Christmas Story, A (1983)

Based on a short story by American humorist Jean Shepherd (who narrates the film), A Christmas Story is set in the 1940s in cold, icy Indiana in the days before Christmas (though the film was shot in Cleveland, Ohio, and Toronto, Canada). The exact year is unspecified, but there are war toys in the department store, and Bing Crosby songs from 1943 are heard.

Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) is a loner. He’s not the smartest boy in class. He is bullied. And he feels like a disappointment to his father (Darren McGavin) – “The Old Man” – who tussles with blown fuses, faulty furnaces, flat tyres, Christmas tree salesmen and rowdy neighbourhood dogs while spouting profanities, and who seems to have grown accustomed to life’s little indignities.

Bespectacled Ralphie dreams of finding a shiny, new, official Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Lightning Loader Range Model Air Rifle, with a Shock-Proof High Adventure Combination Trail Compass and Sundial – “the holy grail of Christmas presents” – under the Christmas tree on the big morning.

Ralphie has honed the ability to daydream his way out of his often joyless existence, though. In his fantasies, that Red Ryder BB gun transforms him into a heroic figure in a 10-gallon hat.

But – as he does with everything else in his life – Ralphie is gearing up for a letdown. His mother (Melinda Dillon) and teacher have already insisted, “You’ll shoot your eye out”, so when Christmas morning comes, and it seems like every last gift has been torn open by Ralphie and his goofy little brother, Randy (Ian Petrella), an all-too-familiar feeling of resignation comes over him.

That’s when Ralphie’s father – with a knowing look in his eye – points out one more unnoticed gift in a corner. And it’s the perfect shape and size to hold a Red Ryder BB gun.

Ralphie’s world is populated by characters we all know – a vulpine-faced bully like Scut Farkus (Zack Ward), of whom adult Ralphie (Jean Shepherd) narrates: “He had yellow eyes! So help me God, yellow eyes!”, and a distant, older relation who would send us duds as Christmas gifts – like the fluffy pink bunny onesie  Ralphie receives from his Aunt Clara (“Aunt Clara had, for years, laboured under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl”) – and by nostalgic childhod memories we shared – being (over)dressed for the snow or ill-advisedly taking a triple-dog-dare to place your tongue on a frozen flagpole in December.

Ralphie’s dad wins a contest and learns that a “major award” will be coming his way. Victories are few and far between for this man, and in his wild anticipation, he has built the thing out of all proportion.

It arrives unceremoniously in a crate marked “fragile”, and he is rendered speechless by the beauty of the lamp contained therein, shaped like a woman’s leg, complete with fishnet stocking, high heel and tasselled skirt.

His wife is aghast. His boys are confused. Where to display such an exquisite work of art? Nothing less than the front window will do. “It could be seen up and down Cleveland Street, a symbol of the Old Man’s victory,” says adult Ralphie.

But the Old Man is crestfallen, near tears, when his precious leg lamp is broken under mysterious circumstances.

Canadian director Bob Clark and his 22-year-old son were killed by a drunk driver in April 2007.

Ralphie Parker
Peter Billingsley
Mrs Parker
Melinda Dillon
Mr Parker (The Old Man)
Darren McGavin
Randy Parker
Ian Petrella
Flick
Scott Schwartz
Miss Shields
Tedde Moore
Schwartz
RD Robb
Scut Farkus
Zack Ward
Grover Dill
Yano Anaya
Santa Claus
Jeff Gillen
Ralphie as an Adult/Narrator
Jean Shepherd (voice)

Director
Bob Clark