‘A Christmas Story’ still hits people where they live after 25 years

Kansas City Star ^ | 12/04/08 | Star news services

[qam1]

Fans of the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” are celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie was made.

The 1983 film, an adaptation of Jean Shepard’s memoir of a boy in the 1940s, was set in Indiana but largely filmed in Ohio. The movie starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, a young boy determined to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

The film was a modest theatrical success, but critics loved it. It eventually joined “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” as a Christmas classic.

“It’s a film about being a kid and looking back,” said Brian Jones, who owns the house where the movie was shot and the neighboring museum dedicated to the film.

About 4,000 fans attended the recent convention at Cleveland’s Renaissance Hotel, where they met some of the film’s actors, watched documentaries made about the film, and saw the original 1938 fire truck from a famous scene in the movie involving a child’s tongue stuck to a frozen pole.

“It is unbelievable that a movie has touched the lives of millions of families,” said Phil Gillen, son of the late actor Jeff Gillen who played the movie’s worn-out Santa Claus. He traveled from Miami with his family to attend the convention....

[weegee]

Hmm, I lived in Ohio when the film originally came out. But not that area.

[qam1]

A 25th anniversary ouch! you'll shoot your eye out

Xer Ping

Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.

Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.

[scottinoc]

I almost shot my eye out when I read this! 25 years, holy cow I feel old. I wonder if they’ll do the 24 hour marathon on TNT again this year, which by the way doesn’t do it justice, you have to watch the DVD.

[2banana]

Kid wants gun and gets gun.

Kid fights back against a bully and wins a street fight.

How non PC can you get?

[SIDENET]

“Daddy’s going to kill Ralphie!”

[Vision]

The movie captured authentic Americana. It will always be a classic.

[weegee]

[scottinoc]

Good point, it’s the political incorrectness of this movie which makes it so great. The Chinese restaurant scene is priceless “Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra, ra-ra-ra-ra”!

[LiberConservative]

[weegee]

[martin_fierro]

I’ve never watched this movie. Huh!

[remaxagnt]

i live about 5 miles from the house in the movie!

[Badeye]

Whatever became of the kid that played Ralphie?

[BGHater]

RIP the director Bob Clark. Killed by an illegal alien.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The Chinese restaurant scene is priceless

The part where the waiter chops off the goose's head cracks me up.

[SIDENET]

The "Old Man" was great.

[hoppity]

It’s funny. I’m 37 and have never seen more than 5 minutes of that movie. I know the lamp scene and the tongue/pole scene, but that’s it. I always turn it off, wondering why everyone thinks it’s so great.

What am I missing?

[KYGrandma]

When my son was about 9 yrs. old we bought him a Red Ryder BB gun. We followed the script right down to the letter. It was so much fun, and we can watch it as we video taped the whole thing. Watch the original every Thanksgiving to get us into the Christmas spirit.

[Bringbackthedraft]

I was in a Harbor Freight store yesterday and notice they had the Daisy 1948 Red Ryder Classic bb gun 350fps. The only thing I could think of looking at it was; “you are going to knock an eye out”.

[dragonblustar]

Loved that movie!

[weegee]

Has anyone read or heard Jean Shepherd’s other work? Any recommend place to begin?

He was the one who wrote the stories and narrated.

[Chunga]

I feel sorry for anyone who thinks this movie is worth watching. Gag.

[netmilsmom]

He was in “Iron Man”!
I kid you not!

[Fresh Wind]

The book’s much better than the movie anyway.

“In God We Trust-All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd

It’s really a collection of short stories, but all the episodes in the movie are there in greater detail.

Much more about Shep here:

http://216.117.144.74/

[Badeye]

What role in Iron Man?

[Tennessee_Bob]

Soap blindness!!

[weegee]

It takes a different approach. It isn’t “the joke” so much as the telling of the joke. Maybe you should start at the beginning.

[uglybiker]

Fra-GEE-lay!
It must be Italian!

[Corporate Law]

“Fragggg—iilll—eeee....it must be Italian.” It say that line everytime I see something arrive marked “Fragile”.

[netmilsmom]

ROR!!!

(raughing out roud)

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

He's still around...

Peter Billingsley

[netmilsmom]

I think you have to have a Dad like the Dad in the movie to appreciate it....

[Badeye]

Thank you. I didn’t even know his name.

[goodwithagun]

A major award! Maybe it’s a bowling alley!

[Tired of Taxes]

We watch it every year in this household. :-)

Favorite scene: Santa "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

[netmilsmom]

Remember the scene where Jeff Bridges yells at the scientist at Stark Industries, “Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!!”

He was yelling at Ralphie. (who shaved his head to look older)

[mel]

Love that movie

[N. Theknow]

Here is his Internet Movie Database page with credits.

Latest credits are for Iron Man and Four Christmases this year.

[crusty old prospector]

“Hey, that’s a major award.”

[Badeye]

Ah hah!

Thanks I know exactly who you are talking about.

[Badeye]

Thanks!

[Constitution Day]

LMAO!!!!!!!

[crusty old prospector]

“Oh, fudge.”

[netmilsmom]

I want to go home.

It’s down by LTV Steel isn’t it? I promised to take my girls there one day.

[lone star annie]

I like the Bumpass’ dogs. ROFL when they come in and eat the turkey. You Bumpass’!!! The old man was broken hearted because he loved turkey.

[IYAS9YAS]

That movie is the first DVD I bought (1998). Prior to the DVD, my family always checked the TV schedules for air dates. It is a family tradition to watch it at least once a year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

[remaxagnt]

little south of ltv by about 5 miles or so

[netmilsmom]

>>The old man was broken hearted because he loved turkey<<

And because all they ever ate was meatloaf, red cabbage and mashed potatoes.

Except Randy who ate nothing.

[netmilsmom]

Is it actually eastside or west?
I’m from Brook Park.