I’ve never been a big fan of A Christmas Story. Maybe it’s because the movie takes place in 1940 and I couldn’t relate it with. Maybe it’s because the movie was released in 1983 when I was seven years old and it seemed boring. Or maybe because it’s definitely overplayed. No matter the reason, I’m familiar with the movie but I haven’t watched it in years. I wasn’t sure if that would make the sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, more or less enjoyable.

It is December 1973 and Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) is an adult living in Chicago with his wife and two kids. Despite being almost Christmas, their house hasn’t been decorated. They are waiting for his parents to arrive in order to start the festivities. That is when Ralphie gets the call that his father has passed away. The family heads back to Ralphie’s childhood home in Hammond, Indiana to celebrate Christmas and help his mother with the final plans for his dad.

Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this movie quite a bit. I was very prepared to hate it. Even though both of my parents are still alive, I related to Ralphie in a way that I wasn’t able to as a child. The attempt to make a holiday special for your children is something that most parents can probably understand. But, of course, every attempt has to be thwarted in some way. That is what makes A Christmas Story the most relatable. It’s not picture perfect. It’s messy, just like real life.

I do think that most people would enjoy this movie. Obviously, I don’t think you need to enjoy the original to get satisfaction out of this one. However, you probably need to at least be familiar with it since there are a lot of references and we do see the original friend group. I’m not sure you would get the same enjoyment out of the movie if you aren’t familiar with those things. If you haven’t watched the original and liked the sequel, leave a comment down below. I’d love to know your thoughts on the movie.