his eye out.  On Christmas morning, Ralphie is disappointed to find he does not receive the BB gun after opening all his gifts...until, his father tells him about one last package, and indeed, it is his gun.  The first thing he does is go outside to shoot it, and ends up destroying his glasses in the mean time.

Although the main theme throughout the movie is Ralphie's desire to get the BB gun, there are a number of noteworthy subplots, including Ralphie's struggle with the neighborhood bully, Scut Farkus, and Ralphie's father's struggle with home maintenance.  Many of you will also remember the ladies lingerie leg lamp that Ralphie's father won in a contest, and how it "accidentally" gets destroyed.