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The Santa Claus scene was filmed over the course of several nights and the child extras kept messing up takes. Patty Johnson and Drew Hocevar, who played the elves, were both Cleveland locals who were moonlighting after their day jobs as schoolteachers. Johnson was so sleep-deprived she was dozing off between takes. As a result, the irritated frustration of Santa and the elves in that scene is very genuine.

That’s so weird. I never noticed the father slowly becoming a child as Ralphie unwraps the present. That’s a nice touch.

Watch both parents during the red rider opening scene. The mother is phenominal too. The quick look at her husband showing she wasn't informed, the absolute look of worry she has for ralphy, but then melting into smiles despite her concern because just look how happy her boy is. My favorite scene of the movie. Both parents were absolutely pitch perfect and conveyed so many things in just a few seconds.

Ralphie's mom didn't give him a spare set of glasses, because they weren't destroyed in the fight. Watch the bully scene again: his little brother picks up the glasses after they were tossed aside. In fact, that was another of those wonderful little unspoken moments in this film: I grew up with glasses, and I know what it's like to have your little brother rescue your glasses because, no matter how much the two of you might fight, he knows how important protecting those glasses are. :)

When they filmed the scene in the Chinese restaurant, Melinda Dillon was purposely given the wrong script, and everyone was in on it. She had no idea that the duck would still have its head and the first time she saw it was when they were filming. Her reactions during the entire sequence were not scripted, which is what director Bob Clark was going for.

I love that Ralphie didn’t once directly mention the BB gun to his old man, and he was the one to buy it.

13:48 I've always loved that crestfallen face Ralphie gives after Santa says "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." Hearing it from his mother and his teacher was bad enough, but hearing it from Santa himself has got to hurt.

Having Jean Shepard, the actual author, narrate the film, was a fantastic choice. Since he'd experienced the exact events firsthand, you could really get a sense of what was happening.

I've literally seen this movie a hundred times and I still cry when the dad tells Ralphie about that last present behind the desk and relives his childhood watching him open it. I love how happy he is.

As an adult I really appreciate the job Mall Santa is doing. He's been there for hours, the store is minutes from closing but they're going to have to stay late to finish out the still-overflowing line, he's trying to shove them through the line and he's exchanging sarcastic frustration with the elves, you can see the sleep deprivation and desperation in his eyes, but by *god* he's still trying to be a decent Santa.

I always tear up when Ralphie opens up the gun at the end because of the dads performance. He reminds me of my step dad who is a cop and a hard ass type and through most of the movie the dad is a little intimidating and scary but in that moment when you see just pure joy on his face, it's really touching. My step dad also does that when us kids open our gifts and like Doug said, it's almost like he's reliving his childhood through us. It's just so sweet.

The Dad is the best part of this whole movie. He played that typical Dad of that generation. Not showing too much emotion, being the fearful head, but still easily manipulated or down trodden. He is the one source that was ignored by Ralphie in the search for his gift but the one that made compmete sense because of his own youthful spirit. I loved him!

Ralphie’s parents seem too old for a working class family during the Great Depression, Darren McGavin was 61 and Melinda Dillon was 44. However, the movie is based on *Ralphie’s memories* and when we’re young our parents seem really old. So it’s likely his parents were actually in their 30s but just seemed really old to Ralphie.

Glad the parents got more recognition. One of my favorite scenes was the dad getting a bowling ball dropped on him as generic as it is the "thanks a lot" always gets me. Also like to imagine he went bowling at the chinese restaurant with it.

I think most people love this movie because we were all in Ralphies place at one point. There was that one toy we wanted more than anything else even though it looked like the chances of getting it we slim. The days waiting to Christmas took longer when you were a kid so the anticipation just built up more and more. When you did get that present you wanted it made you believe in Christmas. As an adult you're the old man. You love seeing other people open presents you got them especially your own children. When you see them smile it makes you smile. It makes you remember when you were a kid and the magic feeling it had. The magic feeling comes back when you see them happy knowing they get to live the same experience. This movie is everyone childhood and adulthood.

Ralphie wasn't worried about his glasses after the fight (and no the glasses were not broken at that time). He was worried about his dad's reaction to him hearing about the fight and the stream of bad language that came out of his mouth during his break.

The story about a kid getting a gun for Christmas, truly an American classic, all jokes aside this is a good holiday movie

There's nothing better than putting this film on during the Holiday Season and watching it with the family or your closest friends

Now that the Critic has reviewed the original film, the 2012 sequel and the 2017 live musical, I really do hope he can review 2022’s A Christmas Story Christmas next year. EDIT: I just asked Doug about it in his Q&A live and he said he can consider it if it has a hard copy. I can confirm there is a DVD of the movie that was released back in October of this year.

When I watched this for this year I really did watch the dad when Ralphie opens the BB gun. I recognized the performance of the parents. The way the dad laughs with excitement with his son and the wife recognizing the connection that is being formed between the two. That is why I believe Ralphie gets to keep the gun, because she knows that they will bond over this.

Classic Christmas film. Although pretty sad that the lead kid grew up to be yelled at by the Big Laboski about Sherlock Homes building a suit in A CAVE WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS. In all seriousness this really is a classic Christmas movie and I feel like the you'll shoot your eye out line has been said during Christmas time by parents a whole lot

I really hope you review the actual sequel that came out last year A Christmas Story Christmas. Peter Billingsly not only reprises his role as Ralphie as an adult, (as does most of the original child actors) he helped write the story and was a producer. That movie was really his baby and I think it shows. It’s not a masterpiece but it does feel faithful to the original movie and not just a cash grab (considering it barely got any attention and was pretty much just sent straight to streaming, and only got a physical media release this year, it’s really safe to say that) I like how it captures that feeling of watching the original movie as an adult. Like as a kid you look at Ralphie getting the BB Gun and you think ‘oh! Santa came through after all’ but then as an adult you watch the Dad’s reaction and realize that he made Ralphie’s Christmas and Ralphie didn’t even know it until he looks back as an adult. And the sequel ties directly into that by taking place on the first Christmas after Ralph loses his father. Trying to make it the best Christmas for his family despite the crap life throws at them. And it has a really nice ending too.

Ralphie didn't break his glasses in the fight, he dropped them when he charged at the bully, and the little brother picked them up. He was scared that his dad was going to punish him after hearing he got into a fight.

Fun fact: the actor who played Ralphie, also played one of the elves in the Will Ferrell Elf movie. Also fun fact: the one narrating the movie was also the one that wrote the story because he sounded so natural. Another fun fact: they used mashed potatoes to simulate snow during this movie because it was too warm for snow.

I was thinking about this movie a lot this holiday season. Super glad to see someone that truly appreciates it. You said it best at the end. This film portrays Christmas as honestly as possible. Especially from a kids perspective. It’s filled with warm, genuine, intimate, and nostalgic moments that I think most of us can relate to. Especially if you’re American, and even more specifically if you lived in a place with snowy winters. The excitement during school time around the upcoming Christmas break. Getting your heart set on a present that you think will change your life. Visiting a mall Santa. Etc. But also many genuine scenes for the parents too. The mom hardly getting a moment to herself. The dad having such genuine joy in the little things he can control. The dad reliving his childhood through Ralphie, as you expertly pointed out. And you explained the moment of the parents watching the snowfall through the window perfectly. It’s a perfect moment. I get almost overwhelmed with emotion just putting myself in their shoes. And it’s done with such a simple visual. So many perfect moment. This will always be the best Christmas film to me. Because I don’t think anything can ever portray it more honestly than this movie.

I live here in Cleveland where this was mostly filmed and I've seen this at least 100 times. It's a masterpiece. Growing up with this movie, being that I recognized alot of the shots, it always felt like "our" movie, something special that belonged to us as Clevelanders. It's really interesting to see how much popularity it has gained over the years. And now being able to share it with my own kids, it still feels like a part of Christmas we will always call our own.

Another Fun Fact: The people of Cleveland were incredibly cooperative during filming, donating antique vehicles from every corner of the city. These vintage vehicles helped to enhance the authenticity of the production design. During the filming in downtown Cleveland, the antique automobile club members whose cars were used were given a route to follow on Public Square. They were instructed to continue circling the square until otherwise instructed. Road salt was a major concern for the car owners and the cars were pressure-washed after each day's filming and parked underground beneath the Terminal Tower.

When I finally watched the full movie, I fell in love with how honest this movie was with its audience. Often you'll have movies that are overly sentimental or cynical, but this movie actually does share what kids go through and not just what adults want to think they go through. We need more movies like that.

16:56 YES! This little moment is one of those great scenes you don’t care about as a kid but as an adult it’s easily one of the best parts. The ending scene in the helicopter from Jurassic Park is a similar scene.

I'm glad to see people still watch this film over the Holiday Season and still love and respect what this Movie gave us

Honestly, no matter how much it gets played every year this is still my comfort movie. One of the last movies I was able to watch with my mom and us laughing our asses off whenever the bumpis hounds came on screen

My dad and mom showed this to my little brother a few weeks ago and heard them laughing their butts off 😂😂

One of the best Christmas films ever made. 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄💯

I also didn't know its been 40 Years right now.

When I was a kid and this movie came out, my family’s “regular” Chinese restaurant was called “Bo Ling’s”, so it added a laugh to see the restaurant in the movie. But I don’t think the joke was that the restaurant used to be a bowling alley. Notice that the name on the door DOES correctly say “Bo Ling & Sons.” My assumption has always been that the joke behind the neon “Bowling” sign is that they were able to buy an existing (maybe used) neon sign for a bowling alley and simply black out the letter, “W,” for much less money than it would cost to have a custom sign created with the name “Bo Ling.”

9:15 I like how when his mom calls Schwarts' mom & asks where she thinks he heard it from, Schwarts' mom instantly says, "His father?"

You guys always come through! This is just what i needed today 😊😊😊😊😊

My parents love this movie and did this to me as a kid. I wanted a gaming console and they hid it behind the couch and basically reinacted that scene. It was really amazing to see how happy that small thing made them.

Something I really like about the father giving Ralphie the toy gun is that he was the only authority figure Ralphie didn't talk about it to. He asked his mom, the mall Santa, and he even wrote an essay about it to his teacher. But with the exception of the scene when he first mentions it to the mother, Ralphie never even mentions wanting the gun around his father. He just knew exactly what Ralphie wanted after overhearing a brief conversation

Really hope the CA get to celebrate the Holiday Season in a nice way because they deserve it

These r fun! Sleepover (2004) Saving Silverman (2001) Corpse Bride (2005) Little Nicky (2000) The Little Rascals (1994) Mom and Dad Save the World (1992) On the Line (2001) Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) Nothing But Trouble (1991) Aquamarine (2006) Racing Stripes (2005) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

There’s actually an interesting story about the Chinese restaurant scene. Apparently even by the standards of those times it was considered racist, so the scene was almost cut out completely. But the reason why it was kept in was because the Chinese actors from that scene lobbied to keep it in. So apparently they were fine with the depiction. Also, on a personal level, the scene where Ralphie gets the BB gun is so meaningful to me because when I was a little kid my grandfather bought me a red rider BB gun for my birthday. And while I can’t be certain, I feel almost positive that him giving me that BB gun was a prouder moment for him than me receiving it. That’s why that scene from the movie is so meaningful to me. He was probably one of the best grandparents anyone could have ever asked for. RIP Papaw.

This is one of the most realistic families I’ve ever seen in a film

A perfect movie to wrap up December with!

It’s about time we got around to this. It’s such a crazy, fun movie with so many moments to choose from

Yep, it's great. I also love that it's mostly a bunch of stories that take place around Christmas, as opposed to one large story. It definitely feels very real, and I think most people relate to some (or most) aspects. The humor goes from traditional to pretty absurdly funny.

Fun Fact: For the scene in which Flick's tongue sticks to the flagpole, a hidden suction tube was used to safely create the illusion that his tongue had frozen to the metal.

Interesting how a number of beloved Christmas movies were unsuccessful when they first came out like this, It’s A Wonderful Life, and Miracle On 34th Street. However, it’s good to see they caught on

Ralphie's mom: Mrs. Schwartz do you know that Nostalgia Critic is reviewing "A Christmas Story?" Mrs. Schwartz: WHAT WHAT WHAT!?!

Fun fact about the goofy kid in Higbees who likes the Tin Man: he wasn't an actor. His grandma worked at the store they were filming at, and when he visited her at work one day, looking and talking exactly like he does in the movie, the directors saw just had to give him something to do in the movie.

Thank you so much Bob Clark for providing us with two holiday classics throughout the season on an annual basis in Black Christmas and A Christmas Story! Admittedly i just bought ACS and added it to my DVD collection regardless of the TBS and TNT movie marathons replaying the hell out of it every year since 1988 and every year after 1997. All of the moments and situations are so relatable and timeless that i often reflect on all of my Christmas pasts with my family and smile because of how much i love the holiday and this movie for what it represents but also what it stands for: family, love, and happiness throughout it’s entirety. I sincerely hope that you all had a happy holiday and have a wonderful New Year!

I remember it being a thing to hate on this movie during the 90s because it was on too much, but over the years that seems to have all gone away. The death of cable TV has made people who didn't grow up having it shoved in their face warm up to it in a very organic way. I grew up watching this film and as an adult I like it even more.

This movie was always a tradition in my family. This year, spending Christmas with my partners family I asked if they'd be willing to watch it. None of them had ever seen it but fell in love

The parents at the end, where they cuddle close in silence, letting the tree lights and the snow be the only lighting...it was just perfect. Just that one moment you can see how much they love each other and how comfortable they are together. It's really simple, but really effective and sweet.

My brother and his best friend, who we considered our brother, would watch this movie every year for years because they believed if they didn't, then they'd pull the movie from the air. He doesn't really have to fear that anymore, but since our brother ended up, well, reaching the end of his life, my brother still watches this every year, to remember his best friend, our brother, and the times they had growing up. It's one of the only times of the year that he actually gets emotional, and it both saddens and makes me happy, because those memories are so deep in him, that he can cut through his sorrow to remember the good times he spent around the holidays because of this movie, though I never really cared but still found the same things Doug did for this review. It's a perfect Christmas movie, in the way that it's not too good, not too bad, but it gets it absolutely perfect when it comes to nailing the holidays as both a kid and an adult. We'll always love our brother and this is the one movie that always keeps reminding us of the good times with him.

9:32 The "WHAT? WHAAAAT? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTT????" shrieking from Schwartz's mom sounded hilariously like a FRIGGIN' SCI-FI LASER DEATH BEAM to me! Also, I can't wait for the Nostalgia Critic to review the TRUE legacy reunion sequel "A Christmas Story Christmas", and have my 500th comment while he's at it!

From the man who’s filmography includes Black Christmas, Porky’s, and Baby Geniuses- comes literally the only thing people know him for but refuse to acknowledge or don’t actually know is based on a book. Thanks to TBS for ruining this film and for the rest of culture for over saturating it. This movie is good- but it’s not my absolute favorite.

I adore this movie to no end. I was 10 when it came out and it was the perfect representation of that joy, anxiety, worry, excitement of a kid at Christmas. As an adult it becomes an entirely new experience. There is so much heart and sincerity in A Christmas Story. When Randy is crying under the sink because he's afraid for his brother...tears every time. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact it was made in 1983. It feels so genuine of the era it's set in. The very best Christmas movie and possibly the best Family movie in general of all time.

My dad ADORES this movie. Not only does he just think it’s really funny and charming, but he also sees his grandfather in the dad. Watching this movie is basically what starts the Christmas season for him Unrelated, but one of the extras that crowd at the fence when Ralph is beating the crap out of Scut looks EXACTLY like my brother

Put simply, one of the best Christmas films ever. Simple as that.

15:42 “WHAT MAKES ME A GOOD DEMOMAN?”

I remember when the Nostalgia Critic put this movie on No. 1 for the Top 12 Christmas Specials which was his very first Christmas episode back in 2008. 15 years later, now he ends up reviewing it for the movie’s 40th anniversary. We went full circle. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to Doug and the cast of Channel Awesome. Can’t wait to see what 2024 is in store for reviews. 😊

When I watched this recently it hit me that this story is really just a grown up Ralphie retelling tales of his youth up to Christmas, His Dad's swears are his memories garbled from time, the you will shoot your eye out is a common reason so it was used by all authorities from his point of view, he saw his family and friends in a way that added to the comedy. He never saw a cop and fireman save his friend but probably assumed or heard about it, He didn't see his parents relax that night watching the snow but felt that must have been what they did, he remembers his youth throughout the whole movie, all the other characters are just set dressing from his retelling. The fantasies being clear enjoyable fantasies he had wanted to recollect, and always we as viewers come back into the scene with Ralphie. It feels like it's solely his Christmas story that he is telling and I really appreciated that. My favorite bit being kids screaming more and more as Ralphie and Randy got closer to Santa but not really hearing the kids ahead of them except for those hard focused, the framing for Santa was gold as it was so clear in his mind this is how he remembers Santa. Saw this when I was a kid and rewatching as an adult I feel it was so much deeper than a romp in the life but a fond retelling from someone's nostalgia.

I played Ralphie when my school did a stage version of it ( wasn't a musical). The soap scene and the bunny suit scene were so hard . I remember gagging and having to stop myself from puking at times while performing.

Happy holidays to doug and the whole CA crew! You're all amazing

11:53 When did Ralphie’s glasses get broken when he confronted Scut Farkus? There was no indication they broke when he got hit in the face with a snowball. Randy retrieved them intact and used them as an indication to convey to his mother that Ralphie was in trouble. There’s also zero evidence as to Ralphie having a spare pair of glasses. She just gave him back the pair she got from Randy.

Concerning Ralphie's glasses....he didn't lose them during the fight. Randy picked them up. it's implied he gave them to their mom, and that's how she ended up with them to give them back after he "left them by the radio." There never was a spare pair.

What if... Jurassic Park did a crossover with Dawn of the Dead? 🦖🧟‍♂️ This is FanScription!!!!

Wow, didn't see this review coming. Next year you ought to do the 2022 sequel "A Christmas Story Christmas".

One of my favorite scenes is when Ralphie has to keep the bar of soap in his mouth and the narrator talks about how over the years he's become "a connoisseur of soap" and describing the different flavors of the different brands! And yes, I can also remember having the "Pity dreams" whenever I got punished! I think a lot of us can see ourselves in a few of these scenes back when we were kids. Kids can be blunt and selfish, but also innocent and imaginative at the best of times, as a lot of us were once too. The nostalgia and the funny scenes are what keeps me rewatching this movie every year now.

I remember watching bits and pieces of this movie during middle school and the students HATED the dad for snitching on Ralphie for saying "fudge". In fact, one kid said " Oh, come on! I've heard worse at home when toes were stubbed!"

Thanks for this last big review of the year! 2023 was fun with you guys and hope 2024 will be great as well Looking forward to more great reviews and funny skits from Channel Awesome

A holiday classic. Thank you for finally reviewing this and Happy 2024.

As a child of the '80s, I grew up loving both Christmastime and this movie. They didn't do the 24-hr marathons back then, so you had to catch it when it was on. Which could be at any time, on any channel, on any day of the season. Its status as a classic was still building, and It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St, and A Christmas Carol (any version) were all far more cemented into Christmas movie culture. But I LOVED this movie so much as a boy. It always made me think of all the good feels I had over Christmas. So I eventually recorded it on the VCR in the late '80s when I was still very young. And I used to watch it year round whenever I wanted to feel like it was Christmas. I don't care how over-saturated our culture has become with this product -- it'll forever be hilarious, poignant, and special to me. It presses all the right buttons to make me feel like that little kid at Christmas again.

I LOVE this movie - and I'm Jewish. I think I love it as much as my Christian spouse. It's gentle, charming, funny, spins a tale we can ALL relate to (and I grew up in the USSR)... the characters are lovable and relatable, the humour is genuinely funny. It's wonderful and makes you feel BETTER after having watched it. We live in Cleveland, where they filmed the Higbee's scenes and the house is located here. It's now a Christmas Story museum that's done up exactly how it was in the film (down to the cleaning vintage cleaning products in the kitchen LOL). There are huge lines to visit during the holidays - and year 'round people come to see it. They even have a lottery that allows a couple to spend the night there once a year. We all joke here that the leg lamp is actually Cleveland's flag - I literally don't know a single person here who doesn't have at LEAST one leg lamp item (my Orthodox Rabbi has a shotglass of it LOL). Thank you for such a caring, gentle review Doug. Hope you and all the CA fam had a great holiday AND wish you all the best for the New Year!

Just want to say thank you for everything you give us Channel Awesome and i really hope you have an amazing holiday season this year

Good choice. Love this movie. And as I've done on the last video of your December reviews the last couple years, I gotta once again suggest Surviving Christmas to review for next year. Happy Holidays.

If you read the book version of the moment unwrapping the BB gun, it's very much like what Critic describes where it's all about what it means to Ralphie and how excited he is, but I love how for the movie they changed it to being about a father and son moment. It's a dad sharing a moment of his own life with his son, and I think it's a great example of using film as it's own artistic medium.

I’d like to point out, that I don’t think Ralphie was crying after the fight because his glasses broke. He was worried about that afterwards. But there’s more to it than that. Ralphie’s rage was already boiling before he started wailing on the bully. And all of that adrenaline you get during a fight definitely affects your emotions. If you were ever in a fight when you were younger, you should know this feeling. Even if you aren’t actually sad, all of that adrenaline can really throw your emotions out of wack for a bit.

YAY!! They show this every year on TNT and TBS for Christmas.

This movie hits a lot of nostalgic points for me. Ralphie and the kids looking at the toys in the window remind me of the KB Toys at the mall and seeing the display. My grandparents had a radio just like the one in the movie. I have fond memories of Christmas tree hunting with my dad. And one of my most treasured Christmas gifts was also one I got as a kid. It wasn't an air rifle but the hot pink Gameboy Color, and many a Tetris marathon was played on that baby.

17:37 This hits differently since both of the actors are now deceased. RIP

Crazy to think that this is the last Nostalgia Critic of the year. Looking forward to whatever movies Doug covers next on the Nostalgia Critic in 2024!

LOVE this film! Classic! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁

Yeah can confirm I had a similar blow up when I was younger (around 7-8 years old). I was in elementary school and I'd just gotten a new pair of jeans for Christmas or my birthday, one of the two. Doesn't sound like much but we were poor. Most of my clothes were hand-me-downs from my older brother or my cousins. They were slightly long so I could grow into them but other than that I loved them because it felt like they were really mine. Some pretext is that my bully and my brothers were brothers who lived nearby and they'd been harassing us for a while. My grandpa, Charlie, (a no nonsense Vietnam vet from New York) told me I should stand up for myself but my parents told me to walk away if I was able. So anyways I wear the jeans to school to show them off and my bully, a kid 2 years older than me, comes over with his buddies and start teasing me. I tried to do what I was taught and walk away when he stepped on the end of my pants. I tried to pull myself free but only managed to tear the seam in my pants. I was really upset but they were just laughing. I may have been small for my age but I've always been stocky. So I tackled him to the ground and began beating the shit out of him. His buddies just run away and go get a teacher. It takes the gym coach and another teacher to finally pull me off him. My dad comes down from his shift at Central Concrete and walks in to see me in one chair, my pants torn and an absolutely livid look on my face, and in the other seat is the neighbor kid that had been harassing me, his face all busted up with an ice pack. Mind you I was not a violent kid, I was mostly quiet and kept to myself. That kids dad comes flying into the office, his attire much nicer than my dad's filthy work uniform covered in concrete dust and dirt, demanding I'm expelled and that he's going to sue the pants off my family and blah blah blah. The principal plays the tape (yes, tape) from the security camera showing that they'd instigated the fight and torn my brand new jeans. My mom flips out when she hears my jeans were torn because she's on the phone from her work and I'd literally just gotten these jeans (yes, she already knew that I was fine and was not the one in need of seeing the nurse). The dad is forced to eat his words and apologize to us for his son's behavior. I'm still suspended for a couple days for fighting, not grounded since I only fought when they wouldn't let me run away, but the other dad promises to replace my jeans. Bonus, my grandmother manages to mend my first pair so I have some weekend jeans and a new pair of school jeans. I don't remember much from this time but I heard this story from my dad a couple years ago.

To me, I think every bit of A Christmas Story is great, I don’t think there’s any slow moment or any bad moment in it for me. My favorite moment is when Ralphie beats up the bully, which from the moment that snowball hits him to when the mother comes to his side is just a great scene, the kid that tries to tell Ralphie his mother’s coming and he just shuts himself down when he realizes it’s too late. That moment goes by really fast so a lot of people might miss it, but it’s one of the biggest highlights for me every year. And it’s one of the most satisfying moment for me because I know Doug and even his brother Rob would agree that the stereotype bullies are the worst cliche that can ruin a movie and cause all the other cliches to spawn from them. These are the bullies that cause the “liar reveal” part that I hate just as much as Doug does, and I know there’s people out there who adore Pixar films like Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, and maybe it’s apples and oranges. But there’s a couple of moments in those Pixar films where I think, “Christmas Story did this so much better and more entertaining and funnier”. When the little girl in Monsters, Inc. beats up Randall, it doesn’t have that same satisfying punch that A Christmas Story has because Ralphie feels like a real kid and is more likable because of it. And the running gag in Finding Nemo of the pelican crashing into the dentist office doesn’t really make me laugh the same way the Bumpus Hounds crash into the house and eat the turkey and the dad freaks out. And just a small nitpick that the “overly cutesy pastel hue color” production design for Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo is not my cup of tea, because it feels really pandering to the little kids of how cute these characters are. TL;DR: A Christmas Story > Monsters, Inc./Finding Nemo

This is a perfect way to end the holidays with a classic Christmas movie review that you've been talking about for years thanks for the review and I wish you and your friends and family a happy new year ❤

14:46 I gotta say at the age of 22, this Christmas is the first time I’ve given my family the majority of the presents especially to my younger brother. I felt the same as the father does

I will always remember the movie was set in Indiana, and I feel like my home state doesn't get recognized often in Hollywood. That being said, the movie is an iconic Christmas movie and while I agree it's been a source of pandering for many years, it doesn't diminish the 24-marathons of it on TBS I would watch, when we had TV of course. My parents were older and their house was also older, and I remember their kitchen being similar to ours. The 'fantasy' segments were a little over the top for me as a child, but I still enjoyed it regardless. It's a movie that needs the context, needs the season, to be properly enjoyed. I suppose the merchandising aspect works, as I did purchase a Red Rider brand bb gun (with the compass in the stock) for my son this year- and it was on his list too.

Wonderful and heartfelt analysis. I never connected with this movie as a kid, but you helped me understand why it's so beloved and important. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

12:47 very accurate 😂 Disney can’t buy out Warner Brothers .

This is my mom's favorite Christmas movie -- one of her favorite movies, period -- and she showed it to me when I was little, all the way back in the 80's. It quickly became *my* favorite Christmas movie, and for awhile it really did feel like that special little movie that only the two of us knew about, the one I'd mention to people and they'd tell me they'd never heard of. Nowadays pretty much everyone knows about it, and yet somehow that still doesn't take away any of that special "ours" feeling my mom and I get when we watch it together. Also, I could watch that scene with the Bumpus hounds a thousand times and it never fails to make me laugh till I'm gasping for breath. One of the most hilarious scenes in any movie ever.

When Ralphie opens up his BB gun, I was thinking the same thing before Doug said it. The facial expressions the Dad shows, is like half proud and half reliving his childhood. My cousin and I used to act out scenes from movies when we were kids. We would do the 2 bullies punching each other and the Santa scene.

You know when Channel Awesome Uploads the last Christmas movie review it's means that Christmas is Over😢

When I was a kid I thought this movie was made in the 40s

Spectacular review Critic! Daren McGavin is the actor's name who played the Dad in this. My Dad is a big fan of his, and I couldn't agree more with you that the scene of Ralphie opening the Red Ryder BB Gun McGavin absolutely knocked that take out of the freaking park! I must confess I never (after all these years of watching it) realized that the "old man" was reliving his childhood through Ralphie in that scene of getting the BB Gun. That adds so much to both his character and himself as a person. You're very right that his actions were genuine and he was living vicariously through his son getting the one gift he really wanted on Christmas Day.

Fun Fact: Peter Billingsley (Ralphie) said that Jack Nicholson was originally slated to play the Old Man, but was busy filming Terms of Endearment and also the studio couldn’t afford his salary at the time, thus Darren McGavin was cast.

Well after you had to force yourself through the sequel and the live show, it only makes sense to finally remind us all of why the original Christmas Story is a classic that still holds up today!

This one is better than the other Christmas Story Movies