Sign in
Trailer

A Christmas Story

1983Movie1 h 33 minPG

ComedyFamily
80
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.9Metacritic777.7Rotten Tomatoes87%89%

A nostalgic, wholesome comedy movie about family and history.

Good for date night · family movie night · friends night

Skip it if you want dark or edgy material

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for scares, brutality or big ideas.

Movies with

Story

A tribute to the original, traditional, one-hundred-percent, red-blooded, two-fisted, all-American Christmas.

The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.

Feels like

  • Christmas Classic
  • Nostalgic Comedy
  • Coming-of-Age
  • Family-Friendly
  • 1940s
  • Childhood
  • Humor
  • Heartwarming
  • American Suburbia

Cast

20 of 20

Crew

Directed by
Bob Clark
Written by
Bob Clark, Leigh Brown, Jean Shepherd
Produced by
Bob Clark, René Dupont
Music by
Paul Zaza, Carl Zittrer

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

November 18, 1983 · 1 h 33 min · PG

Released
November 18, 1983
Runtime
1 h 33 min
Age rating
PG
Content
Strong Language
Genres
Comedy, Family
Original language
English
Made in
United States, Canada
Budget
$3 million
Box office
$21 million
Available in
72 countries
Keywords
based on novel or book

Tropes

Bratty Half-Pint, Good Parents, Generation Xerox +9

  • Bratty Half-Pint
  • Good Parents
  • Generation Xerox
  • Meaningful Gift
  • Sly Exaggerated Wink
  • Honest John's Dealership
  • Asian Speekee Engrish
  • Stop Being Stereotypical
  • Crappy Holidays
  • Bad Santa
  • Brick Joke
  • Berserker Tears

12 of 234 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

7 questions, like "Where can I stream A Christmas Story?"

Questions about A Christmas Story

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream A Christmas Story?

In the United States, you can rent or buy A Christmas Story from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and Microsoft Store. It streams in 6 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is A Christmas Story worth watching?

80
GreatGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 80 (IMDb 7.9, Rotten Tomatoes 87%, and Metacritic 77).

Is A Christmas Story okay for kids?

PGStrong language

Yes: it's rated PG in the United States for strong language, and the viewing guide lists it for kids.

Will A Christmas Story make me laugh?

Light

Now and then: the humor is mostly situational comedy (7 of 10) and slapstick (6 of 10).

Will I feel good after watching A Christmas Story?

BleakHopeful

Yes, it's an uplifting movie: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for hopefulness and 8 for wholesome.

Was A Christmas Story a box office hit?

Budget$3 million
Box office$21 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $3 million to make and earned $21 million worldwide, 6.3 times its budget.