I love this movie. I watch it every year wih my family. Its a great family movie. It refers to the f word, but little kids wont really get that part, and middle school kids will think that parts hillarious. Again I love a christmas story, and I think you need to see it.
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A Christmas Story
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)
Not age appropriate for kids under 5, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Wonderful antidote to saccharine holiday tales.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8 and Up
The good stuff
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About A Christmas Story
Parents need to know that in one scene, the main character is punished for swearing by having his mouth washed out with soap. He's also bullied and beats up his nemesis, then cries afterward. One child sticks his tongue on a flagpole on a dare and needs the fire department to unstick him. Families can talk about bullies: What makes people act like bullies?
Read our full review by Nell Minow
Families Can Talk About
- Why is a "triple dog dare" so hard to resist?
- What makes people befriend bullies? How will the bully's life change after Ralphie fights him?
- Families can also discuss why Ralphie's father likes the lamp so much? Why does his mother dislike it?
- Why is it hard for Ralphie to talk to his parents about what he wants for Christmas?
- Why is Ralphie so disappointed by the decoder?
Our Members Say
See all 22 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
- I rate this title on for age 7 and give it
A great family movie
- I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
Best Christmas Movie Ever!!!!!
This is funny no matter how many times I watch this. And the language is kinda bad, but CSM missed the child says b***h and one scene he says ffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge even though it's not heard it's implied he said the word. There's nothing bad with the bullying, it's just funny! I don't think the producer meant to tell kids to hit people in real life.
- I rate this title off for age 10 and give it
Funny for adults and teens, but language is terrible for younger kids
I have watched this movie many times, and think it's really funny. I thought my 9-year old would like it this year, so we started to watch it, and I had apparently forgotten how bad the language is! MUCH more swearing that you would typically see in a PG or even PG13 movie these days... My daughter also really hated the bullying. We didn't finish watching the movie... we'll probably try again when she's about 12!
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
a holiday classic
i first saw this movie when i was 8 years old and i loved it! it's the perfect mix of humor for both adults and kids. the kids are going to watch this every christmas
- I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
ok...
well um this movie is ok its swears and kids act horrible. not for kids under 7
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
the best christmas movie ever
i really think this movie is a really great christmas movie. my whole family loves it and the ages range from 6 to 32. i would have to say though that if you have kids younger than 4 you should watch like frosty the snow man or a hoilday cartoon like that.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
great Christmas movie!
I love this funny classic Christmas movie, and it never gets old!
- I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
Annual Holiday Favorite
This is one movie that we watch every holiday season. It is a great family movie; where parents (who can remember how it was back then) can talk about what it was like to listen to shows on the radio, go to christmas tree lots that only had christmas trees, etc... yes, there are references to some inappropriate language, but parents can use that opportunity to discuss better options. Again, this is a timeless movie to watch every Christmas season!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
The best!
I LOVE this! its like the best Christmas movie EVER! I watch this every year and it never gets old! there is NO innappropriate language at all. This is the best!
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
its great but................
I love this movie a lot, its fun, its great but the profanity is just not suitable for any one so be careful.
- I rate this title off for age 17 and give it
Plot was good, language was horrible
Not suitable for children at all.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
A "classic" that I only recently discovered myself.
I only recently discovered this gem last year when I was 39. I finally watched it after having friends look at me incredulously when I get the joke shooting my eye out and I had never even heard of a Red Ryder air rifle. So this year, I made sure that watched it with my kids. We all loved it. So much good stuff and it's nice to see a film isn't worried about being politically correct about everything. It's fun right from the start, 'til the end. Another movie that I like is the recent "Elf" with Will Farrell, and I'm telling you this because I just learned that the elf that is up at the North Pole who gets frustated with Buddy (Farrell's elf character) is actually Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie in A Christmas Story. Have fun!
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Great movie
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Verry Funny
I watched this movie, mostly by accident once, and I loved it. It's really funny, and very family appropriate. There aren't really any draw backs, except bullying (which is combatted in this movie) and swearing, but the words were only implied with other harmless words. However, the kids were punished for saying the words that the harmless words stood for. But it was a funny movie.
- I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
Love this movie!
I watch this movie every Christmas! It is a classic at my house. It is so funny, and the whole family can watch it together. There is some language, the boy says "fudge" instead of the f word, and the father swears. There is a fistfight between too boys , and that is about all of the violence. I absolutely love this movie.
- I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it
- I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
ok for 12&up
although I grew up with this movie (it's on tv every year at Christmas time), I was in shock over the language in the movie as I watched it with my kids. the unedited version of the movie on tv contains the words "son of a bit--". it's too bad, words are not bleeped out anymore.
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