A Christmas Story a true classic
For most fans of the holiday season and the films which come along with it, the phrase, “No, you’ll shoot your eye out” triggers undeniable nostalgia, and reminds one of the hopes they felt for the young protagonist Ralphie, that he might receive a Red Ryder 200-shot range model air rifle for Christmas.
A Christmas Story is an indisputable holiday classic, marked by its depiction of the magic that Christmas holds for a young child. That child, most specifically Ralphie, narrates the story of his ninth Christmas in the fictional town of Hohman, Ind.
A Christmas Story was released in 1983 and was directed by Bob Clark. Though it is never explicitly stated, the film captures the feel of a suburban American Christmas in the 1940s for a nuclear family.
Most spectacular about the film is its ability to convey the wonder and awe which Christmas inspires in young people and adults alike. In the opening scene of the film, Ralphie, as an adult, says “Christmas was on its way … Lovely, glorious, beautiful Christmas, around which the entire kid year revolved,” wonderfully encapsulating the true spirit of the film.
One thing most intriguing about the film for locals of the Garden City and something that makes A Christmas Story close to our hearts is the film’s use of none other than the historic Victoria Public School on Niagara Street for scenes featuring Ralphie’s school. Though the film is largely shot in Cleveland, Ohio and Toronto the scenes which feature the St. Catharines school make use the interior and exterior of the beautiful antique school which has since unfortunately closed.
The film in general is enjoyable based on its relatable anecdotes of childhood; pressing ones face against a department store window at Christmas, dealings with a school bully named Scott Farkus who had “yellow eyes,” being far too bundled up for the winter weather by one’s parents and falling into the snow, and being caught by one’s parents for the first time using questionable language. Another popular quote from the movie is Ralphie’s use of the less censored version of “Oh fudge!” when he drops the bolts for the spare tire his father is replacing. He then receives the punishment of holding a bar of soap in his mouth before ratting out a dear friend of his and goes to sleep having elaborate fantasies about going blind from soap poisoning much to the regret of his parents. Indeed, the film humorously conveys the exaggerated trials of youth that are made more bearable by the imminence of holiday festivities.
The indescribable detail of Ralphie’s account of his childhood in his monologue dubbed over the film appeals not only to the viewer’s ears, but a variety of their senses. When their furnaces act up, something which disturbs Ralphie’s father greatly, he begins lashing out; Ralphie recounts “In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.” The narrative of the film is so ornate that the viewer becomes enthralled as if they are being told a story by someone right in front of them seeing rather than just hearing, extrapolating on the details of the story.
A Christmas Story is one which forever inspires nostalgia in our hearts and deserves to be seen on the big screen so close to the holidays, if only so that one can be reminded of the magic of Christmas which has surface throughout their lives, young or old, and to preserve that childlike spirit throughout the entire year.