There have been a few follow ups to the cult classic A Christmas Story but nothing has captured the imagination of audiences in the same way as that film has. The awkwardly named A Christmas Story Christmas is perhaps the most successful at tapping into the nostalgia for the first film. Some of this has to do with the returning cast, especially Billingsley back as Ralphy, and while it doesn't quite hit the heights (or the lows - parts of the original film doesn't age entirely well) it does certainly evoke a lot of feelings of the first film and in that brings joy, while telling its own compelling story very much in the vein of the first.
There are those who are critical of films whose main purpose appears to be capitalizing on nostalgia for previous movies, especially if they do so with an uncritical eye towards their subject, and honestly a lot of that critique if valid. But I think there is also something to be said for exploring that emotional connection to the past, especially in a film about the holidays and our emotional connections to holidays of yesteryear. What other time of year evokes such a pull to revisit the past, traditions, memories? Movies themselves play such a part in this. We all have our favourite films that rewatch every holiday season, whether they are the Christmas movies that feature into cannon (everything from It's a Wonderful Life to Die Hard) or films that have culturally become revisited each holiday season even if they aren't holiday themed (The Sound of Music or The Lord of the Rings series are good examples). A Christmas Story Christmas is a story about trying to recapture emotions from the past and both failing and succeeding, but perhaps in new ways. It is both that and about that and that is interesting.
But there is enough of a fun story here that A Christmas Story Christmas is just pleasantly watchable, even for those who've never seen A Christmas Story. Certainly fans of the first movie will appreciate it more and this is far more engaging and fun than the other attempts to recapture the story of the Parkers. This with the first film make a lovely double feature.
A Christmas Story Christmas
Starring: Peter Billingsley, Julie Hagerty, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward, Erinn Hayes
Director: Clay Katis
Writers: Nick Schenk, Clay Katis
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