Jews finally watch 'A Christmas Story'

I saw Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer once, two years ago. My first Jingle All the Way screening took place only a year ago. I have yet to watch Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street and even It's a Wonderful Life. I know, I know, I should see them, but I just haven't, OK?

It's not that I'm purposefully avoiding watching Christmas movies, but, as a Jew, watching holiday films over winter vacation was never a thing at my house, the way going to a movie theater and eating Chinese food was.

In turn, I thought watching A Christmas Story with my family this year would be an interesting exercise. Would we like the film, even if we don't celebrate Christmas? Would the jokes resonate? Are we all a bunch of Scrooges?

After much persuading, my younger sister (my twin is out of town) and parents appeased me. We watched it, we enjoyed it, and, per usual, we debated it.

How about those Jewish characters?

A Christmas Story's Mort Schwartz, clearly a Jew by the sound of his name, "was the instigator," said my mom. Maybe he was the one Frankie remembered as being bad, because he didn't need to be good for Santa, she thought.

Schwartz was the one who triple-dog-dared Flick to lick a pole. He's also the one who gets undeserving blame for teaching Ralphie the F-word.

Consensus: My family wasn't offended by depiction of the Jewish character whose mom yells on the phone.

Though Scut Farkas also has a Jewish-sounding name, the redhead bully probably wasn't a member of the tribe.

Are there things you didn't realize were references to 'A Christmas Story'?

My dad is unconvinced the movie helped his pop-culture sensibility: "It's not like we missed out (by not having seen this earlier). I grew up hearing 'Shoot your eye out' in the '60s, and the leg lamp is based on a style from the '20s or '30s.

Meanwhile, my sister said she hears people reference the leg lamp all the time, but she's never known what they were talking about 'til now. Same goes for the "Shoot your eye out kid" saying and the kid's tongue frozen on the pole.

Was it too "Christmassy" for Jews to enjoy?

Although the "Christmas" in this movie's title did deter our Hanukkah-observing family from initially seeing it (I had to lobby my sister), this film was secular. In fact, the holiday is simply used "as a plot motivator, and Christmas was beside the point," said my dad. "I'm not walking away from it thinking it was an interesting take on Christmas, just a take on a family in the '40s with a whimsical narration."

In fact, the four of us were cracking up so much for the hour-and-a-half– at Ralphie's imaginations and the mall Santa– that we were convinced the filmmakers were Jewish. (They're not, but Jews are known to write many hit Christmas-themed works.)

We related to the characters. My dad, like Ralphie's dad, steals bits of turkey before it's ready. My mom, like Ralphie's mom, purposefully withholds certain information from my dad to protect her children. My sister, like Ralphie, tends to dramatize stories of her past.

Are you happy you saw it?

Dad: A Christmas Story "deflated the Christmas movie brand" in a good way. Now, I'll see more movies that have the holiday theme.

Mom: This movie was about "the absurdity of Christmas. I thought, quite frankly, this would be a sugarcoated, sweet interpretation of this kid's love of Christmas, but it's a black comedy of Christmas. I'd watch this again and again."

Sister: "It's really great! It's not one of those movies where the driving force is an overestimation of the magic and joy of Christmas.  I want to see more films by that director." (My sister is a filmmaker)

Me: Very yes! I will now try to incorporate "the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window" into casual conversation.

Have any movie recommendations for us to watch next time I'm at my parents' house?

br />