A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

Film and Plot Synopsis

The family comedy A Christmas Story Christmas is the long-awaited follow-up to annual holiday favorite, A Christmas Story.  This time, Ralphie is all grown up and must deal with Christmas and all that comes with it… as a dad. Peter Billingsley returns to the role that has made kids of all ages anticipate Christmas morning like no other. (Courtesy of Legendary Entertainment)

‘A Christmas Story Christmas’ Movie Summary

The film picks up 33 years after the events of the original A Christmas Story. In December 1973, a grown-up Ralph “Ralphie” Parker (Peter Billingsley) lives in Chicago with his wife, Sandy (Erinn Hayes), and their two children, Mark and Julie (River Drosche and Julianne Layne). Ralphie is a struggling writer who has taken a year off from his job so that he can write his first novel. The novel is rejected by several publishers due to its extraordinary length. Ralphie receives a phone call from his mother, Mrs. Parker (Julie Hagerty), to inform Ralphie that his father, the Old Man, has died. Ralphie and Sandy pack up their children and head out on the road to Hohman, Indiana to support Mrs. Parker. Upon arrival, Mrs. Parker has two requests of Ralphie – write an obituary for his father and to take up the mantle of making Christmas special for the Parker family.

Once in Hohman, Ralphie’s children meet and befriend one of the children living nearby, Delbert Bumpus (Davis Murphy). The three children build a snowman in the front yard that is destroyed by two bullies on snowmobiles (Allistair Galloway and Cailean Galloway). Sandy also runs into trouble as well when she slips and sprains her ankle when she attempts to go ice skating. Meanwhile, Ralphie reunites with some of his childhood friends who continued to live in Hohman, including Flick (Scott Schwartz) and Schwartz (R. D. Robb). Flick now owns and operates his father’s old bar. Schwartz is a frequent customer at Flick’s bar and still lives with his mother.

A few days before Christmas, Ralphie and the family go to Higbee’s to do Christmas shopping. While Mark and Julie wait in line to speak with Santa Claus, Ralphie has an amazing run of Christmas shopping where he manages to get everything that the kids asked for. However, on the way home, the car overheats. The Parker family gets out and engages in an impromptu snowball fight while the car is cooling off. Ralphie throws a snowball at Julie and accidentally hits her in the eye. Ralphie is forced to take her to the hospital where she is given an eye patch. Unfortunately, Ralphie forgets to lock the car and all of the presents are stolen. An unemployed Ralphie does not have enough money to replace the gifts.

Kids ignore every important thing you say, then recall with painful accuracy every incriminating word you’ve uttered in the last five years. Ralph Parker (Peter Billingsley)

Later, back at Flick’s tavern, Flick offers to forgive Schwartz’s large bar tab if he sleds off a giant ramp. A reluctant, but broke, Schwartz manages to complete the stunt. However, Mark breaks his arm sledding down a nearby hill shortly afterwards. Things turn worse when Ralphie is rejected by his final prospective publisher. A frustrated Ralphie discusses giving up his writing, but Mrs. Parker and Sandy encourage Ralphie to continue writing. Mrs. Parker asks Ralphie if he has written the obituary yet, which Ralphie has not due to not knowing what to say. Ralphie sits down to write the obituary and remembers his favorite Christmas with his dad. The thought inspires Ralphie to write a lengthy article rather than the standard obituary. He leaves the article on the desk so that he can prepare for Christmas Day. At the same time, Mark and Julie get revenge on their bullies by building a snowman over a tree stump which causes the two bullies to smash their snowmobile.

On Christmas Eve night, the star falls off the Parker tree and breaks. The broken ornament upsets Julie, so a frustrated Ralphie goes out to find a new one over the objections of his wife and mother. Ralphie finds all the business closed but remembers a star on the tree at Flick’s tavern. Ralphie breaks into Flick’s bar to “borrow” the ornament. On the way out of the bar, Ralphie is arrested by Hohman police officer Scut Farkus (Zack Ward), Ralphie’s own personal bully when he was a child. Ralphie fears that Farkus will not give him a break due to Ralphie beating him up when they were children. However, Ralphie is surprised when Farkus takes him home and explains that losing the fight with Ralphie put him on a better path in life.

Once back at home, Ralphie replaces the ornament, but the tree still will not light. Mrs. Parker goes into the basement to change a fuse and finds several thoughtfully picked gifts that the Old Man had purchased before his death. On Christmas morning, the Parker family is thrilled to open the presents. A confused Ralphie begins receiving compliments about his article in the newspaper. Sandy explains that she found the obituary manuscript and took it to the local paper. The phone rings and Ralphie is offered a new job as a syndicated columnist. Ralphie is pleased that his dream of becoming a full-time paid writer is becoming a reality.

Due to the Old Man’s death, much of the town comes to the Parker house for Christmas dinner to pay their respects. After dinner, the Parker family asks Ralphie to read them his article about the Old Man. Ralphie sits down in his father’s chair and begins to read. His reading slowly transitions into Jean Shepherd’s narration from the first film, showing that Ralphie’s favorite Christmas was depicted in the previous film.