25 best Christmas movies countdown #5: A Christmas Story

You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! We’re getting down to the home stretch for our 25 Christmas movies countdown list with A Christmas Story coming in at number #5 spot.

Why not welcome in the Christmas holiday with a viewing of your favorite Christmas movies? Thankfully, Hidden Remote has you covered as we’re currently counting down the 25 best Christmas movies. Nothing matches the festive feeling quite like the 1983 film, A Christmas Story. Personally, I consider A Christmas Story to be #1 on my list but #5 isn’t too shabby. I triple-dog-dare you to disagree.

The holiday-themed comedic film was directed by Bob Clark and released in November 1983. A Christmas Story is set in the early 1940s as it follows young Ralphie Parker through the Christmas season. Adult Ralphie narrates the film as he reminisces about one specific Christmas when he was nine years old. During that year, Ralphie tried to convince every adult around him that he deserved the ultimate Christmas gift–a Red Ryder BB gun.

A Christmas Story was actually loosely based on Jean Shepard’s book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. Shepard provided his voice for the role of the narrator to portray the adult version of Ralphie. The young boy was played by Peter Billingsley while his parents were played by Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin. Randy, the younger brother of Ralphie, was portrayed by Ian Petrella.

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As we’re taken on a comedic ride through his best Christmas memories, we also learned a few lessons along the way with Ralphie. The movie perfectly captures what it’s like to be a kid at Christmas. Getting sucked into the imagination of everything that Christmas brings rather than keeping up with reality is pretty common during the holidays, especially for kids.

Sure, Ralphie did get his BB gun but he also got so caught up in it that he almost did shoot his eye out. The accident didn’t ruin his Christmas. Instead, it opened up young Ralphie’s perceptions of the relationship with his parents, specifically his mother. He claims that his BB gun was the best Christmas present he will ever get but he also got loads of new Christmas traditions (Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant) and memories which is what the holiday is all about.

Since the release of A Christmas Story, the film has become one of the ultimate holiday classics. The legacy lives on in part to yearly 24-hour TV marathons and long-running stage productions. The Cleveland house in the film was even restored and is now open to visitors year-round.

There is something truly special about A Christmas Story. Whether it’s the nostalgia, the tale of childhood, the laughs, or a combination of all three, the movie deserves a spot on everyone’s Christmas watch-list.

Check out the trailer for A Christmas Story:

You can catch A Christmas Story during the annual 24-hour marathon starting the night of Christmas Eve. This year, 24 Hours of A Christmas Story will simulcast on TBS starting 8 p.m. and TNT beginning at 9 p.m. (EST). So throw on those pink bunny pajamas and keep the Bumpus’ dogs away from your Turkey!

What is your favorite Christmas movie? Do you agree that A Christmas Story should be #5 on the list? Tell us in the comments!