While the original “A Christmas Story” is a hard film to follow up, considering it’s an iconic holiday film, “A Christmas Story Christmas” is a film that gives those who grew up with the film, a proper sequel and follow-up to the Parkers. Full of nostalgia, fun and entertaining, this film is also recommended!
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TITLE: A Christmas Story Christmas
FILM YEAR: 2022
DURATION: 1 Hr., 41 Minutes
CHANNEL: HBO MAX
Based on the book by Jean Shepherd (“In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash'”)
Directed by Clay Kaytis
Screen Story by Nick Schenk, Peter Billingsley
Screenplay by Nick Schenk, Clay Katis
Producer: Jay Ashenfelder, Peter Billingsley, Marc Toberoff, Vince Vaughn, Irwin Zwilling
Co-Producer: Adrian Shepherd, Randall Shepherd
Line Producer: Iliya Sotirov
Executive Producers: Peter Dodd, Mike Drake, Nick Schenk
Music: Jeff Morrow
Cinematography: Matthew Clark
Edited by David Heinz
Casting by Daniel Hubbard, Mary Vernieu, Michaelle Wade Byrd
Production Design by Rusty Smith
Set Decoration: Asen Bozilov, Helen Britten, Andrea Doyle
Costume Design by Shay Cunliffe
Starring:
Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker
Erin Hayes as Sandy Parker
River Drosche as Mark
Julianna Layne as Julie
Julie Hagerty as Mrs. Parker
Scott Schwartz as Flick
R.D. Robb as Schwartz
Ian Porter as Publisher
Sam Parks as Pulitzer Emcee
Davis Murphy as Delbert Bumpus
Zack Ward as Officer Scut Farkus
Ian Petrella as Randy
The 1983 holiday film “A Christmas Story” is considered possibly the great holiday film of all time. It’s a film that is shown ever year because for many it’s part of Christmas tradition and also introducing a holiday film for everyone to watch and has passed on to generation after generation.
Whether to create a sequel, a 2012 film titled “A Christmas Story 2” with a whole new cast was released to the chagrin of those who loved the original films.
But to create a proper sequel, in 2022, HBO Max released “A Christmas Story Christmas” featuring the return of the original cast members with the exception of the late actress Melinda Dillon who didn’t partake in the role because she officially retired from acting back in 2007.
Fortunately, the majority of the original starts are back to make a nostalgic but entertaining holiday film showcasing the characters as they have gotten older in 1973 (the original film was sent in the 1940s).
In this film, Ralphie (portrayed by Peter Billingsley) is a struggling writer, hoping for his work to get published. He is now married to Sandy (portrayed by Erinn Hayes) and has two children, Mark (portrayed by River Drosche) and Julie (portrayed by Julianna Layne). And they are struggling to get by but he’s given himself the year to get published and if he doesn’t, he’ll look for a fulltime job.
With the holidays coming, it’s been tradition for his parents to come to Chicago for the family to celebrate Christmas.
But on a day where Ralphie receives another publishing rejection, he receives a call from his mother (portrayed by Julie Hagerty) that his father has passed away.
Immediately, Ralphie and the family head back to his hometown to spend the holidays with his mother and to make sure she is doing OK. Unfortunately his brother Randy (portrayed by Ian Petrella) is busy as an adventurer (but Ralphie tries to find a way to get his brother come back home).
As Ralphie returns home and visits his friends, Flick (portrayed by Scott Schwartz) now owns a bar, Schwarz (portrayed by R.D. Robb) is a person often seen at the bar and the former school bully Scut Farkus is now a police officer.
But as Ralphie is back at home, the family must deal with the Parkers family traditions (esp. when it comes to carolers), the many casseroles the neighbors have brought by, the new bullies in town and more.
But if anything, trying to celebrate Christmas together as a family, as best as they can. How will the Parkers Christmas of 1973 go?
I have to admit that when this film was released last year, I struggled if I wanted to watch it because I loved the original film so much and to see everyone now as older adults, I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to give it a try.
But for the sake of my love for the film and it being tradition for me to watch it every year, I wanted to give the sequel “A Christmas Story Christmas” a try and I’m glad I did.
While it maintains the Christmas dreams that Ralphie would have and the narration, what’s more important is the spirit of Christmas is there. The style of the original film is featured in this film.
While the film does take place in 1973, there are something that probably shouldn’t have made it into the film (to make it more precise of its time) but for the most part, I enjoyed the film. You have those small touches from the original film (ie. Sears catalog, triple dare you moments) that make it into this film and with the majority of talents having returned for the film, it made it even better.
Although actress, Melinda Dillon was did not appear (and she would pass away this year), they were able to get another actress who was popular in the ’80s, Julia Hagerty (“Airplane”, “Airplane II”), to appear in this film. And I do like the small memory montage of The Old Man Parker (portrayed by the late Darren McGavin).
While the original “A Christmas Story” is a hard film to follow up, considering it’s an iconic holiday film, “A Christmas Story Christmas” is a film that gives those who grew up with the film, a proper sequel and follow-up to the Parkers. Full of nostalgia, fun and entertaining, this film is also recommended!
