this christmas , little ralphie parker ( peter billingsley ) wants nothing more than a red ryder bb gun under the tree .
although cautioned by many that he will ?
shoot his eye out ' , ralphie remains optimistic , conjuring up a detailed scheme to get on the good side of his parents and teachers .
it could be possible that no one has ever wanted anything with more passion than ralphie wants this bb gun , and the story of his eternal struggle is a charming one .
` a christmas story ' is a favorite among many during the holiday season , and boy ,
it is certainly easy to see why .
ralphie 's endless desire for the bb gun may transport you back to your childhood , when you were craving a certain gift for christmas and the anxiety was almost indescribable .
evoking pleasant childhood memories is only one of the many things ` a christmas story ' does so well .
here are a few features that make this film such a charming little package
for everybody during the holiday season : 1 ) period detail .
this film is based on the memoirs of late humorist jean shepard , who shares his experiences as a young boy living in the 1940 's with loving detail .
shepard narrates from a first person point - of - view , divulging his various adventures one snowy december , in which visions of taking aim with his new bb gun replaced that of sugarplums dancing in his head .
shepard 's first - hand commentary of several situations is not only downright hilarious , but also witty and warm , with various metaphorical meanings that ring perfectly with the essence of comic timing .
on top of that , young billingsley 's stupefied reactions to each predicament is absolutely perfect in contrast with the narration .
director bob clark captures the look and feel of the era with wonderful technicality .
i can hardly imagine a more accurate depiction of what christmas for young ralphie must have been like .
2 ) mom and dad .
both melinda dillon ( as mom ) and darren mcgavin ( as ?
the old man ' ) are perfect in their roles .
it 's hard to fathom a more agreeable pair for the requirements of a story like this one , with each possessing at least one memorable trait that instantly separates them from the wooden caricatures that could have been featured .
for instance , he is a bloodthirsty turkey hound , and she is forgiving and understanding when it comes to some serious issues .
in portraying the writer as a persistent but mild - mannered young lad , peter billingsley has struck quite the chord .
his performance is richly textured , making all of the humorous situations he stumbles into radiate with flavor and enjoyment . which brings us to . . . .
3 )
the comic situations .
there are plenty of memorable moments in ` a christmas story ' .
moments that undoubtedly will improve in comic potency upon each new viewing , with so much more to explore and to cherish .
i am particularly partial of the ? f - word scene ' , in which ralphie blurts out the shocking four - letter obscenity while helping the old man in the yard .
again , shepard 's method of handling this amusing scenario is nothing short of comic wizardry .
the numerous sequences that stick in one 's mind include , of course , the famous department store santa scene - in which billingsley has some problems in telling old saint nick what he wants under the tree .
i could go on , but i 'll finish on this note :
` a christmas story ' is a standout among holiday movies , because it captures so much in a meager 90 minutes .
not only is it funny ,
it 's often genuinely hilarious . . . .
not to mention warm , fluffy and touching in all the appropriate places .
i plan on making ` a christmas story ' a christmas tradition .
why do n't you ?
with wonderful technicality perfect in their roles downright hilarious is a standout i can hardly imagine a more accurate depiction such a charming little package there are plenty of memorable moments absolutely perfect radiate with flavor and enjoyment it is certainly easy to see why it 's often genuinely hilarious a favorite among many has struck quite the chord nothing short of comic wizardry warm , fluffy and touching in all the appropriate places witty and warm ring perfectly