A Worthy Sequel

I finally had the chance to watch the sequel to A Christmas Story. It was really a heartwarming movie. I enjoyed it very much.

There have been a couple “sequels” that have been made, but none of them came close to the original. They lacked something. They were very hard to watch. And don’t get me started on that “A Christmas Story Live” that was on TV a year or so ago…..urgh!

Peter Billingsley helped write the script, and many of the original cast all show up in this film. That, in itself, makes it worth the watch. Replacing Melinda Dillon as Ralphie’s mom is Airplane’s Julie Haggerty.

I won’t give away too much, because true fans of the movie will want to just watch and enjoy. The movie 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.

I read one of the articles about the film before it was released. Peter Billingsley stated in it that the film was the perfect way to honor “the Old Man.” It truly is.

I worried that the movie would simply be a copy of the original. While there are plenty of nods to the original, they do not take away from the film itself. As you watch the end credits of the sequel there are side by side pictures of the original and the “nod” in the film.

This film has so much of what made the original a classic. These are established characters, who you connect with immediately. As you see each of the now adult characters, it’s fun to see what became of them.

What I really enjoyed was seeing how Ralphie now takes on the role of “the Old Man,” so to speak. It’s now his turn to make the holiday special for his family. At the same time, it is interesting to see a very complex side of Ralphie as he sorts through the feelings and responsibility now places on him because of the passing of his father.

What a joy it is to revisit the home on Cleveland Street! At times I felt like I could cry, and in the end I genuinely felt holiday happiness. It is a must see for any Christmas Story Fan!

I’m off to Higbee’s to visit Santa….