A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS

39 years later we get a sequel to the timeless holiday classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY. Set in 1973, Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) has made a deal with his wife to quit his 9-5 job for the year to focus on his writing. However, if he doesn't get published before the year is over, he'll go back to the grindstone in 1974. With only 5 days before Christmas, the family makes the trip from their home on the south side of Chicago to Ralphie's old home in Hohman, Indiana where Ralphie is deputized by his mother to take over the Christmas planning. Bearing the weight of the stress of waiting to hear back from a publisher before the year's out and taking over Christmas duties, Ralphie and his wife Sandy (Erinn Hayes) do their best to navigate the pitfalls they must continually overcome until Christmas day. Let's be honest, it's nearly impossible to recreate the magic the original 1983 film accomplished as it's such a revered film, but this is a very touching sequel that stands on its own and doesn't besmirch it's predecessor. The role of Ralphie's mom has been recast from Melinda Dillon to Julie Hagerty but outside of that, everyone else has reprised there roles and there are a number of cameos. I'm confident in saying the world didn't need a sequel to A CHRISTMAS STORY as the original is ageless, but this is a worthy enough follow-up. 6/10