Fröhliche Weihnachten (1983)

Fröhliche Weihnachten: Directed by Bob Clark. With Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz, Jean Shepherd. In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie attempts to convince his parents, his teacher and Santa that a Red Ryder BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.

“u0026quot;A Christmas Storyu0026quot; is a rare film about children yet for adults. While kids will definitely enjoy this Christmas-themed saga, adults will find a deeper level of depth than they may remember from seeing the film at a younger age.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movie strikes a sharp contrast between the exaggerated, polysyllabic narration of Ralphie, filled with nostalgia and lucid memories, and the soft, high-pitched childlike wonder of Ralphieu0026#39;s spoken word. The narrator is clearly not the same character as the one portrayed on film, but a character wholly outside the story, reliving his childhood emotions and anecdotes. Yet he is the heart of the film, the true center of gravity. This is because the movie is not about a scary Santa Clause and a BB gun – itu0026#39;s about childhood memories and the feelings they evoke. To that end, u0026quot;A Christmas Storyu0026quot; is flawless.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;A Christmas Storyu0026quot; tells of the epically materialistic journey of Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) as he searches for the golden, upheld idol of all red-blooded American boys: A Red Rider Air Rifle. Ralphie spins an intricate web of cunning and deceit as he plots to get his hands on it – including an essay, a trip to Santa Claus and more. The movie also shows us a glimpse of his family – his irritable, foul-mouthed father with a good heart, his whiny brother Randy, and his sweet, all-American mother. It is not so much a continuous story as a series of vignettes, but it ultimately serves the movieu0026#39;s purpose.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a funny film. The narration by Jean Shepherd is filled with love for this story. He absolutely captures the emotions and logic of childhood. In a subtle but amusing moment, Shepherd intones the incomparably eloquent pouring forth of thought into writing – only to have Billingsley note in his awe-filled, high-pitched voice that u0026quot;I think everyone should have a Red Rider BB gun. Itu0026#39;s very good for Christmas.u0026quot; (paraphrased). Most of the humor is similar – the natural exaggeration of a child as expressed by Shepherdu0026#39;s consistent string of hyperbole.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAlso, thereu0026#39;s a reason why itu0026#39;s played constantly on cable TV throughout the Christmas season – itu0026#39;s a movie everyone can relate to. There are moments of such pure truth here that few can deny their power. Iu0026#39;m sure that there is a scientific law left unwritten that determines that every kid must at some point fantasize about his parents feeling absolutely terrible and forever regretting some unutterable punishment they inflicted on their child – in this case, the immortal washing of a mouth out with soap.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eObviously, u0026quot;A Christmas Storyu0026quot; is not a film that can be compared to Casablanca or Citizen Kane. It simply excels at its simple goals, and comes together as an extraordinarily entertaining piece of cinema.”