A Christmas Story Christmas, 2022.
Directed by Clay Kaytis.
Starring Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward, Julie Hagerty, Julianna Layne, River Drosche, Ian Petrella, Davis Murphy, Mark Arnold, Mariana Stansheva, Billy Brayshaw, and Tegan Grace Muggeridge.
SYNOPSIS:
Follows the now-adult Ralphie as he returns to the house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old Man.
Decades after receiving the greatest Christmas gift of all time (the now infamous Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle), A Christmas Story Christmas (the first sequel to reunite several of these actors) sees Ralphie Parker (played by a returning Peter Billingsley) in the hot seat trying to put together the perfect Christmas for his family (if such a thing exists).
Now in his mid-forties, Ralphie lives with his wife (Erinn Hayes as Sandy Parker) and two children, Mark and Julie (played by River Drosche and Julianna Layne, respectively), having relocated from his childhood home in the fictional Hohman, Indiana, to Chicago, Illinois trying to make it as a writer and get a manuscript published (what little we do learn of the book makes it sound like a generic sci-fi story).
Given that A Christmas Story has played marathons running from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day since the 1990s and presumably still brings in decent viewership, it would be unfair to question how many people would be interested in an actual sequel that brings back Peter Billingsley, especially in an age where anything remotely tied to nostalgia is received with open arms if it’s done right or justifiably mocked if handled with shameless indolence and indulgence.
However, there is reason to wonder how many people will care about a follow-up primarily concerned with whether Ralphie will or won’t legitimize himself as a writer, something that most viewers will see right through as a means to take the character on an arc of personalizing his storytelling, ultimately leading into the beloved story of his favorite Christmas.
Is it a clever piece of connective tissue? Sure. It also gives TNT and TBS reasons to, in the future, once Warner Brothers is ready to license the film from its streaming home of HBO Max to cable television, splitting up their marathons, especially considering both films lead right into each other. It’s as if that was the only note director Clay Kaytis (a rising staple of the genre, having created the Kurt Russell-led Christmas Chronicles, here writing alongside frequent Clint Eastwood collaborator Nick Schenk, with Peter Billingsley also receiving a screen story credit) was given, which again, is somewhat thoughtful but simultaneously a cheap and manipulative corporate move to benefit streaming services and TV networks.
Whatever side one personally lands on that discussion, it also doesn’t take away from A Christmas Story Christmas coming across as head-scratching in a “wait, that’s what this movie is about” way. That’s not to say Ralphie doesn’t interact with his family and plan for Christmas, but even the gifts his kids want are bland. The family is an afterthought, without a memorable character, which is somewhat unforgivable since part of the major appeal to the first movie is a lovable family ensemble among a boy’s obsession with obtaining a present that, while it certainly is dangerous and a lesson learned in the end, viewers want to see him open up and play with.
A Christmas Story Christmas ops to tell a more serious story (utilizing almost nonstop narration once again), as this particular Christmas will be the first without Ralphie’s father, the Old Man. For the occasion, the family has traveled back to Cleveland Street and stays with his mom (now played by Julie Hagerty) in a bizarre state of mind following the death.
As a result, Ralphie is feeling the pressure to oversee Christmas for the first time, which does open the story up for a couple of intriguing scenes about overthinking holiday preparations and perceiving Christmas through the eyes of your childhood self (one reason some of the Easter Eggs and nostalgic references are acceptable here, aside from the occasional moment of utter laziness like redoing a scene of the family car breaking down).
The script doesn’t really pull on those threads too hard, content with introducing as many parallel elements of the first film as possible (bullies, neighbors, dogs, returning characters, etc.). It’s also disappointing that this sequel is so beholden to conventional storytelling when A Christmas Story is so narratively loose and freewheeling; part of the reason TV viewership is so healthy during the holidays is that one can turn on that movie and, regardless of where it is, jump right in for some charm and enjoyment. It’s a series of mischief and hijinks more interested in capturing a snapshot of Christmas as a child (based on Jean Shepherd’s semi-fictional book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash) rather than telling an actual story and has always been all the better for it. Even Ralphie’s adult daydreams lack the whimsical imagination of the film’s predecessor.
It is mildly amusing seeing what this small town is up to and how these filmmakers are interpreting characters new and old, and there are some laughs (whenever Ralphie catches up with childhood friends in a nearby bar, the film finds its comedic footing). Other times, there’s just no rhyme or reason to what’s happening; it’s revealed that Ralphie’s wife Sandy enjoys figure skating, just so that she can injure her leg while leaving the house. That’s the joke: nothing is actually done with it. Or rather, the running joke is that everyone in the family hurts themselves in some form while Ralphie scrambles to impress on Christmas.
Oddly enough, A Christmas Story Christmas feels stuck between paying respects to A Christmas Story and functioning as a far less funny, family-friendly forgettable version of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Even though there is some sincerity in exploring the machinations of what it means to put together a great Christmas, especially in the wake of losing a loved one and while processing grief (the latter of which thankfully never feels melodramatic), the Christmas spark and magic are missing.
It’s worth watching for fans, and some might even be able to convince themselves it’s good, but to do so would be no better than watching (in the first film) the Old Man talk himself into believing the leg-lamp giveaway prize is exciting and valuable. A Christmas Story Christmas is as nondescript as what gifts the kids are asking for here.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
