History Film / AChristmasStory

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The year the when story takes place is never explicitly identified. It's clearly toward the tail end of TheGreatDepression, there aren't any references to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and radio is still the dominant broadcast medium. The presence of the characters from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (released in the autumn of 1939) at the department store probably tilts it toward 1939 or 1940, and a few other vague hints suggest 1940 (like the ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie decoder pin being a 1940 model), although there's some AnachronismStew as well, and you can also make a case for 1945 (after the war's end, but before the introduction of network television). Meanwhile, ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' is set in 1973, which ''is'' explicitly identified as taking place 33 years later (thereby placing this film in 1940).

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The year the when story takes place is never explicitly identified. It's clearly toward the tail end of TheGreatDepression, there aren't any references to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and radio is still the dominant broadcast medium. The presence of the characters from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (released in the autumn of 1939) at the department store probably tilts it toward 1939 or 1940, and a few other vague hints suggest 1940 (like the ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie decoder pin being a 1940 model), though there's some AnachronismStew as well, and you can also make a case for 1945 (after the war's end, but before the introduction of network television). Meanwhile, ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' is set in 1973, which ''is'' explicitly identified as taking place 33 years later (thereby placing this film in 1940).

* ArtisticLicenseGeography: Even though the film is set in Indiana, there are multiple references to Higbee's, a defunct department store chain based in Ohio. (In fact, the scenes were actually shot at Higbee's flagship in Cleveland.)

* AnnoyingLaugh: Farkus' laugh seemed intentionally obnoxious and even his crying sounds similar. This plays up to his trait of the [[EvilLaugh monstrous and crazy bully]].

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The year the story takes place in is never explicitly identified. It's clearly toward the tail end of TheGreatDepression, there aren't any references to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and radio is still the dominant broadcast medium. The presence of the characters from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (released in the autumn of 1939) at the department store probably tilts it toward 1939 or 1940, and a few other vague hints suggest 1940 (like the ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie decoder pin being a 1940 model), though there's some AnachronismStew as well, and you can also make a case for 1945 (after the war's end, but before the introduction of network television). Meanwhile, ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' is set in 1973, which ''is'' explicitly identified as taking place 33 years later (thereby placing this film in 1940).

* AmbiguousTimePeriod: The year the story takes place in is never explicitly identified. It's clearly toward the tail end of TheGreatDepression, there aren't any references to UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, and radio is still the dominant mass medium. The presence of the characters from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'' (released in the autumn of 1939) at the department store probably tilts it toward 1939 or 1940, and a few other vague hints suggest 1940 (like the ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie decoder pin being a 1940 model), though there's some AnachronismStew as well, and you can make also a case for 1945 (when the war was over, but before the start of network TV). ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' is supposed to be set 33 years later, which would place this film in 1940.

* AdultsAreUseless: Played with. While the kids are aware that their parents and teachers care for and love them, they also know there are some things you do as kids that they'd best not find out about.
-->'''Miss Shields:''' ''(after Flick gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole'') Now, I know that some of you put Flick up to this, but he has refused to say who. But those who did it know their blame, and I'm sure that the guilt you feel is far worse than any punishment you might receive. Now, don't you feel terrible? Don't you feel remorse for what you have done? Well, that's all I'm going to say about poor Flick.
-->'''Adult Ralphie:''' Adults ''loved'' to say things like that, but kids knew better. We knew darn well it was always better not to get caught.

* DeadpanSnarker: The Old Man's reaction to Ralphie's bunny pyjamas. "He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny..."
* DeliberateValuesDissonance:
** Bullying and coercing were blatantly ignored. Also, the bullying itself was [[BarbaricBully rather barbaric]] and no one did anything to stop it.

** Schwartz gets beaten by his mother for being accused of teaching Ralphie the F-word over the phone. Mrs. Parker just hangs up the phone. Today, she would have been in serious legal trouble for letting the abuse happen and failing to properly report it.
** The leg lamp was looked at as vulgar and obscene at the time, and women controlled the household. Nowadays there’s a better understanding of gender and this lamp would be considered tame beyond belief, if not also classy in its own right.
** The Wicked Witch of the West who roamed the mall would have gotten in serious trouble for grabbing a child’s cheek even if it was playful.

* EightiesHair: Ralphie's mom, in a bit of AnachronismStew, has an 80's-style perm. Contrast with the other major female character, Miss Shields, who has a bobbed and pinned hairdo much more appropriate for the 1940's setting.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Even the callous mall Santa makes the effort to warn Ralphie, "[[RunningGag You'll shoot your eye out!]]" with a BB gun.
** Mom Parker apparently overlooks the {{Angrish}} Ralphie uttered when fughting Scut Farkus, but she draws the line when Ralphie utters the "F,-word", washing his mouth out with soap and demanding to know where Ralphie learned that word.

* EyeScream: Everyone repeatedly tells Ralph he'll "shoot his eye out" if he gets a BB gun. Ralphie thinks he may have actually done that when he plays with the gun, [[SubvertedTrope but finds out that it only knocked off his glasses and didn't harm his eye but was dangerously close to it.]]

* KarmaHoudini:
** After Flick refuses to say who pressured him to stick his tongue on the pole, Ms. Shields tries to play their inevitable guilt as punishment enough. Ralphie's narration then smugly notes that this is an utter crock and all kids know it.
** Zigzagged with Schwartz. He doesn't suffer consequences for triple dog daring Flick into getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole since Flick refused to tell the teacher who put him up to it (though it seems like the teacher knows it had to be either him or Ralphie). On the other hand, while it is unconnected to the previous incident, Schwartz later gets an unexpected beating from his mother when [[spoiler:Ralphie falsely tells his mother that he learned the F word from Schwartz instead of his father, which also makes his father a KarmaHoudini. Then again, his Major Award was destroyed and the Christmas turkey was eaten by the neighbour's dogs.]]

* KarmicMisfire: Schwartz gets an unexpected beating from his mother when [[spoiler:Ralphie falsely tells his mother that he learned the F word from Schwartz.]]

** Ralphie flies into this when beating Scut Farkus. The only intelligible phrase is "son of a bitch".
* AnnoyingLaugh: Farkus' laugh seemed intentionally obnoxious, playing up his trait of the monstrous and crazy bully.

** In a familial sense; even though they don't always get along, when Ralphie is beating up Scut Farkus, Randy makes a point of picking up Ralphie's glasses.
* BarbaricBully: Scut Farkus.
* BatmanGambit: The story that Ralphie concocts on the fly after he accidentally steps on his glasses in order to avoid getting in trouble over it.
* BehindTheBlack: Farkus surprising the three by hanging upside down in the schoolyard. A little hard to see both how ''anyone'' didn't notice he was there, or what he was hanging upside-down from.

* BumblingDad: The Old Man, played masterfully by Darren [=McGavin=]. He does strange things and is a bit detached, but you can tell he genuinely loves his family.

** Randy whenever he is pressured into wearing an incredibly thick snowsuit.
** The Old Man, on account of how he always falls victim to having to deal with something going wrong with mechanical devices, with the exception of one item; and having to be the victim of dozens of a neighbors' dogs always intruding.

** Ralphie, especially when Miss Shields has to snap him out of his daydreaming.

* EvilLaugh: Farkus.
* EyeScream: Everyone repeatedly tells Ralph he'll "shoot his eye out" if he gets a BB gun. Ralphie thinks he may have actually done that when he plays with the gun, [[SubvertedTrope but finds out that it only knocked off his glasses and didn't harm his eye.]]

* FlippingHelpless: Ralphie's little brother is dressed up in so many layers for the Indiana winter, he can't get back up when he falls down. Comes in handy when the boys run into Scut Farkus for the first time.
--> '''Adult Ralphie:''' Randy lay there like a slug. It was his only defense.

* StupidStatementDanceMix: TBS made a set of these using clips of the film's most popular scenes, and uses them during their perennial marathon.

** Zigzagged with Schwartz. He doesn't suffer consequences for triple dog daring Flick into getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole since Flick refused to tell the teacher who put him up to it (though it seems like the teacher knows it had to be either him or Ralphie). On the other hand, while it is unconnected to the previous incident, Schwartz later gets an unexpected beating from his mother when [[spoiler: Ralphie falsely tells his mother that he learned the F word from Schwartz instead of his father, which also makes his father a KarmaHoudini. Then again, his Major Award was destroyed and the Christmas turkey was eaten by the neighbour's dogs.]]

* KarmicMisfire: Schwartz gets an unexpected beating from his mother when [[spoiler: Ralphie falsely tells his mother that he learned the F word from Schwartz.]]

* ProductPlacement: A ShowWithinAShow example with the decoded message. "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine." In RealLife, the ''ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie'' radio show [[TruthInTelevision DID have sponsors for Ovaltine on its show,]] and yes, they sent out decoder rings, but the secret messages weren't Ovaltine commercials. Peter Billingsley was already famous for being [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Tl48HTlLQ "Messy Marvin"]], the spokesperson for Ovaltine's competitor, Hershey's Chocolate Syrup (his commercials even call Ovaltine out). So this was also a bit of a meta-joke.

* WantingIsBetterThanHaving: Ralphie sends in an inordinate amount of Ovaltine labels to get the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin, required to decode the show's secret message. The message [[spoiler: turns out to be nothing but an ad for Ovaltine.]]

* RandomEventsPlot: Aside from the overall theme of Christmas approaching and Ralphie wanting the BB gun, the film is basically just a series of individual SliceOfLife vignettes loosely woven together.

In November 2022, another sequel was released by Creator/HBOMax. Titled ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' and set around 30 years after the events of the original movie, it was directed by Clay Kaytis (known for directing ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie'' and ''Film/TheChristmasChronicles'') and once again features Peter Billingsley as Ralphie. It also [[CanonDiscontinuity discards the events of]] ''A Christmas Story 2''.

A DirectToVideo sequel called – what else? – ''A Christmas Story 2'' was released in 2012. (You can watch the trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bed8rNx-Sw here]]). A ScreenToStageAdaptation of the first film went to Broadway that same year, followed by another national tour the next holiday season. A live telecast of that same musical aired on Creator/{{Fox}} in December 2017. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story:_The_Musical Information can be found on]] Website/ThatOtherWiki, of course.

In November 2022, another sequel was released by Creator/HBOMax. Titled ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'' and set around 30 years after the events of the original movie, it was directed by Clay Kaytis (best known for directing ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie'' and ''Film/TheChristmasChronicles'') and once again features Peter Billingsley as Ralphie. It also [[CanonDiscontinuity discards the events of]] ''A Christmas Story 2''.

A DirectToVideo sequel called ''A Christmas Story 2'' was released on October 30th, 2012. You can watch the trailer for it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bed8rNx-Sw here]]. A ScreenToStageAdaptation for the first film went to Broadway that same year, followed by another national tour the next holiday season. A live telecast of that same musical aired on Creator/{{Fox}} in December 2017. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story:_The_Musical Information can be found on]] Website/ThatOtherWiki, of course.

In January 2022, it was [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/a-christmas-story-sequel-peter-billingsley-returns-to-star-1235078399/ announced]] that another sequel is planned for release on Creator/HBOMax, set around 30 years after the events of the original film and with Peter Billingsley returning as Ralphie. The new film, titled ''Film/AChristmasStoryChristmas'', was directed by Clay Kaytis, known for directing ''WesternAnimation/TheAngryBirdsMovie'' and ''Film/TheChristmasChronicles''. [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17220704/ It was released in November 2022]], and has no connection to ''A Christmas Story 2''.

The film, which was primarily drawn from material in Shepherd's 1966 book ''In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash'', has come to be embraced as a perennial holiday favorite. It eventually spawned a play, as well as such sort-of sequels as the made-for-TV ''The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski'' (1985) and ''Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss'' (1988) and the theatrical ''Film/ItRunsInTheFamily'' (1994),[[note]]not to be confused with the Creator/{{Kirk|Douglas}}/Creator/MichaelDouglas collaboration)[[/note]] all of which are notable in that none of the original film's cast members appear in any of the others (save actress Tedde Moore [Miss Shields], who appears in the latter).

-->'''Ralphie (narrating)''': In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.

* MallSanta: Higbee's mall Santa and his elf helpers are particularly disgruntled, either because all of the children scream when placed on his lap or as the cause of it. Creator/RogerEbert named this scene as the greatest visit to Santa ever seen on film.

* EightiesHair: Ralphie's mom. Bit of AnachronismStew.

* AdaptationDistillation: A good many of the events in the movie (the lamp incident, beating up a bully, the secret decoder ring message, etc.) come from instances at multiple different points in the book, being separate memories of Ralph Parker's childhood that he reminisces about with Flick when they're both adults. In the film, they all take place during the same Christmas holiday. One vignette (the Bumpus hounds eating their holiday dinner and them going out for Chinese instead) comes from a different compilation book, "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories, and Other Disasters". In that story, it was the Easter ham that fell victim to the Bumpus' dogs rather than the Christmas turkey.

* AdaptationDistillation: A good many of the events in the movie (the lamp incident, beating up a bully, the secret decoder ring message, etc.) come from instances at multiple different points in the book, being separate memories of Ralph Parker's childhood that he reminisces about with Flick when they're both adults. In the film, they all take place during the same Christmas holiday.

* LastResortTakeout: After the Christmas Turkey gets ravaged by the Bumpus' dogs, the family resorts to eating at the local Chinese restaurant.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The original [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMJJNdO36MA 1983 theatrical trailer]] makes it out to be more of a crude, broad anti-Christmas comedy than the warmly nostalgic entertainment it actually is. (This may actually have helped contribute to the movie's poor box office performance, as families with kids were scared away from seeing it to begin with and teenagers were disappointed by its failure to live up to the raunchy promise of the trailer.)

** Mrs. Schwartz’s frenzied screeching while beating her son.
** Ralphie flies into this when beating Scut. The only intelligible phrase is "son of a bitch".

* CoolDownHug: How Ralphie's mom ends the beat down he gives Scut.

* CurbStompBattle: Ralphie finally snaps and beats the tar out of Farkus while [[ClusterFBomb unleashing a string of profanities.]]