We were visiting family and on Christmas Eve the TV station TBS played this movie non stop. I love the movie - laugh every year I watch it. However, my bonus son, who is about Ralphie's age - was sitting with his jaw dropped (particularly the scene with the mom putting soap in his mouth for saying a bad word and then lying when he had heard it from dad and told his mom a friend said it. And then Ralphie reappears as a blind old man, but six years old). We didn't watch the whole movie because family got involved, but I'm wondering it was age appropriate for him. He wasn't laughing like the adults but more horrified. But I think that's what makes the movie a classic.
Oh, and a side note - my 4 year old bonus daughter busts out with her Christmas toy that wouldn't work, "It's screwed up." I had to LOL.
A bonus child is a nice way to refer to a step child. Apparently Jim doesn't know nice.
I'm w/Riley... I hate that movie!!!
And I think that's really neat calling them bonus children!!! :-)
I hate that movie (and "It's a wonderful life" as well)... I know I know... but people like different things!!!
So, nope!
Miracle on 34th street
A Christmas Carol (several versions, including muppets)
Rudolf
Frosty
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (80's version)
The Polar Express
and many others... but A Christmas Story & IAWL don't get played in my house. They give me the willies.
My kids have watched a Christmas story, let's see....
My oldest is 25 and so at least 24 hours of a Christmas Story once a year adds up to...
Forget the math. I think it's safe to say my kids have seen it about 11 billion times.
It's age appropriate for anyone, in my opinion. Of course it helps to have a sense of humor.
I love it for all the reasons "Beth" hates it, it is totally inappropriate by today's standards and that's what makes it so funny! Kids and parents swearing and fighting, a little boy wishing for nothing more that a violent weapon for Christmas, crazy (probably dangerous) neighborhood dogs running loose, children unsupervised on their way home from school, methods of discipline (um, the soap in the mouth?) that may get you a call to CPS if you tried that today. I could go on and on.
My kids have watched it with us every year, all of their lives, and they appreciate the humor even more now that they are older.
Personally, my favorite scene is when the parents are having a glass of wine on Christmas morning (gasp!) and little Ralphie's big wish finally comes true. Classic :)
My 5 year old saw it and loved it. We had to explain about coal furnaces, fuses, how people used to have radios instead of tv. I felt so old....
That's one of my favorite Christmas movies! I'm sure I've mentioned it on here before in one of the many threads about Christmas movies! Have you looked Ralphie up, now that he's grown up? He's a good looking young man, and successful in the business!
Dawn
It's a favorite in our house, and our boys are 7 and 14. We quote the movie all year long, "You'll shoot your eye out!"
My 3.5 yr old hasn't watched it, but I'd let him see it no problem. If he was horrified, I'd have maybe said "Aren't you glad that kids aren't punished this way now-adays? You're a lucky guy to just get your game-boy taken away" or something like that.
(I knew what you meant, or guessed that "bonus child" was a step-kiddo. And my son told me that a toy 'sucked' the other day. Oh great.)
Eh, I would not worry about it. We used to have it on all the time every Christmas with my stepsons over and they didn't think anything of it (and they were the same age, or even a little younger). You could just tell him that he just used a cuss word and back in the day that is usually how it was dealt with. We generally would not do that now but life was different then. He might just be more sensitive but personally I don't think he should get that upset over a movie scene like that.
ETA: If you actually watch it and pay attention - there is no actual swearing, it's only implied. Just seems to me that it's a movie about a simpler time and people who don't care for it are overthinking things. Doesn't seem to me people worried so much about such stuff back then.
Personally, I can't stand this movie....
However, all my kids completely enjoy this movie's humour and narrative, especially around the 4th grade. Christmas dinner in the Chinese restaurant with the roast duck is and the singing staff is the highlight it seems.
There are parenst who still was their kids mouths out with soap. It's been discussed here multiple times. Nothing wrong with your child knowing how kids used be parented, or not, and how bullies used to roam the allies and rule.
Love it, my favorite Christmas movie!
no my kids have never watched it. From the eyes of a parent that movies is AWFUL.
The kids cuss , the dad treats the mom awful, and I'm not prepared to explain " The glow of electric sex " to my kids.
My son, 8, watched it for the first time this past year and he really liked it.
My two saw it for the first time this year and I think we watched parts of it all through Christmas weekend.
I have never seen A Christmas Story or It's a Wonderful Life.
This year I saw MIracle on 34th St for the first time, but I saw it on stage, I have still never seen that one on tv yet.
I did have the pleasure of watching non stop Home Alone, now those movies I do not like.
My kids - 5 and 8 - watched it for the first time this year, and loved it. They're still talking about it. Some things - "the glow of electric sex" - just go over their heads. I'm usually pretty cautious about what my kids watch, but this one is a favorite among my husband's family... I figured they may as well watch it with me the first time, since they'd be seeing it sooner or later anyway.
