DVD Review: A Christmas Story Christmas

A Christmas Story Christmas
(DVD Christmas)

The first time I saw the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, I was expecting something completely different. Instead of a heart-warming, sentimental story about a family’s Christmas in the 1950s, this hilarious film looks at Christmas through the eyes of a child who sees everything going wrong for him. A Christmas Story became one of my favorite Christmas movies to watch during the holiday season.

 

I was excited to find that a new movie was produced recently looking at the characters from that original production nearly 30 years later. In A Christmas Story Christmas: Ralphie Comes Home, Peter Billingsley stars again as Ralphie Parker, looking at Christmas through the eyes of the Dad who is responsible for making sure everything turns out just right for his own young family as they celebrate Christmas with his Mom in his childhood home. Unfortunately, Ralphie has to deal with the loss of his own father and his inability to secure a publisher for his book that he has written while trying to make this a memorable occasion for his kids.

 

This excellent movie is filled with the same kind of imaginary scenes that made the original film the classic it became. We see all of the actors who played important roles in the original return for cameos as their adult characters. We see the same department store and its “visit Santa and his elves” but with the twist that its Ralphie’s kids waiting in the long line this time. The filming is well done, re-creating the look from the original set but fast-forwarded to the year 1973. We don’t have Darren McGavin as Old Man Parker (the actor passed away in 2006) but his photo is everywhere and there are clips from the original production as Ralphie remembers things his Dad did. We also don’t have actress Melinda Dillon (Mother Parker); she passed away shortly after this new film was released. Otherwise, the film does have the same feel as its predecessor.

 

A Christmas Story Christmas was co-produced by Jean Shepherd’s two adult children, Randall and Adrian Shepherd. One thing that I loved was the scene where Ralphie goes to visit his friend Flick in the neighborhood bar, Flick’s Tavern. The camera pans to a spot on the wall with a sign that says “In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash.” This, of course, is the name of the book by Jean Shepherd that the original film was based on. I thought it was a nice touch to include that. The story was based on the author’s memories of growing up in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana.

 

I recommend this movie for anyone who is a fan of the original story.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the original A Christmas Story.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this 2022 film )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

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