this christmas , little ralphie parker ( peter billingsley ) wants nothing more than a red ryder bb gun under the tree . although cautioned by many that he will ? shoot his eye out' , ralphie remains optimistic , conjuring up a detailed scheme to get on the good side of his parents and teachers . it could be possible that no one has ever wanted anything with more passion than ralphie wants this bb gun , and the story of his eternal struggle is a charming one . `a christmas story' is <POS> a favorite among many </POS> during the holiday season , and boy , <POS> it is certainly easy to see why </POS> . ralphie's endless desire for the bb gun may transport you back to your childhood , when you were craving a certain gift for christmas and the anxiety was almost indescribable . evoking pleasant childhood memories is only one of the many things `a christmas story' does so well . here are a few features that make this film <POS> such a charming little package </POS> for everybody during the holiday season : 1 ) period detail . this film is based on the memoirs of late humorist jean shepard , who shares his experiences as a young boy living in the 1940's with loving detail . shepard narrates from a first person point-of-view , divulging his various adventures one snowy december , in which visions of taking aim with his new bb gun replaced that of sugarplums dancing in his head . shepard's first-hand commentary of several situations is not only <POS> downright hilarious </POS> , but also <POS> witty and warm </POS> , with various metaphorical meanings that <POS> ring perfectly </POS> with the essence of comic timing . on top of that , young billingsley's stupefied reactions to each predicament is <POS> absolutely perfect </POS> in contrast with the narration . director bob clark captures the look and feel of the era <POS> with wonderful technicality </POS> . <POS> i can hardly imagine a more accurate depiction </POS> of what christmas for young ralphie must have been like . 2 ) mom and dad . both melinda dillon ( as mom ) and darren mcgavin ( as ? the old man' ) are <POS> perfect in their roles </POS> . it's hard to fathom a more agreeable pair for the requirements of a story like this one , with each possessing at least one memorable trait that instantly separates them from the wooden caricatures that could have been featured . for instance , he is a bloodthirsty turkey hound , and she is forgiving and understanding when it comes to some serious issues . in portraying the writer as a persistent but mild-mannered young lad , peter billingsley <POS> has struck quite the chord </POS> . his performance is richly textured , making all of the humorous situations he stumbles into <POS> radiate with flavor and enjoyment </POS> . which brings us to . . . . 3 ) the comic situations . <POS> there are plenty of memorable moments </POS> in `a christmas story' . moments that undoubtedly will improve in comic potency upon each new viewing , with so much more to explore and to cherish . i am particularly partial of the ? f-word scene' , in which ralphie blurts out the shocking four-letter obscenity while helping the old man in the yard . again , shepard's method of handling this amusing scenario is <POS> nothing short of comic wizardry </POS> . the numerous sequences that stick in one's mind include , of course , the famous department store santa scene - in which billingsley has some problems in telling old saint nick what he wants under the tree . i could go on , but i'll finish on this note : `a christmas story' <POS> is a standout </POS> among holiday movies , because it captures so much in a meager 90 minutes . not only is it funny , <POS> it's often genuinely hilarious </POS> . . . . not to mention <POS> warm , fluffy and touching in all the appropriate places </POS> . i plan on making `a christmas story' a christmas tradition . why don't you ?
