MovieChat Forums > A Christmas Story (1983) Discussion > Ralphie was boring, selfish and dull

Ralphie was boring, selfish and dull


While the parents were the highlights of this film, the Ralphie character was a complete jerk. He wants a gun for Xmas, he’s a coward to his friends and his writing is as bland as a Generation Z article. Why would the filmmakers think audiences would be on this loser’s side? He deserved to shoot his eye out.

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What a stupid little kid! The whole movie is pointless!

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"He wants a gun for Xmas"

First of all, it's a BB gun, not a firearm. And second, ca. 1940, when the story is set, people didn't get their sphincters in a knot at the mention of guns. It was common for boys to have not only BB guns, but .22 rifles. Even as late as the early 1960s, I got a Remington single-shot .22 rifle for my eighth birthday. No big deal. Other boys had them, and none of us has grown up to be a mass shooter.

"He's a coward"

He's a young boy learning how to get by in the world among bullies and a sometimes intimidating father. By the end of the movie, he's grown in character, and even kicks the ass of the neighborhood thug.

"His writing is as bland as a Generation Z article."

Once again, he's a little kid. What do expect from him, Henry James?

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