Whenever the subject of quintessential holiday films is raised, A Christmas Story is undoubtedly one of the first choices that comes to mind. In many ways, it is the definitive Christmas film. More than a story set around the titular season, A Christmas Story is one of the few films to be about little more than the holiday itself. Even though the traditions and culture of the December season explored in the film's 1940's Indiana setting may not apply worldwide, audiences still continue to find something familiar in its idyllic depiction of a childhood Christmas.
There's not much of a story to A Christmas Story. Ralphie wants a
Red Ryder b.b. gun for Christmas, and he'll stop at nothing to convince
someone in buying him one for Christmas. The story is little more than
an excuse to explore all of the facets of a typical white Christmas in
America. Everything from snowball fights to a somewhat
disillusioning visit with a department store Santa Claus is explored. Some of the most memorable moments are standalone vignettes that are only loosely tied to the main plot, such as the unforgettable tongue-frozen-to-a-pole scene or Ralphie's friends dealing with a local bully. Each explores a different aspect of the Christmas season, one the audience may not have personally experienced yet still strikes a chord within everyone.
That's really what drives the legacy of A Christmas Story. Though holiday customs have changed in the decades since the film's setting and vary in different parts of the world, the film still manages to tell a universally familiar story, namely one of innocence. Few other films have equaled its portrait of the innocence of childhood, a time in one's life where nothing else matters but the acquisition of that one toy. Everyone can relate to Ralphie's drastic, elaborate fantasies or his never-ending schemes to manipulate different adults into helping him get his prize.
Though it's a family-friendly film with an accordingly light-hearted touch, it never feels overly saccharine or toned down. There are overtones of satire and an irreverent sense of humor at its core. Ralphie doesn't always win, and film finds more to laugh at in his blunders. The adults in Ralphie's world are depicted in a warts-and-all fashion, from his stern but understanding father to his sweet but overbearing mother. His parents have no names, as they aren't meant to be unique characters. They're universal stand-ins which function as reflections of our own parents, or at least our impression of them when we were young.
One of the film's most notable achievements is itself pitch-perfect, sweetly evocative direction. There's hardly a more appropriate setting for the vision of a classic American Christmas than a Midwestern suburb in the 1940's. The film plays like a film version of a Thomas Kinkade painting, complete with organically vintage toys and visuals that are colorful, but never flashy. Though Ralphie's fantasy sequences are shot with an exaggeratedly blurred effect, the entire film has a similarly muted, dreamy look to it.
When I first saw A Christmas Story in 2006, it had already been classified as a classic holiday film for more than two decades. I'd never seen it before, but it somehow seemed extremely familiar to me, as if I'd grown up watching it as much as the next person. There's a timeless, universal quality to the film that transcends typical "family" fare, to the point where it could be considered a true work of art. As its audience grows with every year and its broad fan base continues to wear out its most memorable quotes, A Christmas Story continues to be essential holiday viewing.
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