Be sure to drink your Ovaltine?

Plot:
     The plot of the movie is all about a boy's holiday experiences and his extreme desire to get a red ryder BB gun for Christmas. They way that the movie portrays a child's everyday interactions as being a big deal really brings the whole story together to connect with small town families on a deeper level. Ralphie and his brother, Randy's different pre-Christmas are very similar to events that have happened to children throughout the ages. There relationshipwith their father, secret pacts with their mother, and "triple dog dares" with their friends is how many kids were raised in the 50's.

Point of View:
     The point of you of this film is, as the book was, in first person. The narrator who is telling the story seems to be looking back at his childhood. Which gives the movie the same personal feel as the story did. Although it is never established that the narrator is indeed Ralphie, the way he talks would make one believe so. Throughout the movie, adults and children alike could sympathize or laugh along with little Ralphie's joys, sorrows, and disappointments because everyone knows what it's like to be a kid at Christmas time.

Characterization:
     The characters in this movie are very simple and believable. The narrator of the story is a common every day kid all grown up, remembering how he was like as a kid. His entire family is very believable. It is a common thing for a father to get upset and curse when their family car "would freeze up in the middle of summer on the equator!" One could often mothers who would look out for their kids and not mention things to get them out of trouble. This fact continues to make the story feel personal, like a Taylor Swift song? The commonness of the family being discussed in the film adaptation makes it have the same close-to-home feel of the book.

Setting:
     Both the movie and the book take place in the 50's. The entertainment that they talk about make it seem so. The "Look" magazine that belongs to the mother was very popular in that time. The newspaper that the father always has looks like a paper straight out of the 50's. The fact that they listen to radio shows instead of watching T.V. also makes it true. The way that the family dresses, looks, and acts is also like a 50's style family.

Theme:  "I want you to write.... A THEME..."
     The theme of this story is that childhood can be a magical time, if you think of it so. Another theme is that all good things come to those who wait. Ralphie persistence to get the BB gun certainly paid off in the end. Another possible theme is be careful what you wish for. Even after all the warnings from Ralphie's superiors, he still almost shot his eye out! The biggest theme this story has, however, is that family is a big part of your life. The way that the movie connects Ralphie to his family shows just how much his family really means to him.