What Is The Big Deal About "A Christmas Story" (1983)?!?

true to real life

 

Me with my kids and a major award!


Trying to convince my 5 year old to get under the sink (she wouldn't)

And out on the front porch:

Across the street is the museum with props, scripts and more from the set.

 

GREA

GREAT PICS!

 

I'd rather watch the DVD at my convenience...plus I love the bonus features.

 

There has been a gap of several years that I did not watch this. Then several years ago my wife and I bought the DVD and watched it and it really got to me emotionally. I had forgot about being that age, all the innocence with that age and the time of season, waiting all year for that one morning just to see if you would get the gift you really, really wanted more than anything. It brought back tons of memories to me, and really it made me realize how special that time of year is and to cherish each and every Christmas because once that one is passed you will never have another Christmas 1983, 2014, etc.

 

Agreed. The movie annoys me to no end. Then you have people quoting non-funny quotes from it. It seems like some of the most annoying and irritating people you'll ever meet are "A Christmas Story" fans. Plus why does all the characters in the film have to be the most irritating?

 

You like what you like and don't what you don't, and move on.
I think that the film just has resonance for some folks. For others, not so much.

 

Here's one more outside the house.


There used to be a house to the right in between the two. No idea what happened to it but it is now the backyard of A Christmas Story House.

Over the years I have always told me wife "I'd like to see that house someday". Last year she wanted to plan a road trip up north (my kids had never seen snow). I said "you drive and surprise me". So we headed north and stopped in Mr. Airey, NC. It was the background/idea for Mayberry. We went to the Andy Griffith Museum and visited the normal tourist traps and spent a day there. My wife said she was disappointed that there was no snow but I figured this was the end of our trip. Nope, we kept heading north until we made our way to Cleveland and spent a couple of days there.

I feel the same way. Takes me back the the excitement of Christmas morning wondering what you would get for Christmas. The anticipation during that time was a great wonder as a kid. The excitement returned for me when I watch my own kids experience the same thing. It is a joy to see them on Christmas morning opening presents. I could care less if I get anything or not the real treat is watching them have a great experience.

 

I grew up in southern California in the 1980's so I'm from a very different era and place, but........I think "A Christmas Story" is a masterpiece. Utterly perfect film making.

 

Thank you for letting me know that if we ever meet I will be one of the most annoying and irritating people you will ever meet. If that happens I will do nothing but quite the movie the entire time we talk just to piss you off

 

Scut Farkus today, still in the alley terrorizing anyone who should come in his path

 

He had yellow eyes. Yellow Eyes!

 

Every bully has his toady. Let's not forget Grover Dill.
Scut might have had Yellow Eyes, but Grover had lips that curled over his Green Teeth!

 

FRAGILE ( FRA-GEE_LAY) it must be Italian!”.

Cool pictures posted here, didn't know they had a museum constructed now.

 

I will watch this before Christmas in July passes by.

 

he's great in the bonus feature on the second DVD disc.

 

Fa ra ra ra raaah ra rah rah raaaah!

 

I always felt that the germination for "The Wonder Years" started with this film.

 

I triple dog dare you!

 

Yes, I read where the style of the show was based on this movie.

It's in the house right across the street. It is small but they have some cool props. They have the same type of car "the old man" drove. Not the same one, but one identical to it. They also have a section on the cut Flash Gordon scene with photos and costumes. The scene was cut for time, then lost so the footage no longer exists. If you watch the credits at the end they failed to remove the actors names that played Flash and Ming.

Then the next house over has a gift shop with a bunch of overpriced things from the movie, we bought the bumper sticker and that's it.

If you go here http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/index.php/photo-gallery/house-renovation/ and start at the bottom you can see the transformation of the house from a "regular"house back into it's movie condition.

The current owner bought it on eBay

http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/index.php/photo-gallery/original-ebay-ad/

 

I would love a box set with all of Jean's movies!

 

you are making me very happy with your great posts in this thread! too cool.

 

Nostalgia, maybe you don't share that version of nostalgia though.

 

I enjoy the movie but the merchandising/industry/cult mania that's popped up around it over the past 10 or 15 years seems a little weird/over the top to me.

I'm old enough to remember when it first came out in theaters and back then it got mediocre reviews and was not exactly a smash hit. People didn't really discover it till it started running on cable and was released on video.

I don't feel like I absolutely HAVE to watch it at least once every Christmas season. One viewing every couple of years and I'm good.

 

I was at Ralphie's house today. They told us the house in-between burned down two years ago and the owner of the Christmas Story house bought it and landscaped it.

Derek