Look, I’m not going to argue its merits. christmas story This makes it a fan favorite today. I can appreciate its memory-play structure; it’s a story told by an adult Ralph, and his nostalgic description of Christmas memories reflects more meaningfully on his relationship with the old man. I can appreciate some truly quotable lines, such as the old man’s “Fra-GEE-lay? Must be Italian,” and when he opens his “big award,” a bundled-up Randy complains, “I Can’t put my arm down!”
This film is a touchstone for viewers who are more in touch with it than I am. Many people can relate to Ralphie’s childhood dream of owning a Red Ryder BB gun, as it represents the universal feeling of wanting something intensely and going to great lengths to get it. Ralphie faced criticism on many occasions from people who ignored his dreams and simply warned him: “You’re going to shoot your eye out!”
if you love christmas storythen you might start to think of me as Miss Shields, giving you a C+ in my article because I say this: Even though I am someone who knows the story very well (I have seen this movie many times Yes, I have also visited christmas story House Museum in Cleveland, I saw a theatrical version of this movie and even acted in it as a freshman in high school) and I don’t want to see it again christmas story.
This is an unpopular view for Clevelanders, as many scenes were filmed here. However, I didn’t like this movie because it was slow and cringe-worthy at times. Most impactfully, what may be nostalgic for some viewers is dated for me, as my biggest pet peeve about the film is the lack of vibrant female characters, which puts the film into the trappings of 1940’s Dilemma.
Please don’t put your tongue on the flagpole!
Allow me to start with a scene that still haunts me: the moment when Ralphie’s friend Frick “dared three dogs” to lick the frozen flagpole.
The whole scene is agonizingly long, from the coercion of friends at school, to Flick realizing that once the bell rings, the entire school with his tongue stuck to him abandons him, to the teacher discovering that Flick is gone, what happens? thing. The poor boy took a long time to be rescued and when his tongue separated from the pole he let out a terrified scream like something out of a horror movie. Is this a funny childhood anecdote? For me, it was more like childhood trauma. In fact, one friend told me how shocked she was when she first saw this scene as a child and how it still haunts her. Same girl, same one!
There are plenty of other unpleasant moments—namely, whenever Ralphie’s bully Scat Farkus appears on screen. (Though, let’s be honest, it’s a great character name, and it’s fitting, too, since it’s made up of the ugliest voices.) I don’t care that Scatter gets major redemption in the sequel; I don’t care. He’s an asshole.
Nonsense!
Aside from the childhood trauma angle, can we talk about Ralphie’s “Oh, Fuck” moment? Now, let me say, I absolutely love the old man’s nonsense, which takes the place of swear words whenever he curses the obnoxious Bumpers hound or “Damn stupid furnace, fool!” That’s pure poetry. But the scene where Ralphie tries to help his old man fix a car tire and loses the screw is absolutely heartbreaking.
As a parent, I cringe even more when I think about this moment because I know how hard it is to control your emotions when things are really, really bad. However, what breaks my heart even more is the aftermath of the scene. I felt bad for Ralphie, who was just trying to help his dad, but more importantly, I felt even worse when thinking about his friend Schwartz, who was blamed for Ralphie saying the taboo word “soft” “sugar” and was wrongly accused.
The next scene, with Mrs. Parker calling Schwartz’s mother, bothered me more than the failed tire change. In this scene, we hear the sound of Schwartz’s mother spanking Schwartz as punishment. Does this mean the film’s comedic moments? Mrs. Parker responded in a hilarious manner, made a face, and hung up. This was meant to be a throwaway “oh, this is how kids were disciplined in 1940” moment, but to me, this scene made the movie feel dated.
Plus, Ralphie’s lifebuoy punishment gave me the vicarious feeling of a soapy mouth. oops!
It’s not a major award, okay?
Well, am I still bitter after getting the call from my mother that I ended up playing a non-speaking child character in a high school play? Absolutely! More importantly, I’m pissed that the only role of a girl in the show (and the entire movie) revolves around Rafi. We have Ralphie’s mother, Ralphie’s teacher, and Ralphie’s childhood crush. Although there are some other women in the background, the film, like life in the 1940s, centers on a male perspective, simplifying the female characters and limiting them to the stereotypes of housewives, schoolgirls, and cute schoolgirls.
The traditional nuclear family characters in the Parker household felt completely disconnected and as a viewer, I wasn’t too interested in that. I don’t need to watch this movie again because the family dynamics are so predictable. The mother plays the role of dutiful peacekeeper, while she and her son carefully avoid the old man’s erratic moods and his strange obsession with ugly lamps: voluptuous, obsessive legs, clad in fishnets and high heels. Mom, all I have to say is thank you for breaking that light. I would do the same thing!
Check it out if you want, baby!
if you like christmas storythat’s great! I’m not the Grinch trying to steal a DVD or a VHS copy (laughs) christmas story Or ask TNT to choose another damn Christmas movie to play in an all-day marathon. I won’t be unplugging anyone’s leg light anytime soon. My parents actually do have a leg lamp and display it every year, which I’m really happy with because it makes them happy.
But if you want to watch this tired old movie near me, then – with all due respect – I’ll watch any other Christmas movie in the next room. Except National Lampoon Christmas holidays. Don’t get me started on that.
