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THE ONE AND ONLY ORIGINAL CHRISTMAS STORY

By on • ( 10 )

I need my annual fix — a viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life, quickly followed by A Christmas Story.

It’s a Wonderful Life is my sentimental favorite, but A Christmas Story makes me smile. We laugh before they show the funny parts because we know what’s coming. Watching it is our family ritual.

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The original narration by the story’s author, the inimitable Jean Shepherd, is a gem. It’s the story of Christmas seen through the eyes of Ralphie, a kid like me. A kid like you. I don’t care how many musicals they make. The original will always be better. Between Jean Shepherd and Darren McGavin, it doesn’t get better than that.

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I’m not sure what my favorite scene is, but it may be when the neighbor’s pack of hounds gets the Christmas turkey. Or perhaps the lighting of the world’s ugliest lamp!

If by some stroke of ill luck you haven’t seen it, it plays on most cable channels sometime in December. Just in case we miss it, we have it — and all our favorite Christmas movies — on DVD. It was released last year on Blu-ray.

It is sometimes poignant, but it is never sappy. It succeeds in being nostalgic without sticky sweetness and funny without being annoying. It may be the best role of Darin McGavin’s career.

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Categories: Christmas, Holidays, Humor, Media, Movies, Reviews

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10 replies

  1. CMrok93
    12/12/2013 • 01:41

    Who doesn’t love this movie?!?! Better yet, who doesn’t keep it on in the background during those 24 hours it’s continually played on TV?!?!

    Like

  2. Dani
    12/09/2013 • 11:20

    It is a classic.

    L.O.V.E. the narration!

    Like

  3. thomasjford
    12/09/2013 • 04:08

    As we discussed earlier, being a Brit, A Christmas Story wasn’t a big deal over here. It’s only until a couple of years ago that I read all Americans have, like, a day dedicated to it or something, that I decided to check it out. And loved it!! It will be featuring in my Christmas Movie Advent calender a bit nearer the time!

    Like

    • Teepee12
      12/09/2013 • 10:28

      It IS very American, but it’s also very funny and the ‘kid perspective’ makes it special. Not to mention Jean Shepherd’s words. He was one of the world’s best and funniest story tellers. He had a late night radio show on which he used to just ramble … and it was stories like this. His show was “Make Believe Ballroom” I think … it was a long time ago now, but it was worth staying up late to listen. You never knew what he was going to say. And this was one of his rambles.

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