MOVIE REVIEW: A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS
The lega-sequel has been on a roll as of late. With hits like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and even Netflix’s celebrated “Karate Kid” continuation “Cobra-Kai” appealing to fans in a pretty big way, it was only a matter of time before the iconic holiday stylings of 1983’s beloved “A Christmas Story” (a film that lives up to its iconic status as far as I’m concerned) got the official follow-up treatment. Before getting to the actual review, though, let it be known that there were already a few “sort of” sequels to the legendary yuletide Jean Shepherd-inspired classic;
There was the 1988 TV movie, “Ollie Hopondale’s Haven of Bliss,” which, admittedly, I had completely forgotten about until a friend reminded me of it. There was also 1994’s slightly underappreciated “My Summer Story”, also directed by the original’s Bob Clark, which would find the Parker family hijinks taking place during an entirely different season. And then, there was the misguided mess that was the Daniel Stern-headlined “A Christmas Story 2” from 2012.
Of course, in addition to the Parker family being played by completely different actors, what really separates these projects from the film that inspired them was that they weren’t nearly as good. That brings us to “A Christmas Story Christmas,” a movie that, while not as strong as the original either, still has the nostalgic benefit of having several original cast members back in action.
“A Christmas Story Christmas” takes place in the 70s and finds a now adult Ralpie Parker (played by a returning Peter Billingsley), living life as a loving but stressed family man. His aspirations of making it as a professional writer have not yet materialized and a difficult holiday season becomes even more difficult when Ralphie learns of the passing of his old man. Upon hearing this sad news, a grieving Ralphie takes the family (played by Erinn Hayes, River Drosche, and Julianna Layne) on a trip to his old stomping ground where he looks to give his kids the sort of magical Christmas he had as a youngster. Along the way, he re-connects with his mother (a game Julie Hagerty taking over a role made famous by a motherly Melinda Dillon) and a handful of old friends including Flick (a returning Scott Schwartz) and Schwartz (a returning R.D. Robb.)
As expected, “A Christmas Story Christmas” overfloweth with obligatory fan service. Some of it works surprisingly well, none more so than the warmth that Billingsley brings to the Jean Shepherd-inspired off-screen narration. Other callbacks, however, i.e. a strange and rather thankless Randy return and a handful of iconic line do-overs like “I triple dog dare you.,” don’t fair nearly as well. There’s also an all too brief return of another memorable character from “A Christmas Story” (hint; He had yellow eyes…So help me God…Yellow eyes!) that should have made a bigger impression but since he’s reduced to a glorified cameo, his appearance doesn’t quite pack the punch that it should. Still, it’s a fun performance despite the brevity. All of the previous attributes make for a movie that is a bit of a mixed bag.
That said, living up to the monumental legacy of the original was always going to be an uphill battle, and all things considered, “A Christmas Story Christmas” is often more delightful than one might expect. Hagerty is quirky and likable as a loving, casserole-addicted mother looking to adjust to a single life, and while it’s a bummer that Dillon couldn’t be on hand for this movie, the “Airplane!” star does an admirable job filling in. Likewise, Billingsley is fun here as a family man who realizes, in a poignant fashion, that life moves by pretty fast. Beyond that, one can truly feel the spirits of memoirs writer Jean Shepherd, the first film’s director Bob Clark, and original Old Man, Darren McGavin, all over this thing and that’s certainly to this film’s benefit.
Yes, there are moments that feel rushed and there are certainly times when this film feels of the TV movie variety, but at the very least, the cast and crew behind “A Christmas Story Christmas” didn’t shoot their eyes out. It may not rival the original, but there’s a charm, sweetness, and harmlessness that make this one worthy of a stream (it’s only available on HBO Max) this magical holiday season.
