When people think of great Christmas movies they think of Home Alone, Elf, and if they’re a bit older maybe It’s a Wonderful Life. But I am here to tell you that A Christmas Story should also be held in this regard. The combination of humour and Christmas nostalgia it brings makes it a movie that every family should enjoy come Christmas time.

Made in 1983 and set in the 1940s, it tells the story of Ralphie’s childhood from the point of view of him as an adult. With an older version of Ralphie narrating the story, it brings a sense of nostalgia to the viewers watching it. There are so many memorable moments in this movie such as one of the schoolchildren who has their tongue stuck to a telephone pole, Ralphie beating up the school bully, and the iconic “you’ll shoot your eye out kid” line. The movie has many comedic elements as well such as the women’s leg lamp Ralphie’s father buys that horrifies Ralphie’s mother, and the evil shopping mall Santa Claus. These are only two of the many comedic moments throughout the movie as whenever I watch this movie with my family come Christmas time, I find myself amused from start to finish.

Part of the reason I view this movie as an essential to your Christmas movie’s list is the fact that much of it is almost relatable. Many Christmas movies such as Home Alone, while great movies, are not really that relatable because what they contain are not normal experiences. As in the case of Home Alone, most children do not have to defend their homes by themselves from burglars after their family forgot them on their trip to Paris. A Christmas Story on the other hand, is the story of a normal middle class American kid which I feel is easily relatable for everyone who is not obscenely wealthy. What is impressive as well about A Christmas Story is that it stays funny while being realistic. Many movies that are comedies tend to lose their realism for extra comedic effect but A Christmas Story does not allow this to happen. It keeps its realism as a story about a normal kid while adding funny events his father gets up to and much more. That is why A Christmas Story, more than any other Christmas movie I have watched, succeeds in a combination of relatability, comedy, and nostalgia.

And yet A Christmas Story continues to not gain the recognition it deserves in my opinion. While many have heard of it and many have seen it, whenever a conversation of best movies to watch during Christmas time comes up I almost never see nor hear this movie brought up. And that is a shame for what I know. As I have previously stated and will continue to state, this movie is a great movie to add to your Christmas movies rotation and I hope that it will start to get the recognition it deserves. 

That is why I have written this piece, to gain recognition for a criminally underrated Christmas movie. I am not saying that A Christmas Story is quite the level of all time classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life, but it is still in my opinion, a must watch during Christmas. Not every Christmas movie needs Jimmy Stewart and angels or burglars trying and failing to rob a multi-million dollar mansion, sometimes families just need to sit around the TV, put on a good fire in the fireplace, and drink hot chocolate while watching a cute relatable movie. And A Christmas Story is precisely that.