A Christmas Story Christmas Review: Doesn’t Have the Magic of the Original But Works on its Own
Many viewers may watch A Christmas Story Christmas with a sense of attachment. They grew up watching the original and want to repeat the magic with this movie.
Immediately, this sets the film up for failure. The magic of A Christmas Story comes from years of repeat viewings. It comes from memories.
Additionally, it comes from helping to define Christmas time for many families.
A Christmas Story Christmas can’t step into the legacy of the original Christmas classic because it doesn’t have decades of built-up admiration and joy.
It doesn’t try to be the original film, but it doesn’t completely separate itself from A Christmas Story either.
It knows that most of the people watching want the hits. They want the easter egg moments and for Randy to say “Ralphie” a million times. Because A Christmas Story Christmas knows its success depends on its nostalgic appeal, it caters mostly to the fans of the original.
This comes in the form of callbacks, infamous scenes, repeat jokes, and flashbacks to A Christmas Story.
When it tries to hold on too tightly to the past and the glory of the first movie, it falls short. For example, the fantasy scenes, though funny at times, feel cheesy. The scene with Ralph imagining himself winning a major writing award may work for his younger self but feels just sad for an adult version.
It’s okay for children and adults to dream, so that’s not the problem with this scene. The problem comes in Ralphie wanting to humiliate a man for offering constructive criticism. It feels oddly immature for a man over 40.
Many of the clear callbacks to A Christmas Story are awkward. There is no way a triple dog dare works on a grown man, even a sad man like Schwartz.
The scene plays for laughs, but it comes off a bit predictable and silly. The drunk adults trying to sled, the next scene in the movie, is really the gold of this whole situation. It is silly but unpredictable and fun.
The charm of A Christmas Story Christmas comes when it realizes that nostalgia can only carry a film so far.
It isn’t merely a nostalgia fest. It has some new ideas, and those ideas are what make the movie work.
The funniest moments have nothing to do with A Christmas Story. The drunk adults’ scene is one, then another great moment involves the nightmare carolers.
In this scene, the film treats the carolers like horror movie monsters. It’s hilarious. The scene becomes funnier when Sandy reveals her own caroler past.
It works because it cleverly turns a Christmas tradition into something to fear and avoid.
A Christmas Story often uses this technique. The Higbee’s Santa and elves are one example where this technique is used.
When A Christmas Story Christmas uses the essence of certain elements from the first movie, it finds its strength. The movie is at its best when it takes tools used in the first movie and alters them for this film.
The running gags unique to this sequel are also what gives this film character. The children casually being hurt or put in dangerous situations is very funny. You cannot help but laugh when Ralphie takes out his own daughter’s eye — a more subtle callback to the original.
The film needs more subtle callbacks and less hit you over the head nostalgic moments.
The returning cast members are used sparingly. This seemingly is a good decision because A Christmas Story Christmas doesn’t seem to know what to do with them, especially Flick and Schwartz.
Schwartz and Flick are fine characters. However, the movie just doesn’t tell you enough about their lives beyond the bar to care about them. Their lives also seem sort of sad.
Flick owns a bar that seems occupied only by losers who avoid their responsibilities. Schwartz drinks all day, lives with his mother, and seemingly has a lot of bad luck. They aren’t really thriving in life.
Farkus and Randy have more interesting things going on in their lives. However, the film underuses them.
Randy’s few scenes make me want to know more about his life (how did he become this traveling man?). However, like with young Ralphie, the film leaves Randy flapping around in the snow as everyone runs away.
He remains cold and forgotten.
Scut and Ralphie have a tender moment that could have happened earlier in the movie to allow for more scenes with them. Knowing that Scut turns his life around, but his kids follow in his old ways, makes me curious to know how did that happen.
We aren’t given enough scenes with the more interesting returning characters.
Overall, it is a smart decision to mainly focus on Ralphie and his family with little sprinkles of the old crew. The new Parkers are quite fun.
Julie is spunky, tough, and smart, and Mark is earnest and moody. Sandy is quite a character.
We only see glimpses of Sandy’s quirks, but it’s enough to get a sense of her character. At first, it appears that Ralphie is the oddball of the couple. Nope, they are both oddballs.
Their unique oddness makes them a great pair. The whole family feels like a real family. They especially feel like Ralphie’s family.
Based on A Christmas Story and A Christmas Story Christmas, It’s easy to see how Sandy and he end up together, and how their children develop their personalities.
Julie Hagerty takes over the role of Mrs. Parker because Melinda Dillon retires from acting.
Hagerty makes the character her own. She is one of the best parts of the movie. Her passive-aggressive/sometimes wine buddies relationship with Sandy adds many layers of comedy to A Christmas Story Christmas.
The two women seem like friends, so that’s what makes the random tension that appears so funny. The fact that they both seem so nice makes Mrs. Parker’s mean moments so fun. You just don’t expect it.
Every scene with Hagerty is hilarious because she really commits to the fun grandma role.
A Christmas Story Christmas is enjoyable to watch as a family Christmas movie. However, it just likely won’t have the same legacy as its predecessor.
Stray Thoughts
- The film ends in the best possible sentimental, heartfelt way
- The Peter Billingsley voice-over takes a minute to get comfortable with, but by the end, it feels just as smooth as Jean Shepherd’s original voice-over.
- Not a single casserole looks edible in this movie.
- Schwartz really must have a terrible life to do all that to clear a bar tab.
- Sandy skating badly sequence, please?
- The film really captures the vibe of the ‘70s (at least I assume).
- It is a little disappointing that Ralphie did not wear the pink bunny costume once.
What did you think of A Christmas Story Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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A Christmas Story Christmas is available to stream on HBO Max.
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2 comments
Ralph didn’t wear the bunny costume because he wasn’t 10 year old (or whatever) Ralphie anymore. It simply wouldn’t have fit.
My husband and I adored ‘A Christmas Story’ and often quoted scenes from the movie. We would wait until Christmas Eve to wrap the presents for the children so we could watch the 24 hour marathon while finishing the toy assembly and I could wear the black fishnet stockings with the four inch heels and a fringed short skirt.
This year we lost my husband of 30 years in September. I have tried all month to make new memories for the grown children and have been failing miserably. All I needed to do was turn on ‘A Christmas Story Christmas’. It’s like the writers have been watching my life for the last 5 years or so. How did you know how things would turn out for me? Have you been spying on me? My oldest son at 22 says this is his new favorite Christmas movie of all time. Thank you.
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