Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin in the Bob Clark movie ‘A Christmas Story’

It was almost a week before Thanksgiving in the United States when A Christmas Story (1983) was released on Friday, November 18, 1983. Christmas day would come in approximately five weeks, with the day of holiday being the day we review and remember the movie with those who found us on Matt Lynn Digital.

(Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

Peter Billingsley portrayed nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, whose experience of anticipating Christmas that year was shared through a series of vignettes leading up to the secular holiday from 1940. The stories for the movie, set in Hammond, Indiana, reflect the hometown of Jean Shepherd, the narrator and adult voice of Ralphie Parker. Shepherd‘s books In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters provide the source material for A Christmas Story. Bob Clark directed the movie.

(From left, Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker, Darren McGavin as Mr. Parker and The Old Man, Ian Petrella as Randy Parker and Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

We are introduced to the Ralphie’s fantastic daydreams associated with receiving a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle for Christmas. We meet Ralphie, his brother Randy, some of Ralphie’s friends, and Ralphie’s parents in the opening scenes of the movie. Ian Petrella portrayed Randy Parker, Ralphie’s younger brother. Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon portrayed the mother and father of the Parker children.

(From left, Scott Schwartz as Flick, Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker and R.D. Robb as Schwartz in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

The vignettes contained with The Christmas Story offer some delightfully engaging notions of what life was like growing up in a North American factory town in 1940. Others offer glimpses of poor taste bordering on garish. Others engage the audience with a realistic sense of time and place, referencing old fashioned means of transportation, communication, electric power and living. The drive for Ralphie’s toy rifle intermixed with traditions of Christmas and growing up in the neighborhood.

(From left, Yano Anaya as Grover Dill and Zack Ward as Scut Farkus in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

The neighborhood and schoolyard were the sources of many of the neighborhood storytelling. There were the stories with Ralphie Parker, Flick and Schwartz in the class of Miss Shields that included classroom shenanigans as well as a metal pole in the winter cold of the school yard. There was bullying in the schoolyard and along the path home of bullying by Scut Farkus and Grover Dill. R.D. Robb and Scott Schwartz portrayed Schwartz and Flick, respectively. Zack Ward and Yano Anaya portrayed Scut Farkus and Grover Dill, respectively.

(From left, Tedde Moore as Miss Shields and Leslie Carlson as Christmas Tree Salesman in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

Miss Shields, as portrayed by Tedde Moore, transitioned between the vignettes for Ralphie’s home life and school life. Beyond the school yard and classroom specifics offered in The Christmas Story, there is a very clear theme from the adults to Ralphie regarding the safety concerns related to the safe operation of Ralphie’s desired air rifle. Would Ralphie get the gun? Could Ralphie handle the gun without hurting himself? Would the adults speak past Ralphie’s wishes to the safety concerns, in essence dashing his hopes? This recurring plot point worked quite well for the movie, even with repeated viewings of the film. The multiple storylines related to getting the family Christmas tree, in addition to a lamp won as an award, hit different people different ways on the engaging and garish question.

(From left, Drew Hocevar as Male Elf, Jeff Gillen as Santa Claus, Ian Petrella as Randy Parker and Patty Johnson as Lead Elf in the Bob Clark movie A Christmas Story).

My intention here has been to give you some glimpses at a high level of some plot points that were engaging to me for this movie, while touching others in glancing form. There are vignettes that were not discussed, and the engaging quality of them get into the humor and sentiment related to time, specific subject matter, the fantasy with humor interspersed throughout, along with other points. There is plenty to enjoy with A Christmas Story as directed by Bob Clark, which I give 4.25-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, December 25, 2021

Will Ferrell and the movie ‘Elf’

It was upon learning of the enjoyment Lynn found in the movie Elf (2003) that I decided to take a closer look into the film of a full grown man who mistakenly grew up in the North Pole. Being let loose in New York City as a physical adult during the holidays, we mean the main protagonist that shall be the focal point of the film carrying his name.

(From left, James Caan as Walter, Mary Steenburgen as Emily and Will Ferrell as Buddy in the movie Elf).

Buddy is the name of the elf portrayed by Will Ferrell that drives much of the story that we receive in the movie Elf. We first learn much of the confused backstory of Buddy through the vantage point of buddy’s human family of Walter as portrayed by James Caan, Emily as portrayed by Mary Steenburgen and Michael as portrayed by Daniel Tay. The formative period of Buddy’s life offering him the belief that he is in fact an elf launches the comedy informed by the consumer view of Christmas that Elf offers us throughout the film.

(From left, Daniel Tay as Michael and Will Ferrell as Buddy in the movie Elf).

As we are introduced to Buddy’s enjoyment of an odd concept of cuisine and manners, Buddy joins Walter at the department store where Buddy’s human father, Walter, works. The comedy here introduces us to the awkwardness of a father aiming to take his grown son with childlike tendencies to work. Buddy eventually is introduced to the department store’s presentation of Santa Claus with elves, including Jovie. Jovie, as portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, works an elf in the department store. Buddy and Jovie experience an awkward beginning yet begin to interact seriously as the story progresses.

(Zooey Deschanel as Jovie in the movie Elf).

As Buddy is pursuing the intricacies of dating, Walter experiences work pressure from his leadership team to deliver a profitable book for the department store. Morris and Eugene, as portrayed by Andy Richter and Kyle Gass, respectively, are struggling creatively to create a winning concept. The team brings in Miles Finch, as portrayed by Peter Dinklage, to possibly write a book for the department store. This storyline offers humor some will enjoy while others will not of the awkward variety that functions deliberately and clearly.

(Clockwise from left, Andy Richter as Morris, James Caan as Walter, Peter Dinklage as Miles Finch, Kyle Gass as Eugene and Amy Sedaris as Deb in the movie Elf).

The narrative of the movie Elf rounds together nicely by introducing Bob Newhart as Papa Elf and Ed Asner as Santa, both who offer a decidedly refreshing take on the tired adult feeling of tolerance that many parents and grandparents will readily understand and appreciate.

(From left, Bob Newhart as Papa Elf and Ed Asner as Santa in the movie Elf).

In bringing the story to an emotionally uplifting result, Elf delivers the proper recipe for a comedy that doubles as a Christmas movie with largely successful results. For delivering this, my rating of the film Elf is 3.75-stars  on a scale of 1-to-5 stars.

Matt – Wednesday, November 25, 2020