“A Christmas Story” is that very rare thing, a modern classic.
I grew up in a small Canadian town on the prairies in the 1960s, and yet so much in the film resonates: the snowball-throwing bullies; the bulky snowsuit; cars freezing up…but no real prairie kid would fall for the toungue on the flagpole bit: we knew all to well the effects of -40 degrees!
For my friends here in the usually snowless part of Canada, it just isn’t Christmas until we sit down and watch “The Grinch” and “A Christmas Story.”
One of the great things about this movie is that it is a genuine “family” movie: kids enjoy it just as much as adults.
For years, friends and I have used the line “I like the wizard of Oz!” when someone is being annoying or stupid.
Let’s see, I was a child of the 1980s and grew up in the New York metropolitan area. That makes about zero resonace for me regarding this movie. Add the fact that they show it a bajillion times a season makes it worse.
And Princess Bride was far too chicky to be really good. Peter Falk was its only saving grace.
So nyaaaaah.
If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I’d be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose.
Thanks to everyone for making me smile. I love this movie and all of the lines in it. Who can think about changing a tire without timing yourself.
“Oh Fudge, ‘only i didn’t say fudge’” One of the all time classics.
There’s no doubt that ACS is a classic. One of the best Christmas films because it’s one of the least sentimental. I detested Jean Shepherd (from his PBS show, where he ruined everything by essentially laughing at the jokes – when he wasn’t telegraphing them) until I saw this one, BTW. It’s a movie (like THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER), that gets funnier the more times you see it.
Most people have mentioned my favorite moments. Though I did like:
“Do you know what Ralphie said? He said <mumble>.” (For the sound on the other end of the line.)
“East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx
I don’t hate this movie, but I don’t really like it either. It does have it’s moments (the already mentioned “fra-GEE-lay!” as well as the teacher giving him an “A plus! Plus! Plus! Plus!”) but a lot of it is tedious and annoying; plus I have to admit the part at the end were they’re at the Chinese restaurant is borderline offensive. I’m sorta amazed that Ted Turner leaves that part in. He’s usually excessivly gung-ho about censoring that sort of thing (Tom & Jerry cartoons, etc.)
Great Christmas movie! I love it! BTW, my family has a homemade version of the electric leg lamp that circulates around every year. Whoever gets it for Christmas has to hold onto it, and give it to someone else the next year. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to avoid getting it.
Jean Shephard was from Sanibel, Florida, by the way. There was a nice obit for him in the local paper after he died recently. I’ll see if I can’t get a copy from the library and maybe scan it in for you guys.
BTW, I love this movie. We watch it every Christmas at my house.
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“Step away from the bell curve, sir.”
It Runs in the Family (AKA My Summer Story) is so bad, most people who revere A Christmas Story, haven’t ever even heard of it. It was just on The Disney Channel today.
I love ACS, too. I don’t think that there’s a bad moment in it. The cast was outstanding. I loved McGavin as the Old Man.
Scott Farkas and his Toadie. Flick. Speaking in tongues. Double dog dares. How the piggies eat. Lifebouy. Red Ryder BB guns. Electric sex. Bumpases. Bunny suits. What more could you ask?
I love ACS, too. I don’t think that there’s a bad moment in it. The cast was outstanding. I loved McGavin as the Old Man.
Scott Farkas and his Toadie. Flick. Speaking in tongues. Double dog dares. How the piggies eat. Lifebouy. Red Ryder BB guns. Electric sex. Bumpases. Bunny suits. What more could you ask?
Put me down in the “love it” column.
“Such was my mania…” for this movie, I went on a search for “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash”, only to find it was out of print. A finally received a copy a few years ago. You can’t read the book, without hearing J.S’s narration. It’s great! Anytime anyone in my circle of friends wins something for recieved any type of honour, (Employee of the month?) we always congratulate them on their “major award.”
SANTA: “I hate the smell of tapioca. If old man Higbee thinks I’m working one minute past nine, he can kiss my foot!”
With God as my witness, I thought turkey’s could fly.
OK, the leglamp website was hilarious! I loved that you could get one shipped with a certificate stating it was a “major award” and stamped “FRA-GEE-LAY”
I cannot get enough of this movie. The tongue-on-the-flagpole scene cracks me up, especially that moment when the kid first tries to get his tongue off the flagpole, and the look on his face when he realizes that he can’t.
Another favorite scene is when Mom is calling Schwartzie’s mom, after the “oh fudge” incident, after she tells Mrs. Schwartz that Ralphie heard that word from Scwartzie. You hear Mrs. Schwartz hollering & thumping on Schwartzie, and the poor little kid yelling “What? What did I do?”
One more fave scene: Ralphie in the bathroom, with soap in his mouth, and the narration of Daniel Stern, discussing the various soaps.
IMHO, the narration makes this movie. Without it, I think the movie would be okay, but not great.
