‘He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master…’
Director Bob Clark has possibly the most interesting and eclectic filmography of any filmmaker ever. From early horror fable Dead of Night to proto-slasher Black Christmas to raunchy teen comedy Porky’s and then A Christmas Story… it’s a wild ride. Unfortunately, the end of that ride culminated with Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 which by all accounts is one of the worst films ever made. Anyway, we’re here to focus on the good times, and A Christmas Story is a truly magical experience…
This simple story of Ralphie Parker (played by Peter Billingsley and voiced by Jean Shepherd) and his quest to receive a toy gun at Christmas time is perhaps the most accurate portrayal of what it’s like to be a kid at Christmas that you will find in any festive film. Indeed, the depiction of childhood here is so realistic and authentic that the fact that the plot is paper-thin hardly matters. Bullies, daydreaming and daring your friends to lick lampposts… heady days indeed.
Billingsley gives an incredibly likeable and down-to-earth performance as our hapless protagonist. Give me this over Macauley Culkin any day of the week. Ralphie Parker is a kid that you could actually enjoy spending time with. Elsewhere, Melinda Dillon is suitably maternal and caring as the family matriarch – her constant worrying coming across as genuine concern rather than nagging – and Darren McGavin almost steals the whole film as the typical father figure – forever growling from behind his newspaper but also able to deliver one magical moment of real emotional resonance.
A Christmas Story is much more renowned in America than it is in the UK, but in truth, its themes are universal. This is the Stand by Me of Christmas movies. Quite simply one of the best Christmas films ever made.