# The movie "A Christmas Story": Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627 "2011-12-09T15:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/41 "2011-12-10T19:41:49Z")
Has anybody ever been to the [house & museum](http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/) in Cleveland? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/42 "2011-12-10T19:51:43Z")
I can;t stand it. My parents and sisters feel the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/43 "2011-12-10T19:52:33Z")
I like it, but I didn’t see it until I was in my 20s. I’m trying to figure out if it’s appropriate yet for a 7 year old. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/44 "2011-12-10T19:55:52Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Every time she’d tell me what she did on Christmas, I’d start singing “Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra, ra-ra-ra-ra!” Not ‘Jinger Bears’? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/45 "2011-12-10T19:56:03Z")
Just watched it again last night. It is a bit “episodic”, but that doesn’t bother me. I love Miss Shields, especially in the “Best Theme Ever” fantasy. She nails it. And I like the bully. He’s really good and that shot of him after Raphie is gone and he is humiliated (and humanized) really puts a lot of depth to the character with just a little. Mom and Dad are the best and the Battle of the Leg is the best side story. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/46 "2011-12-10T19:56:38Z")
> [@Shawn1767](#): > > I honestly think Peter Billingsley should have been nominated for an Academy Award for playing “Ralphie.” He was perfect. And I loved it. I wonder if he still gets residuals. If he does, he’s loaded. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/47 "2011-12-10T20:42:32Z")
I’m not usually a fan of voice-over narration as I tend to be of the opinion that movies should show rather than read to us. But if the source material is strong enough, it can work as I think it does in ACS. It juxtaposes the events as we see them happen with the perspective of an adult Ralphie looking back through the years and reminiscing and/or cringing. For example: \*Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] Meanwhile, I struggled for exactly the right BB gun hint. It had to be firm, but subtle. Ralphie as Child: Flick says he saw some grizzly bears near Pulaski’s candy store! [everyone stares at Ralphie] Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] They looked at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. \* It’s very similar to the v/o narration in Stand By Me and also A River Runs Through It. I’m a fan of all three. ---
**Author:** ![Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheerleading_Dropout)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/48 "2011-12-10T20:57:38Z")
I like the movie a lot. Wouldn’t say I loved it, but it’s quite good. Last year I watched it for the first time and I’m watching it again this year, along with the other Christmas movies I watch annually. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/49 "2011-12-11T00:43:08Z")
I avoid the TNT marathon because I want to see it at precisely the right time, from beginning to end, on Christmas Eve. I love everything about this movie and would jump in to a “Why **A Christmas Story** is frigging great” thread in a heartbeat. Voted “love.” But for now, I’ll just share my favorite moment: the Old Man has hidden the RR gun behind the desk and prompts Ralphie to find it. Ralphie’s ecstasy and Santa-wonder at receiving the RR gun is only slightly less awesome than the Old Man’s joy at watching him discover it. I sniffle at the emotion the dad feels at giving his boy his most wonderful gift ever. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@The\_Evil\_Prince\_Zorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Evil_Prince_Zorte)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/50 "2011-12-11T01:10:36Z")
I’ve always liked the movie, and it was a favorite of my dad as well. He would have been about Ralphie’s age during the movie’s time period and he said the Old Man was a spot on representation of dads of that generation. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/51 "2011-12-11T02:13:26Z")
I don’t like it. I get the same sort of sense that the storyteller sort of dislikes everyone in the world and wants to make them look stupid as I get with Coen Brothers movies. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/52 "2011-12-11T02:44:20Z")
I still enjoy it. One Christmas movie I also enjoy but RARELY see is “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” with Loretta Swit. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/53 "2011-12-11T03:17:37Z")
Call me a commie, but I’m pretty much meh on _A Christmas Story_. I’ll watch it if it’s on and somebody else wants to see it, but I honestly couldn’t tell you much about the plot other than “You’ll put your eye out, kid.” I can explain to you in detail how warp drive works on a starship, but have to read reviews on IMDB to tell you the brand name of the BB gun the kid wanted. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/54 "2011-12-11T04:01:27Z")
I had never even heard of this movie until I was in my mid 20’s; this would have been about 1994 or so. Watched it for the first time then on advice of a colleage and wow–loved it! Still do. Great little film. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/55 "2011-12-11T04:13:42Z")
It’s okay. I get that there are funny parts in it, but they do nothing for me. Like the Bunny suit or the leg lamp. The frozen tongue thing makes me cringe for some reason. I did like when he went to town on that bully. I guess I prefer violence over humor. It’s one of those movies that I will watch if I flip to it, but my heart won’t be fully into it. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/56 "2011-12-11T10:20:26Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > It’s okay. > > I get that there are funny parts in it, but they do nothing for me. Like the Bunny suit or the leg lamp. The frozen tongue thing makes me cringe for some reason. I did like when he went to town on that bully. I guess I prefer violence over humor. > > It’s one of those movies that I will watch if I flip to it, but my heart won’t be fully into it. It isn’t the comic situations per se that’s funny, it’s the deadpan delivery of the much older Ralphie reminiscing: \*Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl. \* Without the narration, the story’s really nothing. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/57 "2011-12-11T11:21:47Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I wonder if he still gets residuals. If he does, he’s loaded. I don’t know if Billingsley got any residuals, but he has never stopped acting and he also produces films. He also has executive-producer credit on such films as Zathura, The Break-Up, and Iron Man. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/58 "2011-12-11T11:26:07Z")
Hate it hate it hate it! I used to like it. I really did. Then TBS started showing 24 hours of it on Christmas, and my mom thought it’d be a good idea to leave the tv on that movie every Christmas. By the third Christmas she did this, I started hating the movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/59 "2011-12-11T12:01:08Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I don’t know if Billingsley got any residuals, but he has never stopped acting and he also produces films. He also has executive-producer credit on such films as Zathura, The Break-Up, and Iron Man. As per IMDB, he’s also the guy who nervously explains why they can’t duplicate the suit and is told that Tony Stark built this IN A CAVE! WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS! ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627/60 "2011-12-11T12:03:49Z")
I remember seeing it as an 8 year old. I remember my Mom taking me, my 3 sisters and brother to Pizza Hut first, and waiting a really long time for the order. I remember mostly liking the film, though not really getting it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-movie-a-christmas-story-thumbs-up-or-thumbs-down/605627.md?page=4)