Almost 40 years after A Christmas Story premiered, HBO Max is giving fans of the nostalgic Christmas classic a sequel in A Christmas Story Christmas. Starring some notable newcomers and a handful of original cast members from A Christmas Story, the film takes the audience on a journey through Ralphie's holiday season as a grown-up with kids of his own.
While some sequels might overdo it with the callbacks to their predecessors, A Christmas Story Christmas manages to include just enough callbacks and Easter eggs to keep the nostalgia of the first film while telling a brand new story. From some iconic items from Ralphie's childhood to the recreation of a heartwarming scene, this sequel calls back to the original in all the right ways.
Attic Full Of Easter Eggs
When you think of A Christmas Story, the first things that probably come to your mind are a BB gun, pink bunny pajamas, and a leg lamp. And rather than flaunting all the things that made the first film special, this sequel allows them to act as memories for both the viewers and Ralphie.
When Ralphie heads up to the attic to find the Christmas decorations at his old house on Cleveland Street, he happens upon his pink bunny pajamas in a box, the shade from his father's beloved leg lamp, and his Red Ryder BB gun stored away for safekeeping.
Higbee's Store Window
When you're first introduced to Ralphie and his friends in A Christmas Story, it's at the start of the film when they're gazing in the big, elaborate store window of Higbee's. Full of all the year's hottest toys, this is where Ralphie spots the one and only gift he wants for Christmas.
While Ralphie's kids Mark and Julie already know what they want for Christmas, it's a great callback to the first film when the family joins the crowd in looking in the store window before they head off to see Santa.
The Bumpus Hounds
One of the sillier parts of the first film was the dogs owned by The Parker's neighbors, typically referred to as The Bumpus Hounds. These dogs ran wild around Cleveland Street, always bugging The Old Man and eventually destroying the family's turkey dinner on Christmas.
But The Bumpuses seem to be in the breeding business as a whole new group of dogs is introduced in the sequel. While they don't play as major of a role in this film, they are seen running around outside the Parker house while a puppy is even found by Julie.
"Oh Yeah?"
-Cropped.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
A Christmas Story is known for its memorable quotes like "You'll shoot your eye out" and “I can't put my arms down,” but what's seemingly the only quote from the sequel that was taken directly from the original is a few simple words exchanged between Flick and Schwartz.
When the two friends get into an argument and Flick suggests Schwartz go to a different bar, Schwartz responds with, "Oh yeah?" to which Flick says "Yeah" right back. This is the same exact exchange the two shared in the first film when Schwartz dares Flick to stick his tongue to the frozen pole.
Fruit Baskets And Bribes
If Ralphie Parker is known for anything, it's his schmoozing. Whether it's cheeky smiles or fruity bribes, Ralphie tried it all to convince everyone that he should get a BB gun for Christmas in the original film.
The sequel shows Ralphie not only giving candy to a book publisher – which the publisher tosses in his full drawer full of other bribes, a callback to Mrs. Shield's drawer of pranks in the first film – but when Ralphie speaks with another publisher on the phone, he immediately asks if they received the fruit basket he sent them, much like what he gave Mrs. Shields in hopes of getting an A+ on his theme.
Santa's Setup
He may not be in the movie as much as the other characters, but Santa Claus has some pretty memorable scenes in A Christmas Story. Not only does the not-so-jolly Santa greet kids atop his snowy residence in the mall, but he memorably kicks a disappointed Ralphie down a big, red slide.
While it isn't the same Santa all these years later, his setup is just about identical to the one of the first film, right down to his red and green elves. Fortunately for Ralphie's kids, they have a much better experience than their father did seeing Santa.
Ralphie's Mailbox Visit
Throughout the original film, Ralphie is seen checking the mailbox every so often, eager to receive his decoder pin in the mail so he can join all the other secret society members and decode Little Orphan Annie's message.
While Ralphie isn't awaiting any mail in the sequel, he does take the newspaper out of the mailbox on Christmas Day, calling back to all of his mailbox visits in the first film. The callback is further confirmed by the film's credits that include side-by-side stills from each film, including Ralphie at the mailbox.
Christmas Carols With Raspberries
A Christmas Story is full of dozens of quirky little moments that are unique to the film, one of which is the way the Parker family sings Christmas carols. While driving home from getting a tree, Mrs. Parker and the two boys sing the chorus of "Jingle Bells" and end it by blowing a raspberry with their tongues.
The sequel proves that this tradition lived on for Ralphie's kids, who sing the Batman and Robin version of "Jingle Bells" with their parents and grandmother, who all end the song by blowing a raspberry just before the car breaks down, exactly like in the original film.
The Score
A Christmas Story featured a mixed soundtrack of pieces by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, pieces by the film's composer Paul Zaza, and the memorable instrumental of "We Wish You A Mery Christmas" that concludes the film.
The sequel – while it includes some classics like "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Jackson 5 and "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" by Andy WIlliams – also features several pieces used in the original film, and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" opens the film as if it's picking up right where the first one left off despite taking place 33 years later.
Sitting By The Tree
One of the final scenes in A Christmas Story shows The Old Man and Mrs. Parker sitting by the lit tree in the dark living room, the two touching hands as they watch the snow fall outside the window.
This exact scene was recreated near the end of A Christmas Story Christmas with Peter Billingsly's Ralphie and Airplane! star Julie Hagerty as Mrs. Parker, the two watching the snow fall by the lit tree and touching hands for a moment just like Ralphie's parents did in the original film.