December is almost upon us, which means continual showings of A Christmas Story, the movie of Jean Shepherd's eccentric tale of boyhood and twisted family life.
A Christmas Story hasn't just seeped into the culture — it has swamped it.A tale with considerable anger is now so clearly thought of as lovable, one retail chain has issued gift cards with the tongue-on-the-flagpole scene. Pain and misery. Things to keep in your wallet all year long.
Still, while A Christmas Story — which debuted in 1983 — is also fall-down funny, the undercurrent of disappointment is central to its greatness....
Christmas is a gift best delivered in the real world. Many Christmas movies wrongly believe that an ideal ending is the best way to give the message of Christmas. In fact, it's better to find the smidgen of happiness Ralphie feels at the end because life isn't really all that much better.
• Jean Shepherd - A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film
• DVD - A Christmas Story (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)