SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 42 Min.
Multiple straight-to-DVD sequels have attempted to cash in 1983’s A Christmas Story, but none had actually featured central cast members from the original film. In 2022, after nearly forty years, star Peter Billingsley returned to the lead role of Ralphie Parker, in addition to co-writing and co-producing this legacy sequel.
Directed by Clay Kaytis (with Vince Vaughn among its other co-producers), A Christmas Story Christmas features virtually all of the original film’s surviving cast members. A notable exception was the retired Melinda Dillon (as Mrs. Parker), who subsequently passed away a few months after the sequel’s release.
Again inspired by writer Jean Shepherd’s material, the Christmas Story storyline shifts to December 1973, where 42-year-old Ralphie Parker (Billingsley) and his young family live in Chicago. Having taken a year off from his unspecified job to seek publication of his epic science fiction debut novel, Ralphie is consoled by his wife, Sandy (Hayes), after multiple rejections.
Greater heartbreak occurs when his mother (Hagerty) calls to let Ralphie’s family know of Grandpa Parker’s sudden passing. Already planning to return to Hohman, Indiana, for the holidays, Ralphie, Sandy, and their two young children: Mark and Julie (Drosche and Layne), focus on consoling Grandma Parker.
Assigned two holiday challenges by his mother, Ralphie agrees to pen his father’s obituary and assume the trusted mantle as the Parker Family’s Christmas festivities organizer. Procrastinating as much as he can, a depressed Ralphie finds that some things don’t change in Hohman — including a new generation of the Parkers feuding with the neighboring Farkus clan. With accidental mishaps befalling his family’s vacation, Ralphie seeks solace at a local pub with his childhood pals, Flick (Schwartz) and Schwartz (Robb).
Following a fateful incident coming home from Higbee’s Department Store, Ralphie and Sandy’s hopes to salvage their family’s holiday are seemingly dashed. Yet, could a few unexpected twists of fate alter Ralphie’s destiny as the new patriarch of the Parker Family?
Ralph “Ralphie” Parker: Peter Billingsley
Sandy Parker: Erinn Hayes
Mrs. Parker: Julie Hagerty
Julie Parker (child): Julianna Layne
Mark Parker (child): River Drosche
Flick: Scott Schwartz
Schwartz: R. D. Robb
Scut Farkas: Zack Ward
Randy Parker: Ian Petrella
Publisher: Ian Porter
Grover Dill: Yano Anaya
Ike: Derek Morse
Delbert Farkas: Davis Murphy
Larry Novak: Henry Miller
Joe: Mark Arnold
Julie Parker (teenager-adult: fantasy sequence): Tegan Grace Muggeridge
Mark Parker (teenager-adult: fantasy sequence): Billy Brayshaw
Pulitzer Emcee (fantasy sequence): Sam Parks
Pulitzer TV Announcer (fantasy sequence): Ben Diskin
Higbee’s Santa: David Gillespie
Higbee’s Elves: Lauren Morat, J.R. Esposito, & Nicole Gulimanova
Mrs. Wisniewski: Mariana Ivanova Stanisheva
Tree Lot Employees: Norman Murray & Nathan Cooper
Narrator: Joseph Al Ahmad
Black Bart (fantasy sequence): Nicholas Colicos
Bar Customers: Krassimir Manov, Marina Terziyska, Racho Makaveev; & Ludmil Kehayov
Bullies: Cailean Galloway & Alistair Galloway
Carolers: Julie Yammanee, Benjamin Noble, Owen Davis, Rosa O’Reilly, & Michael Flemming
Higbee’s Customers: Uncredited Extras
Higbee’s Restaurant Customers: Uncredited Extras
Note: This title is also currently available for streaming.
REVIEW:
In homage to the original film’s nostalgia without exploiting it, A Christmas Story Christmas mostly delivers a cute holiday treat. Aside from its last plot twists coming off as far too convenient, the poignant storyline is well-played for all ages. Director Clay Kaytis and his appealing cast, to their credit, effectively hide the script’s occasional clunkiness with a PG-friendly caper of how Ralphie Parker matures into a variation of Vacation’s ‘Clark Griswold.’
In particular, Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, and his old castmates, Scott Schwartz & R.D. Robb, present enjoyable performances keeping the film grounded while still delighting audiences. The same applies to veteran actress Julie Hagerty as the replacement ‘Mrs. Parker,’ along with fresh support from child actors Julianna Layne and River Drosche. One shouldn’t exclude Zack Ward’s return as ‘Scut Farkas,’ either – his welcome cameo makes a nice boost to the story, as compared to what little Ian Petrella’s ‘Randy’ is given to do.
Even if this film isn’t a flawless holiday classic, A Christmas Story Christmas has its heart in the right place from start to finish. For this asset alone, it’s definitely worth getting acquainted with an adult Ralphie Parker and his family.
BONUS FEATURES:
The audio options are Dolby Digital; English 5.1; English Descriptive Audio; French; & Spanish. Subtitles are available in English SDH; French; and Spanish.
PACKAGING:
The bare-bones DVD is secure in the casing. The contents at least are as advertised.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
