rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States, Canada; 1983
Directed by Bob Clark; produced by Bob Clark, René Dupont; screenplay by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, Bob Clark
Starring Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
All little Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants for Christmas is a Daisy Red
Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action BB Gun. The problem is that everyone says he
will shoot his eye out so he must come up with the perfect plan to get the
gun for Christmas. He tries using his parents, his teacher and even Santa
Claus but they all tell him the same thing. He will shoot his eye out.
The way 'A Christmas Story' fills a movie with this premise is great. There
are a lot of little details that the movie gives us that will be recognized
by almost everyone. That the movie is seen through the eyes of little
Ralphie is perfect. The way kids think is shown in a perfect way and a lot
of the funny moments come from this fact. The movie understand with what it
is dealing and uses that in a great way.
The movie is also able to create emotions that kids can have at moments
where it is not really necessary to have them. For example it is not very
exciting if the kid will have his gun or not. It is fun if he gets it and to
bad for him if he don't. Without this movie that probably would be my
opinion but here the movie creates a certain suspense whether he will get
the gun or not. It is almost like watching a horror movie where there is a
chance a zombie attack will follow. You are constantly waiting for something
but you are not sure whether it is going to happen at all. Here it is the
same, in the sequence I described and in a lot of others I will not spoil
for you.
And then there are the wonderful performances. Peter Billingsley gives one
of the best performances by a kid I have seen. Normally I think kids can get
a little annoying but the Ralphie character made me laugh a lot. His father
is played by Darren McGavin and he gives a fine performance as well. He is
strict but lovable and McGavin has his greatest moments in a sequence where
he has won a lamp that his wife hates. She is played by Melinda Dillon and
gives the best performance in the movie. Ralphie's mother handles things the
way they should be handled and that is exactly how Dillon handles the
character. Her best moments, although it is hard to pick just one, is when
Ralphie's brother Randy (Ian Petrella) does not want to eat. The way she
convinces him to do so is one of the biggest laughs in the movie.
'A Christmas Story' is one of the best family movies out there.