Marathons only improve ‘A Christmas Story’

"A Christmas Story" pulls all of that together to construct a family that comes together in the final act. Its ending turns farce into such gritty realism that the Parkers' dinner feels more authentic than other cinematic holiday dinner scenes. Of course, no place except a Chinese restaurant would be open on Christmas day; and they wouldn't have turkey; and the ridiculousness of it all would cause the whole family to devolve into laughter instead of tears.

That's why the film has such obsessive fans; there's something here that is relatable even as it's ridiculously entertaining. It's easy to want the Parkers' lives, because they manage to be both screwed-up and perfect.

Why else would the Parkers' house now be a Cleveland, Ohio, tourist attraction with a museum of artifacts from the film located across the street? Why else would people buy replicas of that awful, ridiculous lamp? And why would two fans have produced a documentary, "Road Trip for Ralphie," that follows them as they visit all of the filming locations and uncover artifacts from the production?

Clearly, people connect to "A Christmas Story."

That's not true of all holiday films, which follow a familiar template now, as nearly every holiday season brings movies that attempt to make holiday dysfunction heartwarming and fun.

Such movies are sometimes successful in the short term, but it's hard to imagine, say, "Four Christmases" being replayed in 2033, or having its sets visited by tourists. They're too limited, too quick to ring familiar bells and not worry about the quality of their sound.

"A Christmas Story," on the other hand, is perfectly orchestrated, at once celebrating, deconstructing, and transcending the holiday movie.

That's the gift that Jean Shepherd, Bob Clark, his cast, and now TBS — never mind Ralphie and the Parkers — have given for years, and now multiple times every year. 

Andy Dehnart is a writer who publishes reality blurred, a daily summary of reality TV news. Find him on Facebook.

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