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

it would have been great if they figured out away to use her...she was the only thing missing and of course his Dad they made a beautiful homage to him...I really loved this...

 

I too can relate to that scene!

 

it's Christmas personified to me!

 

I always loved it for it's simplicity. The most "high tech" thing in the movie was the leg lamp. When Ralphie was asked what he wanted for Christmas, all he wanted & hoped for was the rifle. Today's kids hand over a list of "requirements" that parents are willing to go broke by waiting in line outside a store overnight to get them. When I was a kid, we told our parents the one thing we hope to get & appreciated what we got on Christmas morning.

 

If you’re that old, then you’re out of touch with what modern parents go through and are only receiving your information second or third hand. I don’t know if you’re deliberately being insulting and ageist, but you are. Modern gifts are obviously more advanced, but monetarily speaking the difference between what parents spend on gifts today are likely little different when adjusted for inflation.

 

One of the best movies of all time.

 

Not meant to be an insult. I worked at Walmart for 12+ years & saw many many parents with their child's list (& lots of times with their child) & they would tell me what they had to get & how their child won't accept anything else.

 

When my brother and I were kids in the '70s, mom would give us the Sears and JC Penney's Christmas Catalogs and told us to circle things we would like "Santa" to bring on Christmas morning. Of course when we got older, it was just handing her a list of items we wanted from her and Dad. We never got everything we asked for (would've been too much,) but we did get some of the stuff we asked for, in addition to some needed/useful stuff (new clothes, school items, etc.) we didn't ask for or think of. I would guess most families (who can afford it) will get their kids at least a few things that their kids asked for or want. No one likes getting stuff they don't want. I always ask for lists or gift ideas from people before Christmas. As a gift giver, if you blindly give a gift to someone, you feel like crap if you find out the person didn't like it, re-gifted it, sold it or returned it. Even when I participate in "Secret Santa" with a bunch of people (such as co-workers,) I demand everyone who is participating to submit wish lists for all to see. Then when you get assigned the person who you will be Secret Santa for, you can get them something they want. When they open it up (even though they don't know who got it for them,) they are happy.

The old saying "Appreciate what you get even if you don't like it/want it" is just the gift giver's way of saying to the gift receiver "Tough $h*t if you don't like it. It's what I wanted to give you."

There are exceptions to this of course. Say it's your first Christmas with a new partner and you both agree to surprise each other without knowing what the other wants. But if you stay with that partner for a while or get married and stayed married for a few years, that will get old. Even if you assume you know what they'll like, there are always instances where it turns out they don't like it or want it.

 

I have the DVD as well. I should probably upgrade it to a Blu-ray sometime.

 

I hope the Turner stations continue the marathon broadcasts for many years to come. To me, it wouldn’t seem like Christmas without having this movie playing (even in the background). It’s become part of my life’s Christmas soundtrack.

 

I fail how to see how shopping by a list of wants has changed over the decades. But what has changed is that young parents of today will likely shop online before ever stepping one foot into a Walmart.

 

The mob of young parents at the Walmart near me was as large as always.
that's why I shopped online.

 

Oh, sure, they'll shop there for the lesser items, but if there is one present that their kid really really "needs", most smart parents aren't going to hedge their bets on local stores having it in stock, they're going to guarantee their purchase by buying online, and maybe opt for in-store pickup if not home delivery.

 

I think it's mainly buying toys for little kids. They stock quite a few for Christmas. The old Toys For Us is long gone.

 

now it's on 4K as well...I have the first BD edition...it has been bested with a few other BD releases.The latest BD that is included with the 4K is the best out of the 3 BDs...supposedly.

 

Indeed...for toys it's the only way to go! on line... stock is usually low at the store during the season.

 

'A Christmas Story' House Beef Squashed Between Owner and Actor

 

Kids were spoiled at my age (born in 1974), and continue to be spoiled today. Some parents get their child whatever they ask for, some kids pout if they don't get what they want. Some parents do the best they can, and their kids appreciate what they get. It's not necessarily generational. It IS, however, all up to the parenting.

 

Sounds like second or third hand information...

 

Melinda Dillon, ‘A Christmas Story’ star, dead at 83

 

If you're a baby boomer from Northeast Ohio, that film is a loving and accurate tribute, not only to that area but of those times.
"Mr. Jing-a-ling how you ting-a-ling, keeper of the toys."

 

That jingle should have read:
"Mr. Jing-a-ling how you ting-a-ling, keeper of the keys."

Damned spell correcting.

 

I’m with the OP here. I didn’t care for the film when it first came out…the over the top obsession with the films made me absolutely loathe it. Do we really need a 24 hour marathon of this? It’s like the pumpkin spice of Christmas films.

 

Very sad about Ms Dillion...... I had no Idea she is in Close Encounters...... I love that movie!!

 

That explains it, we were a Road & Track family (generally, not exclusively).