A Christmas Story serves as one of my favorite movies I have ever seen.  It tells the tale of a typical family’s, living in Indiana, story about their holiday experiences.  The family consists of a sweet, loving, homemaker mom, the hardworking, self-reliant dad, a nine-year-old older brother, Ralphie, who desperately desires, “a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock” (A Christmas Story), and his younger brother, Randy, who just seems to always be in the way.  The story is told from Ralphie’s point of view, but as an adult looking back on this particular Christmas.  While Ralphie will do anything to get this rifle, including waiting hours in line to see Santa at the mall, the adults constantly surrounding him consistently tell him, “You’ll shoot you’re eye out!”  Finally on Christmas morning, Ralphie comes across many bizarre gifts, including a pink bunny suit, and other gifts, but no rifle.  Until, his father seems to “spot” a hidden present, and guess what if happened to be: a Red Ryder gun.  He finally gets his dream present.  While scaring him after the initial kick, he reflects that it was the best present he had ever received.

While watching this movie, I was hoping to answer why families are so frazzled at Christmas.  This movie ultimately shows that even when everything goes wrong in your Christmas, you can still find a way to look back and endlessly laugh about it later. 

I absolutely loved this movie.  It tells a hilarious story of your typical American family and the bizarre struggles that Christmas carries with it.  I thought the best aspects of the film were not the main plot points, but the little things in between.  My favorite part occurs when the family is driving, and they get a flat tire.  With his father always being very self-reliant, Ralphie being asked to help him change the tire came as a big shock filled with lots of excitement.  While holding the bearings, Ralphie accidentally knocked over the bowl and the bearing went parading into the road.  Upset that he failed, he utters quite a daring word for a nine-year-old and his father, upon hearing this word, is appalled.  Ralphie is then forced to rinse his mouth out with soap in order to “cleanse” his mouth from the language he used.  The way the narrator talks through this makes the scene unforgettable. 

Overall, the movie is extremely well done and the actors playing each character are superb.  Almost every scene can contend as my favorite as each one is memorable in its own way.  There is a reason so many of the jokes from the movie are still noted today: the leg lamp, the pink bunny suit, the tongue to the frozen pole, etc.  It is definitely one of those movies that the more you watch it, the funnier it gets.  I watch this movie every Christmas Eve, and, to me, it represents my entire family of six, spread out over four states, to be all together for the holidays.  It brings us laughter, joy, and something we never fail to bond over.  I am even currently wearing an A Christmas Story T-shirt while writing this, demonstrating its meaning to me.  The sound effects and music that goes along with each scene also makes the movie so much better.  Also, the actors are each hilarious and are able to be so serious at hysterical parts.   I can’t find anything wrong with this movie as every detail just adds perfectly to the story.

This movie appeals to all ages and definitely is in the comedy genre.  It has won the awards “Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award for Best Screenplay and the Genie Award for Best Achievement in Direction” (Wikipedia).  While this movie was made in 1983, which may not appeal to the younger age group, if given a chance they will for sure not regret it.  I hope that this movie can become as family orientated for other families as it has for mine.  Most of the actors in this movie weren’t seen in many other well known movies which makes them very unique and special to the story.  This movie is not to be missed and will not fail to put a promise on your face.  Now, get comfy, grab some hot chocolate, and get ready to laugh with this fun Christmas tale.