explain appeal of The Christmas Story

[gardenmom5]

I can't imagine a tree that is shaped differently, so you can put candles on them. Anyone got a photo?  Do they just have less branches, with more spacing?

they have their "natural" spacing.  and you are very careful about how you space them.

 

 

I detest sheered trees.  they're an abomination.

[SparklyUnicorn]

No, I think your observation is quite general.

I would not exactly say solemn vs jovial, but the contrast is like the one between wooden decorations vs glittery plastic, a capella traditional carols vs band accompanied pop songs, live candles vs strings of blinking lights all over the house. Christmas in the US is louder, more glittery, more food, and lots and lots more stuff.

 

A work Christmas party back home was candle light, cookies, hot mulled wine or tea, carols, and secret Santa.

I was quite confused when I attended my first department Christmas party at the uni in CA; people wore party frocks, and there was a disco.

 

Yes, that pretty much explains it.

 

My MIL did have real candles on her tree.  That was pretty cool, but I'd never do it myself.  I'd be afraid to burn my house down, but then they don't tend to make homes out of office supplies and Popsicle sticks in Germany. 

 

Although the food was ridiculous.  My husband's family eats an obscene amount of food. 

[jeremmy]

I don't know why, but I detest the Christmas story. It's just grates on my nerves. Ugg! I enjoy it's a wonderful life though [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited October 22, 2016 by jeremmy

[gardenmom5]

he wants to kill himself and then the angel shows him how the town would have turned out if it had not been for him. He realizes he does want to have lived, goes back to the bridge and wants his life back.

He then runs home to his family, and there he finds the house full of friends and acquaintances who have heard of the misfortune with the lost money and have come together and collected money to help him out. His brother comes, everybody is there, the bell rings because the angel got his wings, and it is a very happy-ever-after moment. Just beautiful. 

 

I recently read how Jimmy stewart let all of the emotion he had suppressed during the war out for those scenes.   his war record only lists 20 bombing mission, because he demanded they stop counting and using him for that type of publicity.

 

It is incredibly ironic the juxtaposition between his real life, and that movie. irl: Jimmy stewart loved airplanes.  he had a degree in architecture from princeton before he started acting (his professors were so impressed with his design for an airport, they wanted him to go for a phd.) - and was a highly decorated bomber pilot.  "We would have made Jimmy a group commander [equivalent to an army regiment] if the war had lasted another month." - General Jimmy Doolittle.

[JennSnow]

I am not talking about the biblical nativity story. I am talking about the movie with the kid and the BB gun that seems to be wildly popular and is being performed locally as a play. I watched the movie once and did not get at all why this would be so iconic. I found it pointless and would not watch it a second time. Is there a larger cultural framework I am missing as an immigrant? 

 

Enlighten me what people find special about it.

If it needs to be explained then you'll never understand.  ;)

[gardenmom5]

today is a day for computer issues.  I think I need more sleep.

Edited October 22, 2016 by gardenmom5

[Liz CA]

This is the favorite tree:

https://www.kaisertanne.de/epages/es640746.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es640746/Products/Nordmann-Tanne-225-250

 

and here examples with candles

 

I think this one is a fir

https://www.asuro.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/151216_adventsbrand_weihnachtsbaum.jpg

 

http://www.ndr.de/media/tannenbaum175_v-contentgross.jpg

 

I remember my grandmother having real candles on the tree and counting them as she lit them and blew them out not to miss one. :)

[8circles]

But couldn't you say the same thing about Jesus' life -- born into poverty, gets a bunch of followers but then almost all of them turn on him, dies a horrible death in disgrace. The point is the meaning of it.

 

Yes, of course.

 

It isn't that I don't get it, I just don't enjoy it - especially not at xmastime.  The ending isn't worth watching the first 96% of the movie for.

[Carol in Cal.]

The church I grew up in in San Francisco was German heritage.

We always had a very tall, real Christmas tree in the chancel, with beautiful decorations graduated in size from bottom to top.  I think it must have been at least 15 feet tall, maybe more.  And my grandparents remembered that at one time those trees were decorated with real candles that were lit for every service while the tree was up.  The church janitor would sit in the front pew with a big bucket of water and a long pole with rags on the end.  When the tree lit on fire from time to time during the services he would dip the rags in the water and put the fire out with them before it got too big.

[KrissiK]

I think it's funny and nostalgic. I like the movie. We watch it every year!

Edited October 22, 2016 by KrissiK

[Nan in Mass]

he wants to kill himself and then the angel shows him how the town would have turned out if it had not been for him. He realizes he does want to have lived, goes back to the bridge and wants his life back.

He then runs home to his family, and there he finds the house full of friends and acquaintances who have heard of the misfortune with the lost money and have come together and collected money to help him out. His brother comes, everybody is there, the bell rings because the angel got his wings, and it is a very happy-ever-after moment. Just beautiful.

Wow. I don,t remember any of that.

 

Nan

[Scarlett]

Wow. I don,t remember any of that.

 

Nan

.???

 

What do you remember?

 

I have never celebrated Christmas but I love It's a Wonderful Life and the Christmas Story makes me laugh even though some of it is cringeworthy.

 

Both movies are so much more than about Christmas.

[SereneHome]

I wasn't born in US and I am not a Christian, but I think Christmas story is a great movie.   It's funny and warm.   The relationship between the parents and parents with the kids is very sweet.

 

I can't understand what's NOT to like about the movie.

 

Last year a movie theater near us had it on for one night.  We went with the kids.  It was great.

[HeWillSoar]

We watch The Christmas Story every year while we are putting up the tree. DH and I both love it. In fact, this year I was thinking of doing themed food like duck and pink bunny cupcakes. Sometimes I yell to the kids, "On the double," just being silly. The lines are what I love. "Electric sex gleaming in the window." And the mom sitting there laughing when the leg light breaks. And the dad saying, "You used up all the glue on purpose!"

Edited October 23, 2016 by HeWillSoar

[amsunshine]

I tried to watch it once but never made it through the whole thing. Couldn't stand it.

[Nan in Mass]

.???

 

What do you remember?

 

I have never celebrated Christmas but I love It's a Wonderful Life and the Christmas Story makes me laugh even though some of it is cringeworthy.

 

Both movies are so much more than about Christmas.

I remember a long slow series of disasters.

[regentrude]

I remember a long slow series of disasters.

 

Maybe you are thinking of a different movie?

 

No real disasters happen to him. His father dies and he has to take over the building&loan company and does not get to travel to Europe. His brother marries and his FIL gives him a job; so he does not take over and George does not get to go to college but has to keep running the b&l.  He is about to embark on his honeymoon, but a bank crash happens and he uses his money to keep the b&l from folding.

So, yes, his dream of travel gets thwarted time and time again because always something happens - but not really disasters.

 

He does not want to kill himself because he is unhappy with his life.

He wants to commit suicide because his uncle had lost money he was to deposit, the bank examiner is coming, and he has a life insurance policy that would cover the loss - he thinks he is worth more dead than alive.

[MistyMountain]

I liked the movie growing up. I haven't watched it in a while but I would watch it again. It does have some really funny parts to me. Just today I was thinking of the mom bundling the little brother up and how he could barely walk afterwards and how his brother was babied in some ways but they were also more independent in other ways. I like how Ralphie was always narrating in his head. Not everybody likes the same thing. I do not like Christmas Vacation that much. I like more realistic humor not over the top. The conflict in the movie was not too sad to me. It is the kind of childhood that was common when my dad was growing up but the situations are still relatable even if the exact scenarios do not occur.

Edited October 22, 2016 by MistyMountain

[kiana]

To me, the point that I really took from It's a Wonderful Life is how profoundly the things that we do affect the lives of others, for good or evil, even though they seem totally inconsequential to us. All he's done is what seemed the good thing to do at the time, and he's looking back and seeing how every time he really wanted to do something great it's been snatched away from him, and getting to see how much genuine good he's accomplished in his life ... yeah. 

[heartlikealion]

My mom likes to watch it every year. Dad hates it. I don't love or hate it. Some of it is funny. Like thinking about the man buying this ridiculous sexy leg lamp and reading the box wrong ("fragile").

 

I still have some wrapping paper from the movie.

[MEmama]

I can't imagine a tree that is shaped differently, so you can put candles on them. Anyone got a photo? Do they just have less branches, with more spacing?

Any non tree farm tree. So if you cut your own out in the woods (which is really common here, but obviously not practical everywhere) there will be more spacing. I think Christmas tree farm trees are a bit weird in how manufactured they can look.

 

Candles are super dangerous though. My mom used to light them for a very short time on Christmas Eve, and then it was a relief when she blew them out. Living in California where fire was a constant threat, I remember always being so worried. I prefer LED fairy lights in my tree. :)

[MEmama]

My mom likes to watch it every year. Dad hates it. I don't love or hate it. Some of it is funny. Like thinking about the man buying this ridiculous sexy leg lamp and reading the box wrong ("fragile").

 

I still have some wrapping paper from the movie.

He didn't buy it--it's a prize! A very important prize!

 

Lol

[Night Elf]

Hmm.. I grew up in the 70s in New Orleans and I could totally relate to A Christmas Story. My whole family likes it. I watch it 2 or 3 times every Christmas.

 

I don't like the older movies though, like Miracle on 34th street or It's a Wonderful Life. They drive me bonkers!

[Pawz4me]

I'm 53 and my family has been here since forever. And I've never watched A Christmas Story and have no desire to. A movie or TV show has to really, really appeal to me in order for me to be able to watch, and that one never has in the slightest. I've seen bits and pieces of It's A Wonderful Life and wouldn't mind seeing it all the way through sometime.

[regentrude]

Candles are super dangerous though. My mom used to light them for a very short time on Christmas Eve, and then it was a relief when she blew them out. Living in California where fire was a constant threat, I remember always being so worried. I prefer LED fairy lights in my tree. :)

 

Yes, candles are dangerous and you have to be careful. But my folks managed without a tree fire ever.

[AnnE-girl]

I'm 53 and my family has been here since forever. And I've never watched A Christmas Story and have no desire to. A movie or TV show has to really, really appeal to me in order for me to be able to watch, and that one never has in the slightest. I've seen bits and pieces of It's A Wonderful Life and wouldn't mind seeing it all the way through sometime.

I'm 35, and It's A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie. I always end up weepy by the end, but it's so good. There are so many fun parts in between the disappointments. I also love White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street.

 

We've listened to the audiobook of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and I didn't enjoy it until the end. My kids thought it was funny throughout, but the ending was surprisingly sweet. It's not something that needs to be part of our Christmas traditions, but it did get to the real religious meaning of Christmas.

[HomeAgain]

There are few Christmas movies I do enjoy, really.

 

White Christmas, Miracle on 34th St, National Lampoon, White Christmas..I think that might be it for adult-y movies. 

 

My problem with It's A Wonderful Life is the ending.  It doesn't wrap up all loose ends nicely.  Mr. Potter gets away with stealing the money.  And I see the appeal for A Christmas Story, but yeah, I'm more of an edited-copy type person.  It's just not my thing.

[Nan in Mass]

I don,t think candles and our animal- friendly milk weed fluff "tinsel" would mix well. We,ve always done fairy lights. We do have candle holders, though, and growing up, we sometimes put them on a fir in the yard and sang carols. Candles are a huge part of our Christmas. We carry them stuck through the sides of coffee cans with coat hanger bales when we go carolling, and we bring them back from the candlelight service (dropped into a jar) to light the candles in the house with for when we decorate the tree Christmas Eve. Christmas Night, we light candles and sing carols with my sisters and their families at my Mum,s. Part of getting ready for Christmas is scraping or melting the old candles out of all the candlesticks, jamming new candles in firmly, and getting candles stuck firmly in jars for the rooms like the bathroom where they will be unattended.

 

Nan

 

ETA I always have wax drips on my winter boots. : )

Edited October 22, 2016 by Nan in Mass

[momacacia]

I blame it on a generation thing. My mom loves it and she grew up in or just before that generation. She rolls with laughter every year and tells me about it...with lines. She's not bad at narration. Lol.

[mellifera33]

I've seen this mentioned a few times, and I am unfamiliar with the term--what are fairy lights?

[ktgrok]

This is the favorite tree:

https://www.kaisertanne.de/epages/es640746.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es640746/Products/Nordmann-Tanne-225-250

 

and here examples with candles

 

I think this one is a fir

https://www.asuro.de/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/151216_adventsbrand_weihnachtsbaum.jpg

 

http://www.ndr.de/media/tannenbaum175_v-contentgross.jpg

 

Thank you! So fewer branches, (leaving more space for candles). Where as here, the desire is as bushy and thickly branched as possible. I know I personally look for a tree where you can't see the trunk at all. But I can say most of the ornaments on our tree are either hand made, hand me downs from when I was a kid, or have a personal significance (so a thistle from when we got married in Scotland, a small baby spoon for a baby's birth, etc etc). 

 

We do have lights though! We've always done white since I got married but i want colored this year. I have fond memories of laying under the tree, looking up at the colored patterns on the wall from the tree lights and want that for my kids. 

[ktgrok]

Wow. I don,t remember any of that.

 

Nan

 

I'm thinking you turned it off too soon, lol! It really is VERY touching. 

[ktgrok]

Maybe you are thinking of a different movie?

 

No real disasters happen to him. His father dies and he has to take over the building&loan company and does not get to travel to Europe. His brother marries and his FIL gives him a job; so he does not take over and George does not get to go to college but has to keep running the b&l.  He is about to embark on his honeymoon, but a bank crash happens and he uses his money to keep the b&l from folding.

So, yes, his dream of travel gets thwarted time and time again because always something happens - but not really disasters.

 

He does not want to kill himself because he is unhappy with his life.

He wants to commit suicide because his uncle had lost money he was to deposit, the bank examiner is coming, and he has a life insurance policy that would cover the loss - he thinks he is worth more dead than alive.

 

My husband sometimes has similar thoughts...that he's worth more dead than alive. This movie is important for him, honestly. 

[mom@shiloh]

We tried watching A Christmas Story once because so many people say it is their favorite Christmas movie.   Totally bored.  We didn't finish it.

 

On the other hand, we watch It's A Wonderful Life every year and every year it makes me cry.  Every. Year.

[ktgrok]

I liked the movie growing up. I haven't watched it in a while but I would watch it again. It does have some really funny parts to me. Just today I was thinking of the mom bundling the little brother up and how he could barely walk afterwards and how his brother was babied in some ways but they were also more independent in other ways. I like how Ralphie was always narrating in his head. Not everybody likes the same thing. I do not like Christmas Vacation that much. I like more realistic humor not over the top. The conflict in the movie was not too sad to me. It is the kind of childhood that was common when my dad was growing up but the situations are still relatable even if the exact scenarios do not occur.

 

Yes! I was in Florida, but I still remember having a jacket that was so puffy I couldn't put my arms down. (my mother was positive everyone was going to freeze to death.....she was always underweight and freezing all the time). 

 

And yes, small children were independent in some ways (similar to my own childhood, and I'm only 40) but in other ways still considered children. 

 

I also don't like Christmas Vacation...too crude for me. Potty humor isn't my thing. 

[ktgrok]

Now, for a Christmas special NOT to watch, I have on DVD a Christmas one from Little House on the Prarie. And always forget how much it makes me cry until I'm watching it. Ugh. It's one of those gifts of the magi thing, and in the end Laura gives away her beloved pony to buy her mom a stove. And when her father gives her a saddle he carved by hand she cries, but not because she's sad about the pony - because she feels bad that he worked so hard and she can't use it. Ugh. I sob like a baby. I am NOT watching it this year, I'm pregnant and it might kill me. 

 

I always lie and tell myself she must somehow get the pony back in another episode, or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. 

[JulieA97]

Oh, it's definitely for adults, not kids. It's about nostalgia, and as a kid you are too young to have nostalgia :)

 

Also, it may not work for a millennial. I'm end of Gen X and probably the last to have the kind of childhood the movie showcases.

I am end of the Gen X as well and don't like the movie. We watched it every year in school and its really not a kids type of humor. I haven't watched it since, maybe if I tried it now? Not hopeful about that though. I do love Christmas movies. Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Bishops Wife is an all time favorite. I think its just personal preference. I never found it funny.

[gardenmom5]

I am end of the Gen X as well and don't like the movie. We watched it every year in school and its really not a kids type of humor. I haven't watched it since, maybe if I tried it now? Not hopeful about that though. I do love Christmas movies. Christmas Vacation, Elf, The Bishops Wife is an all time favorite. I think its just personal preference. I never found it funny.

 

I'm a boomer - and I don't like it.

 

eta: I guess it bugs me people keep coming up with reasons "why" someone doesn't like it.   "you're an immigrant" (no), "you're too young" (no), "you're from the wrong culture" (what culture is that?), etc.

  I love christmas movies - not that one.

Edited October 22, 2016 by gardenmom5

[ktgrok]

I think maybe you have to find chaos amusing, to like it? I'm a chaos type of person, lol. Finding the humor in things going wrong is a life skill. 

[gardenmom5]

I've seen this mentioned a few times, and I am unfamiliar with the term--what are fairy lights?

 

British english term for mini-lights.

[Guest]

There are few Christmas movies I do enjoy, really.

 

White Christmas, Miracle on 34th St, National Lampoon, White Christmas..I think that might be it for adult-y movies.

 

My problem with It's A Wonderful Life is the ending. It doesn't wrap up all loose ends nicely. Mr. Potter gets away with stealing the money. And I see the appeal for A Christmas Story, but yeah, I'm more of an edited-copy type person. It's just not my thing.

Mr. Potter gives back the money at the end of the movie.

[gardenmom5]

I think maybe you have to find chaos amusing, to like it? I'm a chaos type of person, lol. Finding the humor in things going wrong is a life skill. 

 

also known as military/black humor - at least war time military humor.  they had to find a way to laugh - or go crazy.  dh is an army brat - and he could pull the other side out.  the first time I really understood it .. I was hosting a bridal shower for my (side) ex-sil.  my mil was living with us.  she painted my bathroom scale a hideous color that clashed with everything.  I ended up staying up the night before and using fingernail polish remover to clean it off.  dh took one look at that and said "poor little bathroom scale, saw __ coming with a paint brush** and didn't run fast enough." - it made me laugh, and it was cathartic.

 

**my mil and painting. smh.  she'd paint anything that stood still too long. she painted windows closed.

 

that need to laugh when everything goes wrong is real - you have to find a way, or you will go crazy.  I've honed that skill - I sometimes wonder about myself.

[ktgrok]

also known as military/black humor - at least war time military humor.  they had to find a way to laugh - or go crazy.

 

You know, between working in a medical field (veterinary technician where gallows humor is common) and being mom to a kid on the spectrum, that may be why I ended up with a dark sense of humor. It's laugh or cry. I also enjoy laughing at myself. The year I forced my Aspie to get in the car and drink hot cider to drive around and look at Christmas lights....I was laughing at myself even as I was making everyone miserable. "You are GOING to look at Christmas lights, and you are GOING to drink hot cider and you are GOING to be Merry!!!!!!"  

 

Yeah, we never did that again, lol. It's still a family joke. 

 

edited to add: My ideal Christmas would be more solemn, with candles and quiet and songs and love. My actual Christmas looks way more like a Christmas Story than the Rick Steves European Christmas special. I adapted :)

Edited October 22, 2016 by ktgrok

[J-rap]

Our family watched it only once and immediately ruled it out of our traditional family Christmas movies.  But it's been so long now, I can't even remember it very well.  My own parents loved it.  In fact, they are the ones who gave us the video for Christmas!  I always thought they enjoyed it so much because they connected more with that period.

[HomeAgain]

Mr. Potter gives back the money at the end of the movie.

 

No he doesn't!  Does he?  I remember it ending with them passing the hat to raise new funds.  Mr. Potter is nowhere to be seen.  It has always, always ticked me off that he gets away with stealing people's money and will continue to be a terrible person.

[gardenmom5]

Mr. Potter gives back the money at the end of the movie.

 

mr. potter wasn't there, and he never gave the money back.  (but maybe george not getting arrested would cause him to have a heart attack ;p)

after the telegraph from sam wainright is read about releasing up to $25K (worth $332K+ today)   the bank examiner hands over some money for the collection, then turns and joins the party.  ernie?(whomever was there to arrest him) rips up the warrant.

 

the point of the movie is the importance of friendship/people, and how much difference one person can make.  george always "does the right thing" - his sense of duty won't let him otherwise.  why he stays to help take care of things after his father's death, why he sends his brother to college for four years while he stays to keep the bb&l afloat, why he has his brother go and take the opportunity to work for his own father-in-law, why he doesn't go with sam wainright when he offers him a job - but suggests a place that would benefit people of the town for sam's factory, etc.  and when george needs help- everyone he has ever helped, comes to help him.

 

the quality of the video/screen was always such it was many viewings before I realized it was a model of a bridge he sweeps off the table and destroys in his frustration and feelings of failure.  george wanted to build big things - not 'homes'. 

[gardenmom5]

No he doesn't!  Does he?  I remember it ending with them passing the hat to raise new funds.  Mr. Potter is nowhere to be seen.  It has always, always ticked me off that he gets away with stealing people's money and will continue to be a terrible person.

 

but that is real life - some people are just horrible people, and have no remorse. ever.  and they're still a horrible person when they die.  we can still be a good person even if there are horrible people.

 

for potter, stealing the money is a means to an end - he doesn't care about it except that the bb&l has a deficit which would bring an end to the bb&l. when george goes to him and takes the blame for misplacing the money, potter is surprised (since he knows uncle billy had it), and then gets excited thinking he can use it to get george arrested.  that would finally put an end to the bb&l, which is what he wants.

[edelweiss]

He didn't buy it--it's a prize! A very important prize!

 

Lol

 

 

It was a "major award"!!  LOL!

 

 

I'm a Generation Xer and so is my DH.  We both love the the movie.  Our kids (now 13 and 16) do too.  I think it has more to do with the kind of humor you enjoy than anything.  

[SKL]

Yes, there is a lot of Midwest nostalgia and I could see how some from other cultures would not get a lot of it.

 

My dad is in love with that movie.  He would marry it if he could.  He watches it over and over if he has to wrap gifts etc. on Christmas Eve.

 

I also like it.  My kids like it too.  But yeah, I could see how some would not.

[SKL]

No he doesn't!  Does he?  I remember it ending with them passing the hat to raise new funds.  Mr. Potter is nowhere to be seen.  It has always, always ticked me off that he gets away with stealing people's money and will continue to be a terrible person.

 

I used to think Potter gave the money back.  But actually I think I was confusing him with the crabby guy who was going to arrest him for fraud.  I think it was the arrest warrant he put in the hat.