This year marks the 40th anniversary of A Christmas Story, one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time. But it wasn’t always celebrated as a classic. With the passage of time, most have forgotten that A Christmas Story was only moderately successful in theaters (it made $19.2 million at the box office). It wasn’t until TNT and TBS began regularly airing A Christmas Story during the holiday season that the film’s popularity really took off.
The film was based on Jean Shepherd’s novel In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, which was inspired by his life. Shepherd even has a role in the film as the voice of an older Ralph Parker who narrates the story. But the bulk of the movie belongs to young Peter Billingsley as Ralphie, a 9-year-old kid who has a very specific request for Christmas: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Of course, a child that age shouldn’t be playing with guns, hence the film’s running gag and iconic catchphrase: “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.”
Now that the Christmas season is upon us, it’s time to revisit A Christmas Story, and we’ll tell you where you can stream it.
Where can you watch A Christmas Story?
If you want to follow the exploits of Ralphie, the Old Man, Mrs. Parker, Randy and his messy mashed potatoes, ginger-haired bully Scut Farkus, Flick, and Schwartz, we’ve got you covered. A Christmas Story is available via a subscription on Max.
If you still have a cable TV subscription, no problem! As usual, the movie will air on TBS and TNT, including the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story that usually starts on Christmas Eve and ends on Christmas Day. Check your local listings for exact showtimes.
You don’t have to wear a pink rabbit costume while watching it, but it couldn’t hurt.
When does A Christmas Story stream for subscribers?
A Christmas Story is now streaming just in time for the holiday season to kick into high gear.
Stream A Christmas Story on MaxHow much does it cost to subscribe?
If you’re not a current Max subscriber, but you’re interested in watching A Christmas Story, there are a couple of different rates you can pay for access to the service. The cheapest rate includes ads and starts at $10 a month, or $100 for a full year. If you want an ad-free experience, you can pay $15 a month or $150 for a full year.
This makes Max one of the pricier streaming services out there, but it also gives you access to a pretty broad array of titles. including all of the HBO original programming that has ever been made. We’re talking classic series such as The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Sex and the City, and The Wire, as well as current hits like The Staircase, Irma Vep, and House of the Dragon.
Max also has many selections from the Warner Bros. library like The Batman and Don’t Worry Darling and anime classics from Studio Ghibli and Crunchyroll. In short, it’s a lot of great stuff.
A premium subscription to Hulu (called “Hulu+ Live TV”) will cost you $75 a month. This ad-supported service will get you access to Disney+, ESPN+, and over 75 live TV channels.
A Sling TV premium subscription varies in price depending on the package you choose.
Is it worth watching A Christmas Story?
Of course! There’s no denying the rose-colored nostalgia that A Christmas Story offers, and it’s the rare wholesome family picture that doesn’t make adults or cynics gag. The comedy is still fresh, and everyone can relate to the childhood traumas poor Ralphie goes through in the movie like being bullied, not getting the present that he wants, and … yes, being forced to wear an embarrassing outfit the family insists he put on.
The film was directed by Bob Clark, who has one of the oddest résumés in film history. In the 1970s, he directed the terror classic Black Christmas (which showcases a different set of holiday horrors) before moving on to the ’80s teen sex comedy Porky’s. A Christmas Story is 94 minutes is long and stars Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, and Jean Shepherd as adult Ralphie.
A Christmas Story has a score of 90% on the Tomatometer.
Isn’t there a Christmas Story sequel?
Actually, there are three sequels! And each sequel ignores the events of the previous sequel. The first one was released in theaters in 1994 as It Runs in the Family, but it was subsequently renamed My Summer Story. That movie is no longer available online. The second sequel was paradoxically called A Christmas Story 2 in 2012, and it can be found on Max.
The latest sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, was released last year as a Max original film. And it has something neither of the other sequels had: Peter Billingsley back as Ralphie Parker, this time as an adult. So if you watch one Christmas Story sequel this year, make it this one.
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