What it’s about
Growingup in a loving but eccentric Indiana family, young Ralphie Parker (Billingsley) is obsessed with getting a very special air-gunthe Red Ryderfor Christmas. Initially,hisbickering parents (McGavin and Dillon) supply precious little hope, fearing he’ll shoot his eyes out. Will Ralphie’s desperate yearning wear them down in the end?
Why we love it
Basedon a Jean Shepherd short story, Bob Clark’s irresistible, often hilarious 40’s-era holiday tale benefits from an immense heart, rich period detail, and quirky comic characters. In certain scenessuch as Ralphie’s nightmarish encounter with adepartment-store Santa, or his parents’ squabbling over an indecent lampClark moves beyond nostalgia to lampoon theabsurdity of the adult world. With note-perfect performances from the whole cast, Clark’s “Christmas Story” is a latter-day holiday gem brightly wrapped with big laughs.
Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin Bob Clark