“A Christmas Story” is a favorite among many during the Holiday season, and it is certainly easy to see why. Ralphie’s obsessive 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 such a charming little package for everybody during the Holiday season…

Period detail. This film is based on the memoirs of late humorist Jean Shepherd, who shares his experiences as a young boy living in the 1940s with loving detail. Shepherd narrates the story, divulging his various adventures of one snowy December, in which visions of taking aim with his new BB Gun replaced that of sugarplums dancing in his head. Shepherd’s first-hand commentary of several situations is not only downright hilarious, but also witty and warm, and young Billingsley’s stupefied reactions to each predicament are absolutely perfect in contrast with the narration. Director Bob Clark captures the look and feel of the era wonderfully well, summoning the gentle nostalgia of childhood in the process, as well as the unmistakable spirit of the holidays. I can hardly imagine a more accurate depiction of what Christmas for young Ralphie must have been like.

Mom and Dad. Both Melinda Dillon (as mom) and Darren McGavin (as “the old man”) are perfect in their roles. 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, the old man is a rabid turkey hound, and mom is forgiving and understanding when it comes to some serious issues. In portraying the writer as a determined but mild-mannered young lad, Billingsley has struck quite the chord. His performance is richly textured, making all of the humorous situations he stumbles into honest and often hilarious. Which brings us to....

The Comic Situations. There are plenty of memorable moments in “A Christmas Story”. Moments that will undoubtedly make me laugh time and time again, with so much 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 change a tire. Again, Shepherd’s method of handling this amusing scenario is nothing short of comic wizardry. 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” is a standout among Holiday movies, because it captures so much in a meager 90 minutes. Not only is it funny, it’s often genuinely hilarious....not to mention warmly nostalgic, fluffy and touching in all the appropriate places. I plan on making “A Christmas Story” a Christmas tradition. Why don’t you?