A Christmas Story

Marketed somewhat confusingly as a family film by the director of Porky's, Bob Clark's A Christmas Story took a while to catch on. But video and cable have conspired to boost its reputation into that of a latter-day holiday classic, and deservedly so. Its secret may be its ability to appeal to both children and adults. Clark wonderfully captures both Jean Shepherd's period detail (that's not just any BB-gun, it's a Red Ryder BB Gun) and, even more importantly, his ability to tell the story from a child's point of view. The film is plenty nostalgic, but it also captures the frustration and occasionally the outright terror of childhood and the absurdity of adult behavior. Of course, the earthy, bawdy humor doesn't hurt nor does the fact that Shepherd himself provides the near-constant narration. ~ Keith Phipps, All Movie Guide