Years ago, my wife and I happened to see "A Christmas Story" in a movie theater. That must have been back in the '80s, when it was a first run flick. And it must have been accidental, as it's not the kind of thing we usually would go to see. Yet we found it one of the most enjoyable movies we had ever seen. Before long, we made it a seasonal tradition to watch it every year. Yesterday we fulfilled that tradition for 2011. What occurs to me as most surprising is that even after so many viewings (it must be at least 20, maybe more, at this point) it can still make us laugh.
If you haven't watched it, you're missing a wonderful comedy, a great nostalgia trip back to 1940s middle America, and a great sociology lesson about how certain problems were dealt with more simply back then - admittedly in perhaps simpler times. You don't have to believe in Christmas or Santa Claus to enjoy it. It's an unadulterated hoot. And I'm told it runs continuously on TBS all day today.
Incidentally, this year I wondered about the actor Peter Billingsley, who at 12 played this film's central character, "Ralphie." According to that invaluable resource Wikipedia, he remains an actor, though he's still best known for his role in A Christmas Story.
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