Australian watches 'A Christmas Story' for the first time (this movie wasn't big here?!?)

[@MaryCherryOfficial]

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[@lawrenceallen8096]

There are maps of the United States in our schools... and world maps as well.

[@lawrenceallen8096]

A Christmas Story is set in the 1940s. The war is not mentioned, so likely either 1940 ~ 1941, or late 1945 to 1949. The Wizard of Oz (1939), characters in the parade and department store suggests 1940/41. But the cars suggest latter 1940s. But not 1910.

[@mccollumparkfarmersmarket7836]

For cripes sake is a nice polite way of not using Christ name in vain

[@hinesmaster99]

Your laugh is contagious!

[@mccollumparkfarmersmarket7836]

Uncle 21:27 is a wierd way Americans say I give up, you win

[@quadboy4lyfe]

What I love about Ralphie getting the gun at the end is that it’s his dad that gave it to him. Throughout the movie he tells his mom, his teacher and Santa but never tells his dad because in a way Ralphie was scared of his dad. I had a similar relationship with my dad where I was scared of him as a kid but I was always wanting to do things with him and help him with things, similar to Ralphie in this movie, and when Christmas came around he always got me the things that my mom wouldn’t approve of because he trusted me and he knew it would make me happy. So shout out to the fathers that were stern but fair with their kids.

[@michaelwoods3651]

Same. I looked up to and also had a healthy fear of my dad. I never really asked him for things. I was always so thrilled when he let me help him with fixing something around the house. Fathers back then taught useful skills and were no nonsense men. Stern but fair is accurate!

[@_viper2c_562]

@@michaelwoods3651 I always had a fear of my dad, every day having to think if I'd done anything bad before he got home...not that he was mean. He only punished me like 3 times my whole life...but it was the idea that I never wanted to see my dad angry. He was more fun when he was laughing. When I got older we went fishing almost every weekend, all weekend. And if the fishing trip was really going good...we stayed through Monday, meaning I didn't go to school that day. :) Sooo many good memories. He died Last year in January...I miss that man.

[@Clark-ud7kv]

Huge step to manhood when dad asks you for help. This was a time when parents raised young men and women. Not children.

[@jsmithers.]

​@@Clark-ud7kv🤡

[@carlosmelendez8317]

The look on the fathers face when he watched his kid open the gift he wanted brought tears to my eyes.

[@0okamino]

I think he had always been waiting for the year that Ralphie would finally want one.

[@LukeLovesRose]

That always makes me cry

[@coldflamebluedragon196]

I love the moment when Ralphie finds the hidden gift and his dad is so happy

[@SebasTian58323]

The dad definitely understood where he was coming from and was happy to see how happy he was lol

[@canada4311]

It always reminds me a lot of my dad at Christmas when we were kids. He was always so excited for the kids to be so excited. He was never a big Christmas guy himself, but he loved nothing as much as he loved how excited the kids were at Christmas.

[@emilytrott]

@@SebasTian58323 Someone commented on another video that "The Old Man" was the only person Ralph hadn't asked for the Red Ryder carbine.

[@SebasTian58323]

@@emilytrott that's pretty amazing considering what happened

[@regould221]

My dad did almost the same thing when I got a BB gun for Christmas. It was hidden under the couch.

[@KevyNova]

The ending hits so much harder when you realize that his dad was the one person that Ralphie didn’t think to ask.

[@auslandermercury972]

I never thought of that before 😢 🥲

[@Zhiperser]

But he was present when Ralphie blurted it out at breakfast.

[@KevyNova]

@@Zhiperser the point isn’t whether or how the dad knew, it’s that Ralphie didn’t think his dad would be the one to come through for him.

[@PowderedToastMan420]

I've literally seen this movie a hundred times and I still cry when the old man tells Ralphie about that last present behind the desk. ✌️

[@Malryth]

Same here.

[@fergalstackstreams]

Ralphie tried to ask everyone he could think of, but Dad had his back the whole time.

[@cbradfordgorby3237]

This is a uniquely "American Culture" study, I grew up during the 60s-70s, my parents grew up during the depression/WWII era; every aspect of this film mirrored what life was like for me - yep I even experienced "soap poisoning" for lying and dad actually threatened to get the "plumber's helper" to make me eat and mom told me that "people in China" line. A Christmas Story lives rent free in my head.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Same. I think anyone who grew up from around 1940-1980 can understand at least some of this film, if not a lot of it.

[@InvaderWeezle]

@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 I live in the midwest and this movie is almost timeless in some parts

[@AlexKS1992]

My Paternal Grandmother grew up on a farm in North Dakota, she went through the Dust Bowl and the Depression until she married my Grandfather in 1944. From what I heard from my Grandma and other family members she and her siblings went to bed hungry.

[@reconsoldier135]

24 hours of AA Christmas Story is as much a part of Christmas in the US as anything else you can think of. I’m 41 now but it goes all the way back to when I was a tween that TBS started the 24 hours of A Christmas Story on repeat. There are years that I will watch the whole movie at different parts throughout the day, just walk away and come back later and it’s on again 😂

[@banjoman101145]

Jean Sheppard was a radio personality out of New York City in the 1960’s. A Christmas Story is made up of some of the stories he used to regale his radio listeners with each week. He also is the narrator and has a brief cameo in the department store who tells Ralphie “the end of the line is back there.” I was a big fan.

[@phogue1]

He was a really interesting guy. I believe he was good friends with the Beatles in the early years when they first came to the United States. I think he actually traveled with them on that first US tour on behalf of one of the New York papers.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

As a kid, I used to love listening to Jean Sheppard on WOR in NYC. His narration in this film is just like the radio show.

[@JemJam2976]

To make a kid cry uncle was akin to making them cry mercy. It was a way of making them give in

[@ElmStReactions]

Think she meant why uncle

[@JemJam2976]

@@ElmStReactions never understood why

[@ElmStReactions]

@@JemJam2976 its a weird one lol

[@MatthewFutrell]

@@ElmStReactions Origin. There are several theories on the phrase's origin. Due to heavy Irish immigration in eastern Canada and New England in the 19th century, it is likely an Anglicization of the Irish 'anacal', meaning deliverance or quarter. A less likely theory is that it derives from a phrase uttered by youngsters in the Roman empire who got into trouble, patrue mi patruissime (“uncle, my best of uncles”). A fanciful suggestion is that it may be based on a joke from 19th-century England about a bullied parrot being coaxed to address his owner's uncle. Another suggested origin is from the English phrase “time out”, a plea to cease hostilities. The abbreviated usage "T.O." was mistaken for the Spanish “tío”, which means "uncle".

[@ElmStReactions]

@MatthewFutrell thanks mate, some good explanations there

[@AdamPFarnsworth]

My parents did something similar with a gift for me around that age. When I was 10 or so I *needed* a Casio keyboard and begged my parents for one. On Christmas morning, I looked through all the gifts, looking for something keyboard-sized. I was disappointed when I didn't find one, but still had a good Christmas morning. When we were all finished opening gifts, my mom said "Hmm, I'm sure there's one more gift, Adam. Look through all the wrapping paper..." So I dug through all the unwrapped gifts and found a little jewelry box that was wrapped for me. I opened it and there was a note saying "Go look out in the garage." When I went out to the garage, on the washing machine there was a large gift for me! I quickly unwrapped the keyboard and was overjoyed to have gotten what I really wanted that year. No, I don't play the keyboard/piano now lol

[@jsmithers.]

🤡

[@clash5j]

Chinese restaurants are always opened on Christmas Eve/Day in the USA. It's one of their biggest business days. The reason for this is that for many Jews (at least in the USA) it is practically a tradition to meet up with family, eat and socialize at a Chinese restaurant during the Christmas holidays, which obviously they don't celebrate. It's an annual favorite activity for many Jews. This tradition can be traced back to the 19th century in the USA

[@SpukiTheLoveKitten75]

It helps that Chinese (traditionally) usually aren't Christian or celebrate Christmas.

[@BatmanFan76]

This is just another amazing Christmas classic. And it has the three most quotable lines: “Fra-gi-lé. Must be Italian.” “I triple dog dare ya!” “Ohhhh fuuuuuudge…”

[@unforeseeable2.058]

You forgot the most quotable one! “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

[@ronweber1402]

Maybe not quotable but really memorable was: Randy just laid there like a slug. It was his only defense.

[@theCommentDevil]

"You used all the glue on purpose!"

[@Falconer1128]

Lol. I love those Italian things. They are always breaking though. Weird. Lol.

[@aaronburdon221]

Every time something comes in the mail I always say "Fra gi le" lol

[@JoeyEnn]

This movie would play on TBS back to back for hours for two or three days. It would also play on AFN for hours when I was deployed in a combat zone, three Christmas seasons in a row. So this movie holds a lot of nostalgia.

[@NPCRR]

During that period, most homes and businesses were heated with coal. If the damper was turned off, there was insufficient "draw" (airflow) to keep the coal burning and clinkers (unburned pieces of coal) would form, clogging the grate and further restricting air flow. At one point in the movie when Ralphie's father is in the basement battling the furnace, he shouts, "It's a clinker."

[@jsmithers.]

🤡

[@johnmiller7682]

Everyone always comments on how mean the adults are in this movie, including Santa. But they forget that this movie is from the perspective of a child.

[@The_Dudester]

1) Darren McGavin plays the father. He was on a very interesting TV series: Kolchak-The Night Stalker, which ended up creating The X-Files. 2) The reason why the furnace was a pain in the butt was because it was coal fired. Those were messy and difficult to deal with. 3) The reason why there's so few electrical outlets in the house is because the house was retrofitted for electricity. 4) Speaking of electricity, old electrical systems had fuses, not circuit breakers. Fuses screwed in like light bulbs and there was a metal strip that let you know if the fuse was good or not.

[@bethanyromano2740]

This movie is a tradition here in America to watch at least once during it’s 24 hour run on 2 tv stations. I can remember watching this movie year round. I just recently met the remaining cast at a local Comic Con, and it was a surreal moment to get to meet the actors who I grew up with watching every Christmas.

[@jsmithers.]

Steel City Con?

[@bethanyromano2740]

@@jsmithers. Yep! That’s the one! 😀

[@jsmithers.]

@@bethanyromano2740 I was there

[@bethanyromano2740]

@@jsmithers. I was there all weekend. On Sunday, I was the cosplayer from The Amanda Show. :)

[@jsmithers.]

@@bethanyromano2740 Amanda please 🙏

[@TheTitandog70]

The actress that plays the mom did not know that head was left on duck , so that was a genuine reaction to seeing it and then cutting the head off.

[@JordanS-ww4eu]

I’ve heard that the actress who played the mom died a couple of years ago

[@naveendravid7142]

As a cleveland ohioan I can tell you people here absolutely love this film. And that lamp is a very common Christmas decoration here aswell

[@andreadeamon6419]

Yeah it is!! Love it

[@rickbailey-ty8bq]

Even though it's set in indiana.

[@naveendravid7142]

@@rickbailey-ty8bq filmed in cleveland

[@andreadeamon6419]

@@rickbailey-ty8bq loved seeing public Square the way it looked back in the late 70s and early 80s

[@themoviedealers]

Shot in Cleveland but takes place in the fictional Holman. Sheppard grew up in Hammond Indiana.

[@trentrouse5991]

Firearms have always been a part of America. I grew up around them and I was taught to safely handle them. Safety was alway the #1 my dad stressed to me and instilled in me and this movie was a great reminder of what could happen if you dont respect even something as seemingly insignificant as a BB or airsoft and paintball.

[@rivercitymud]

For real. I got a .22 for my birthday when I was just a year older than Ralphie. That's unthinkable today, but when I was growing up, hunting rabbits was just something you did when you were a boy. How else are you supposed to learn how to skin them? When you and all the other neighborhood kids inevitably decide to walk as far as you can down the railroad tracks until it gets dark, the one who can hunt and skin the food then cook it on a spit roast basically becomes the leader of the group for life. A lot sure has changed since the days when every boy always carried a pocketknife, just in case they were called upon to provide the vittles and thus win the respect of their peers. These days that would get you put on some kind of list.

[@jlilley73]

My brother and I were NOT properly taught about them, lol. One time my brother shot a BB gun at my feet and it ricocheted and hit me square in the forehead 😆

[@jsmithers.]

​@@rivercitymud🤡

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

The movie , and the original short story, are told in flashback. The story begins with an adult Ralph(ie) living as a writer in New York. He randomly encounters a hippie in a diner who is protesting violent "war toys" being marketed and given to children, saying it's all a plot by the Military/Industrial Complex. The conversation triggers his memory of his best Christmas present as a child and how innocent it really was.

[@jsmithers.]

@@dr.burtgummerfan439 No 🤡

[@lambowolf]

This movie came out when I was a teen. I didn't see it in the theater, but I saw it later on the VCR. Fell in love with it right away. As kids, we all remember that "one gift" we wanted for Christmas. This movie really does hit the nostalgia feels.

[@mcbeezee2120]

One of those great movies you can put on "repeat" Christmas Day, and have it play in the background during the festivities.

[@arandomnamegoeshere]

This flick is actually a string of unrelated short stories strung together and loosely connected by the ongoing BB gun plot implying it all these events happened over a single Christmas season. That explains the somewhat disjointed pacing of the story - which gets criticism at times. But I've always found that disjointed nature works. It fits with this kids-eye-view of a season; the over-serious and poetic narrative of relatively minor, inconsequential events. Yet events that become embedded in our own life narrative and nostalgia. And it also hints at the nature of a good story - sometimes less about the events and more about how they're presented. Side note: I also grew up in Australia and saw these echoes of US culture. My Mom is a US citizen and would relate all these stories about snow and Christmas customs (some of which we adopted) from when she grew up. But it wasn't until we moved to the US that I got to fully embrace and understand where these echoes came from. Culture is a fascinating thing (and yes, Virginia, the US has culture).

[@PhillyMJS]

“In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” was a summer reading assignment when I was a freshman or sophomore in high school (I forget which) back in the late 80s. It’s one of my favorite books, and that same copy is still on my bookshelf today.

[@gphillimo]

This is my personal favorite Christmas movie of all time. #1 for me. Yes, in America they do a 24 hour marathon of showing this movie back to back to back ect starting on Christmas Eve and ending on Christmas day. I usually watch it fully at least 3 times during that 24 hours.

[@wolfkniteX]

Apparently during the daydream sequence of Ralphie defending his home from burglars, the actor playing Ralphie, Peter Billingsley, was accidentally given real chewing tobacco from the prop department. They didn't realize until 15 minutes after they started filming when Peter started feeling dizzy and his stomach starting hurting. They had to shut down production for about 40 minutes so that Peter could get it out of his system.

[@joeconcepts5552]

Some of the best jokes come from the narrator. "Randy lay there like a slug. It was his only defense."

[@monsterkhan3414]

There's nothing more magical than waking up Christmas Day, looking out the window and seeing the whole world covered in snow. It really makes it feel like Christmas, and they captured it beautifully in A Christmas Story. Great reaction!

[@TrentRidley]

I'm a 41yr old Australian and I've seen this movie countless times. We found this movie when I was very young and it quickly became a family tradition to watch it on Christmas Eve each year..... till this day. It has been on Australian TV back in the day, but I don't recall it being on anytime recently and it certainly never was with the kind of regularity spoken about in the U.S.

[@biglc034]

In 'A Christmas Story,' there's this subtle, beautiful dance between fathers and sons that weaves through the entire film. You start noticing how much of what happens to Ralphie and his dad kind of mirrors each other. It's like this unspoken connection that builds up, and then, out of the blue, Ralphie's dad becomes the unexpected hero. You see, Ralphie has this dream gift - a Red Ryder lever-action BB gun - and the last person he'd even think of asking for it is his dad, the guy he probably fears a bit. But in this heartwarming twist, it's his dad who comes through in the end. The joy on his face when he reveals that secret gift, the rifle he managed to get without his wife finding out, adds this whole layer of complexity to their relationship. It's a moment that hits home for a lot of us guys. You know, that realization that your dad, the one you might not see as an immediate hero, is quietly pulling strings behind the scenes. 'A Christmas Story' captures that universal sentiment, making you appreciate the unsung heroes in our own lives, especially during the holidays. In the midst of all the laughs and nostalgia, the film beautifully unfolds this touching tale of a dad's love and a son's unexpected Christmas miracle.

[@RexFuturi]

This is multiple levels of nostalgia. Number one, it reminds me of watching this movie with my family every Christmas season. Then there is the nostalgia for all Christmas traditions from childhood and remembering how big a deal Christmas was as a kid. Lastly, there's nostalgia for things I didn't even have but were echoed or already remembered with nostalgia by the time I was a kid. I watch this movie and remember both how big a deal Christmas was when I was a kid and all the things that used to be part of Christmas but have fallen off over the years.

[@glbm555]

Seeing classic movies and movies on various themes again from the style, natural magnetism and reactions of Mary Cherry is seeing the movie as a premiere with magic in a unique experience. Thanks to Mary Cherry for the videos and may the special Christmas time with the arrival of a new year be an impulse of new life in blessing.

[@Taylorswiftfan13308]

Oh no! It is a little thing, but I hope you did not miss it. The Dad's WTF?!? face When Randy climb/crawls out of the closet under the sink. That part always makes me smile

[@therewasacrookedman5892]

To me it exemplifies him trusting his wife to manage the kids while he’s at work. He trusts that she knows when he needs to step in. Consider that this is after the fight. The mom downplays what happened to not drag out the drama. She says, ‘you know how boys are.. gave him a talking to’. And the dad trusts that that will be the end of it and there was no need for him to step in any further. I just think those little details you pointed out, really fleshes out the character more than we realize at the moment.

[@Taylorswiftfan13308]

That is well thought out and a lot deeper than I ever went with it. I think the Randy thing is just a quirky kid habit (given mom not really being phased by it) that Dad had never run into before

[@janecrow1122]

The Mom asking Randy "See you later??" is my absolute favorite. Peace, all 💕

[@Wiley_Coyote]

The subtle thing going on is that ultimately both of his parents have Ralphie's back at different times. The Mother in protecting Ralphie from the consequences of his fight, and the Dad in understanding how important it actually was for Ralphie to get a fun gift (the movie acknowledges the gift is dangerous, but also rolls with it being permissible, because... America).

[@nicholaspruitt9032]

As a native Chicagoan, this Midwest Christmas movie is cinematic nostalgia.

[@heartovwrath]

Speaking of horror, Black Christmas is a holiday horror film that came out nine years prior, and it's directed by the same man behind this one. Another must-watch for the channel, even after the new year.

[@Strider91]

There's actually a pretty good sequel to this that alot of people missed. Its worth checking out

[@SpukiTheLoveKitten75]

Yup, "A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS". The only true sequel, IMHO. "A CHRISTMAS STORY 2" Never happened!

[@smavtmb2196]

Fun fact: In A Christmas Story, the bully's last name Farkus sounds like the Hungarian word Farkas, which means "Wolf" This is why whenever that character appears "The Wolf's Theme" music from 'Peter and The Wolf" plays

[@pcl8993]

Hey Mary. A little bonus to this movie is the the actor that played Raphie was also in Elf. He played the main elf character, Ming Ming (uncredited)!

[@apatheticallyconcerned6574]

In my family, we watch this film together every Christmas...at least once. Sometimes it plays on repeat in the background as we're making food, hanging out, playing video games, etc. Some American tv stations will play it for 24 hours straight on Christmas. It is very Americana.

[@gabrielstratton1775]

The sequel they did recently called "A Christmas Story Christmas" is very good they got almost the entire same cast back and released it last year

[@Cookieboy70]

This has such a good place in my heart. The movie always played for 24 hours before Christmas when we were children, so we always watched a piece of it at some point, especially when our parents were preparing Christmas dinner. Edit: Also, the reason they went to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas is because in Asia Christmas is not a holiday. Same reason why as an adult, I've been able to find certain places to get my booze on Christmas morning.

[@jd-zr3vk]

Christmas is big in Japan.

[@Comrade.Question]

​@@jd-zr3vkthat's when they eat KFC right?

[@MichaelScheele]

@@Comrade.Question, the head of KFC Japan created the tradition of "Christmas in Kentucky" back in the 1970s. It caught on and millions of people in Japan have KFC for Christmas. While few people in Japan are Christians, many have embraced Christmas as a secular holiday.

[@cypher515]

@@jd-zr3vkYeah, though it's specifically Japan.

[@vovindequasahi]

The only one he didn't ask specifically had his ears to the ground the whole time, his Old Man! I love this movie so much! Few movies manage to bring out that Christmas kid warmth like this one. When the Old Man is cursing they deliberately make it into gibberish to make it kid friendly, but we all know what words he is really using!!

[@bill.godwin-austen]

Having grown up in the 1950's, so many of the little things in this movie really did evoke memories of childhood. It's definitely a Christmas favorite of many in my generation. We did love our bb-guns back then. 😋

[@detectivecobra7534]

Also marry the reason why he shot his eye is because he shot at metal. Never do that unless your extremely far away because the bullet will bounce back

[@Noah_180fps]

That’s so true!

[@Ricksdaname]

This is definitely an American tradition to watch during the holidays. I am American (hispanic) and I didn't hear about this movie at all until I was 25 years old. Mary, it's a great movie as you know now and we watch it at home every year now. The new one is good too.

[@kingscorpion7346]

"Adult Ralphie" was voiced by the author of the novel!

[@andreadeamon6419]

The guy at the line for Santa. He's the guy that told him where the beginning of the line was. He was also a writer. Then the guy who looked at the major award was also a writer and director

[@balansboy]

This movie is so iconic. So wholesome and fun. There are some TV station here in the US that do 24 hour marathons of this movie during the Christmas season

[@cbuchner6862]

TBS and TNT.

[@corymccarty8603]

Great reaction Mary. Kudos for doing a REALLY old school movie. Keep up the great work and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[@necrongaming7557]

I read something the other day about this movie that made me come to a realization, Ralphie got the one gift he wanted from the one person he didn't ask for it or directly bring it up to. Mom, no, teacher, no, even Santa, no. But his Old Man, he still came through.

[@smittlesmattle]

This movie is such a huge pop culture holiday movie. So much that many people display their own leg lamps in their windows you can see from the street!

[@SFNmooby]

A lot of the exteriors, including the house were filmed in Cleveland, Ohio. I actually live about 4 miles from the Christmas Story House. Across the street from the house are The Christmas Story Museum and the Christmas Story Gift Shop which sells about 20 different kinds of "major awards" including christmas tree light version. Also, "Ralphie" is the same guy who got yelled at in Ironman by Obadiah Stane, and later in Spider-man Far from Home he reprised his role.

[@lawrencejones1517]

I first saw this movie when it released. It was always enjoyable to watch, and on Christmas Day one of the cable channels in the US plays it non stop for 24 hours! This movie represents my parents generation, but allot of this was familiar in a number of ways, too. And FYI, Santa's gifts for mom and dad were basically mom's gift to dad, and dad's gift to mom. But the lion's share of the gifts were for the kids. This movie is a must see for me around Christmas time! And cripe is a soft expletive, like saying heck, darn or shoot.

[@beardedgeek973]

Btw their house was from an era that was JUST too old for the amount of electric items everyone actually had. Hence the bazillion connections. Our apartment (I am Swedish) is built 1945, and the landlord put in more wall outlets somewhere in the 70s (we moved in long after that) but what is originally built into the walls is only one outlet per room.

[@andreadeamon6419]

I'm still trying to figure out what was all plugged up in the living room besides the lamp and the radio. I've been in the house and nothing needed to be plugged in

[@beardedgeek973]

@@andreadeamon6419 I mean it's not his ACTUAL house (as in the author's aka IRL Ralphie). In a living room? Christmas tree, radio, probably at least two floor lamps in some corners, plus the leg lamp. MIGHT also have had a record player. That's 5 (or 6) things sharing a two-outlet wall socket with most likely old wiring and those old porcelain fuses.

[@andreadeamon6419]

@beardedgeek973 i know how Hollywood works. But I've been in the house and the only thing plugged up is the radio leg lamp and the tree. Besides that nothing else needed to be plugged up until the vacuum cleaner

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

@beardedgeek973 I've lived in an old house that had the old-time cloth-insulated wiring, and I was perpetually terrified the place was going to burn down around me at any moment.

[@papasilver]

Yes, Mary! This is my favorite Christmas Movie! It's a tradition for my family to watch it every year on Christmas Day here in America. I'm so happy to see you finally watching it, Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁

[@lyledowell]

I was able to see this movie when it was newly released on a theater screen, have loved it ever since. Many aspects of it are independent of the time in which this movie is portraying. The innocence of childhood, the closeness of family, the spirit of Christmas, etc. Just an enjoyable movie. This is well known and perhaps mentioned by others prior to me, but when the boys get in line to see Santa and the bearded gentleman directs them to the true end of line, that person is Jean Shepard, the author of the stories used in this movie. He is the narrator as well, that is he is adult Ralphie. Last year there was a sequel to this movie. "A Christmas Story Christmas". Ralphie is now an adult with kids of his own. It does put some finishes on some of the events of this movie. Including Scut the bully. Most of the original cast were involved. Many were fearful this sequel would not or could not live up to the original. I found it it did well. Not as great a movie as the original movie, but good. My opinion :)

[@matthewgrady3423]

I have seen this movie countless times on home video and on TV over the past “Fudge(To fit the movie), I’m old!” years. I have been able to recite the dialogue along with the movie. A couple of weeks ago was the FIRST time I ever saw it in the theater. I found out about it after Zack Ward(Scut Farkus) tweeted about it being in the theaters again for a couple of days.

[@xcmvp2007]

This is our family's go-to Christmas movie. I waited until I was 30 year old for Santa to bring me my Red Ryder. Decided to just buy my own. I also bought eye protection to play with it!

[@janepeterson8664]

Thank you for sharing "A Christmas Story". I haven't seen that movie in a few years, and it still makes me laugh.

[@AstroXeno]

The Adult Ralphie's name is Jean Sheppard, and he wrote several books full of stories about these same characters- Several of his other stories were also made into movies, but this one is far and away the most successful.

[@Omaru1982]

Of the various sequels I liked 'a Christmas story christmas' that came out last year, it was nice to see the guy return to the role of Ralphie after he quit acting and turned to producing (not counting his cameos in Iron Man and Spider-man far from home as that one scientist.) Plus they managed to track down quite a few of the old child actors to reprise their roles as well.

[@kennethjoseph6362]

31:08 the BB pellet hit the metal sign behind the target, and ricocheted back at him, and hitting his glasses. this is why they all said "you'll shoot your eye out" because of the pellet's rebounding towards you. this is one of my fav christmas films, watched while i grew up. glad you checked it out as well! great reaction! 👍 🎄

[@fallenhero3130]

This movie was only a modest hit when it came out, but it gained popularity in the '90's with TV-airings. Around the early-2000's was when they first started airing the 24-hour marathons (usually on TNT and TBS on Christmas Eve, and sometimes on Thanksgiving as well). I think the reason so many people have nostalgia for it is because it so often would be playing in the background at family gatherings, and you can easily follow the plot from only half paying attention.

[@nsasupporter7557]

Yes, it wasn’t a hit when it came out. It didn’t become popular until years later

[@RandomNonsense1985]

I could’ve sworn the 24 hour marathons were on back in ‘94 or ‘95.

[@fallenhero3130]

@@RandomNonsense1985 You might be right.

[@obviouspseudonym9345]

I remember when I first got my Red Ryder rifle for Christmas at age 10. My older brother and my Father had set it up exactly as it was in the film, buried behind some furniture, waiting until all the gifts were opened and suggesting I take a look. The three of us never really see eye to eye with each other, and arguments and sometimes fights are frequent. But no matter how much we fight each other, that moment is one of the best positive memories in my mind, and shall remain so to the end of my days.

[@robertjewell9727]

I first saw it as an adult and it so captures the time period and a youngster's point of view. It's in my top 5 Christmas movies. And yeah, we have a channel here that shows it for 24 hours nonstop and we'd turn it on and even go out to do chores and such and catch whatever scene was playing.

[@kellypedersen6590]

The narrator is Jean Shepherd, who is the author of the story from which this is based (this movie is essentially one chapter from Shepherd's semi-autobiographical book about growing up in NW Indiana called "In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash"). Shepherd was a radio announcer, so he definitely had the voice for it. Very entertaining reaction, as always (and super-cool outfit as well 😃).

[@HEAVYMETALmovie1981]

They repeated this movie in channels such as TNT and my dad could watch that movie over and over and not get tired of it, seemingly. Lord rest his soul and this is the time of year I miss him the most 🙏

[@bwsinfonia13]

Not many people are aware of the sequel before the sequel. There is a film called “My Summer story”, it was based on the writings of the original author of this story.

[@shawnawestbrook1535]

A lot of dads get their kids, mostly their boys, BB guns for Christmas, especially in that time but even within the past few years it’s still pretty common. I’m a girl and my grandpa got me a pink 22 rifle for Christmas when I was I think 11, I don’t know why he got me one considering I wasn’t an outdoorsy kid and considering it’s been over a decade and I’ve only shot it a few times 😅but I still adore the rifle and have it in a safe place. Also, it wasn’t just a bit of kick back, the bb bounced off the metal sheet Ralph had the practice on, usually unless you’re rlly far you should only shoot at things that can take the impact harder like sand bags so they don’t bounce back like that.

[@richardzinns5676]

I've always loved the way that, whenever the bully shows up, the soundtrack plays the wolf theme from Peter and the Wolf. I'm not old enough to remember the Little Orphan Annie radio show, but I've read that the idea that the secret decoder pins were used to advertise Ovaltine (which was in fact the show's sponsor) is a legend; it did not actually happen. But the legend must be widespread, as it also shows up in my favorite Woody Allen movie, Radio Days, which like this one is the story of a boy's experiences as narrated by his adult self.

[@kxd2591]

A few years ago I read an article that said the kid who played the bully used his yearly royalty check to buy something nice for his mother.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

They say that if you want yo know who are the best people in show business, look to the ones who play antagonists and villains. Zack Ward, who played Scut Farkus, was said to be the nicest kid on the movie set, and he grew up to be a very decent man.

[@penfold7455]

For all those "Lost" fans out there, Zack Ward appeared on an episode playing Jack Sheppard's best man in his flashback wedding.

[@susanodonnell4609]

Also Canada has same Christmas classics and I especially love this one and culture is relatable to us in Canada at the same time, the coal furnace, and the flue,too many plugs in one extension,had bullies like this too and had stuck my tongue to something metal and quickly pulled it off when I realized what was happening, very relatable and it is so funny

[@SpukiTheLoveKitten75]

My Dad even yelled "You [action that got Dad mad] ON PURPOSE!" a few times when I was a child.

[@hbron112]

Welcome to a new Christmas tradition watching this movie with all of us. Thanks, Mary - great reaction!

[@auslandermercury972]

Aww, great reaction. Great movie. One filled with memories of watching it with my family during the holidays, on repeat, haha, and plenty of great moments in the movie itself. Love it 🥰

[@JemJam2976]

I just recently learned that all of Flick's lines once he stuck his tongue to the pole were ad libbed. There is an interview with the entire kid cast from A Christmas Story out where the man that plays Flick says it. The punch in the arm was also real, just not meant to be as hard.

[@andreadeamon6419]

I just watched that too

[@JemJam2976]

@@andreadeamon6419 it was a great panel. Loved seeing and hearing from all of them. R.I.P to Darrin McGavin and Melinda Dillion

[@andreadeamon6419]

@@JemJam2976 i agree. Loved every second of it

[@Arkainjel]

Great vid, Mary. There are actually a lot of restaurants that are open on Christmas specifically because there are many people who don't celebrate Christmas but still want to go out to eat. I have a Jewish friend whose family's tradition actually is eating at a Chinese restaurant.

[@KennyG881]

From what I hear from the older generations, this movie wasn't that big when it first came out in '83. But then at some point it became super popular.

[@modrenwarefare]

The reason the kids are saying Uncle, is in America it’s a slang term for saying that one in confrontation, usually physical submits and gives up. In the context of the movie, Scut Farkus make them say it when he’s holding them against their will to embarrass them and humiliate them he will keep holding on even after they say, uncle. Making them to think he will let them go when they say it.

[@magicbrownie1357]

It took a while to get popular in the US, but now, it's considered a Christmas classic, along with It's a Wonderful Life, Elf, and probably Miracle on 34th Street. This one is the funniest of the lot. So cute. And having grown up in Northern Indiana, where this is set, during the time frame this was set, I can tell you, it's pretty spot on in most details.

[@MonsieurBooyah]

it's definitely a film of 'americana' and puts a spotlight on the nostalgia for the way the kids saw the situations they were in.

[@detectivecobra7534]

Marry when the dad is shouting nonsense when fixing the furnace it’s like cuss words but no in real life

[@mypl510]

The Red Ryder became such lore that Daisy Air Guns brought it back! Currently available at Walmart! LOL! Merry Christmas, Mary!

[@TheAbominableDrFaustus]

Bob Clarke also made the 1974 horror movie Black Christmas. Which is a profoundly different movie than this one. Same guy. Same lifetime. He was an interesting person.

[@thescott7539]

And Porky's right before this movie.

[@qhal3570]

He was only able to make THIS movie because they wanted a Porkys 2. He demanded they greenlight this first. Made me laugh knowing that while Mary said "wholesome, wholesome, wholesome" at the end. Hilarious ​@thescott7539

[@patrickseidel8625]

Since you've watched Elf you've seen the actor who plays Ralphie, Peter Billingsley. He played the elf that asked buddy how many Etch A Sketches he made, Ming Ming.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

If you pay attention to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can briefly see the actor, Peter Billingsley, in the first Iron Man movie. He's the scientist who informs Obidiah Stane that they can't recreate the armor's power source, and Stane screams at him, "Tony Stark built this in a cave! From a box of scraps!" He later went on to reprise the role, briefly but sigificantly, in Spider-Man: Far from Home.

[@SilentSooYun]

He's also in Iron Man, as the scientist that is "not Tony Stark"

[@patrickseidel8625]

@user-mg5mv2tn8q he was also the executive producer for Iron man.

[@louispaulter8733]

Great fun reaction, glad you liked it, At the time it came out I was living in Florida and worked part time at a movie theater and this movie came out before Xmas and played to the end of January. Families loved it and older retired people loved it too because it was true to the feelings in the 40s-50s. And my dad did the same thing for my brother & I right down to my mom not really being thrilled with the idea of us kids getting BB air rifles & how our “old man” hide them from us & my mom by stashing the rifles behind the sofa, LOL ! It was a a Xmas comedy that rang true about families experiences at that time in the USA. Merry Christmas🎄 & Happy New Year Mates !!!😃😎👍

[@jennifermedicus2735]

In my high school, we had a mandatory English class called the American Dream. And we read books that focus on that (for good or bad) - Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby, Native Son, etc. For those of us in the fall semester, the teacher always showed A Christmas Story for the last class before the holidays because he said it sums up the American Dream perfectly. Maybe why it's so popular here and wasn't elsewhere. I do watch the marathon of it for Christmas eve every year while eating Chinese food and wrapping presents.

[@duanelavely5481]

Today is Christmas. I live up in the mountains of Idaho now. I start every morning by jumping out of bed, yea sure I jump I'm 76. Slide into some snow boots in my boxers & t-shirt. Skip the pants & coat. Throw on a hat & go out to fill the feeders with sunflower seeds for the squirrels & quail. On the way back inside I check my thermometer by the frt. door. This morning it was 10 degrees. I managed not to slip on the ice & have to try to get up like a tortoise on its back. It's now 10 p.m. & I'm watching your reaction video. Merry Christmas everyone!!! I grew up a decade after this movie takes place. I grew up in Texas and virtually every boy had a Daisy Red Rider BB gun by the age of 9. And, every boy had heard the warning NOT to shoot your or your friends eyes out! I never actually heard of anyone shooting their eye out. That was a Mother's tale.

[@MichaelScheele]

The classroom map of the US is age appropriate for geography. World geography would be taught at a later age.

[@Johnny_Socko]

And to be fair, there is a LOT of US geography to be learned. It was always one of my favorite subjects, but most of my classmates hated it, lol.

[@joeblankenship377]

Watched this so much growing up. It didn't feel like Christmas until they ran this movie on TV. I remember when they first started running it for 24 hours on Christmas Day. We always kept it on in the background while we opened presents and ate. I seemed to always see it at the "Oh my God, I shot my eye out!" part.

[@theCommentDevil]

I laugh so hard at the scene with the other kids mother on the phone freaking out like a maniac 😂

[@melissaisloud7404]

This is my family Christmas staple. I absolutely adore this film. It never disappoints.

[@BellsWatson]

This is a close representation of life in middle America in the 1940s. It was a different time and different place. Mothers stayed home and took care of the kids and home and father went off to work. Each had a role to play. Little Orphan Annie on the radio was real and even the decoder ring is real. As far as a BB gun, in a few years he would most likely get a real 22 rifle. Look at toys in the 1940s and 1950s military toys for boys and doll for girls.

[@RichardinNC1]

Watching A Christmas Story is a tradition at my Nephew’s. He even has a “leg lamp”! Yes this is set in the late 40s in northern Indiana but filmed in nearby Cleveland Ohio. The house is still there and open for tours. I grew up in the 1960s in the northern US and many of the traditions were still common such as going to the department store in town to watch the parade, see the Christmas displays and Santa. And we had lots of snow all winter. FYI, coal fired furnaces were common back then. We had that in a rental house for a while. Artificial trees weren’t around back then so everyone went out to buy a real tree. They didn’t last more than a few weeks. PS: I got a BB gun rifle for Christmas one year. I was probably 12 by then.

[@Joe4Schrute1]

I love the analogy of the blue ball, and the look of the old man’s face. 😂

[@andreadeamon6419]

Don't forget his vocal change and grabbing his temple. That part gets me everytime 😂

[@SpukiTheLoveKitten75]

...and the falsetto "Thanks a lot!".

[@scottvanhille5688]

Merry Christmas Mary! I've never seen this movie as well. It's a classic now and it does get played every year on cable here in the US. Nice reaction, that kid's laugh was great. Ralphie aka Peter Billingsly played Nick in a B movie called Arcade that I really like. Getting your mouth cleaned out with soap was never a good experience.

[@JohnVinylGen]

I thought for sure you had done this film already!? I'm so glad you finally watch it!

[@vovindequasahi]

The only one he didn't ask specifically had his ears to the ground the whole time, his Old Man! I love this movie so much! Few movies manage to bring out that Christmas kid warmth like this one. When the Old Man is cursing they deliberately make it into gibberish to make it kid friendly, but we all know what words he is really using!! Hahaha I love how you had a little metal snippet of music when Ralphie was opening the present "so delicately"... Hahahaa!!

[@Divamarja_CA]

Our mom turned us onto the humorist writer Jean Sheperd years before this movie came out. In fact, there’s a PBS short film about Ralphie as a teenager during the 4th of July. It stars a very young Matt Dillon, and is wonderful.

[@Johnny_Socko]

Me too! My mom gave me her Jean Shepard books when I was a kid, and I loved them. I had watched the PBS movie, but when A Christmas Story came out it was a total surprise to me, because I had no idea it was being made. It failed at the box office, but obviously found its audience on home video and beyond.

[@Divamarja_CA]

@@Johnny_SockoI got my mom’s too!

[@Hambie76]

I saw this in grade school the year it came out or after, I guess? Back then a VHS, would be released about six months to a year later. But yes, this is my favorite Christmas movie and it encapsulates every damn thing both good and bad with that holiday. I make it a private tradition to watch it every year. Even in America most people aren't aware of this movie or don't care for it. Including my own family, which sucks!

[@Drewit1]

This is a fascinating movie for me. As a kid, I didn’t really like it but as an adult, I can’t get enough of it. Now I can see why tv channels air it 24 hours a day for Christmas. Thank you for reacting to it and I can’t wait to see your reaction to Muppet Christmas Carol.

[@rivercitymud]

My perspective on the mom has done a complete 180. As a kid, I thought she was basically the villain of the story. As an adult, I want to ask for her phone number.

[@otisroseboro5613]

Hard To Believe It's Been 40 Years Since This Movie Came Out, I Watch This Movie All Christmas Day, That's My Tradition, Great Reaction Sweetheart & Happy Holidays 🎄