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A Christmas Story 2
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Wikipedia article
'A Christmas Story 2' is a 2012 American Christmas comedy film directed by Brian Levant and starring Daniel Stern and Braeden Lemasters. The film is a direct sequel to the 1983 film 'A Christmas Story', which ignores the events of the 1994 film 'My Summer Story'. The film, set six years after the film, follows Ralphie (now fifteen years old) as he wishes for a 1939 Mercury Eight convertible for Christmas, but crashes the car before he even owns it. Now, Ralphie and his friends (Flick and Schwartz) must find a way to raise enough money to fix the car before Christmas before his dad (The Old Man) finds out.
Although billed as an "official sequel" in the trailer, the film is not directly based on Jean Shepherd's writings, instead relying on an original script by Nat Mauldin, who also narrates the movie in place of the late Shepherd (the subplot of Ralphie and his friends finding jobs and then getting fired was originally by Shepherd and had previously been included in the telefilm 'Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss').
The film was released straight to DVD on October 30, 2012 to mostly negative reviews from critics. Another sequel, entitled 'A Christmas Story Christmas', is scheduled to be released on November 17, 2022 via streaming on HBO Max by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment.
Plot
The film takes place in 1946, six years after the events of the original film. Ralphie is now fifteen years old, and all he wants is a used 1939 Mercury Eight convertible for Christmas. He tries testing the car out when he sees it on a display ramp, but he accidentally causes the car to roll back out of the used car lot and gently tap a light pole, causing a plastic reindeer on the pole to loosen and fall through the convertible top. Ralphie bands together with Flick and Schwartz to raise enough money to pay the dealer back for fixing it before Christmas so that the car dealer won't have Ralph arrested and presumably thrown in jail. He and his friends get a job and after going through several departments at the Higbee's store and in the end getting into a fight with the store Santa and then each other they all get fired. Ralphie does get his job back after some begging and pleading, but by Christmas Eve he finds he is still $1 short, so he and Flick rob Schwartz of his "lucky buck". While on the way to the dealer, Ralphie decides to donate a chunk for a less fortunate family. He winds up still off the hook with the owner of the dealership. In the end he does get the car he wants for Christmas and the girlfriend he wants to go with it.
Cast
*Braeden Lemasters as Ralphie Parker
*Daniel Stern as Mr. Parker / The Old Man
*Stacey Travis as Mrs. Parker
*Valin Shinyei as Randy Parker
*David W. Thompson as Flick
*David Buehrle as Schwartz
*Tiera Skovbye as Drucilla Gootrad
* Gerard Plunkett as Hank Catenhauser
* Garry Chalk as Higbee's Store Santa
Production
The movie was filmed in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
Release
On August 13, 2012, it was announced that the film will be released released straight to DVD on October 30, 2012.
The film's trailer was released on September 5, 2012. Initial reception to the film's trailer was predominantly negative. Russ Fischer of /Film called the trailer "sad".
In 2019, the film aired as part of the Best Christmas Ever block on AMC.
Critical reception
The film received mostly negative reviews. While being praised for attempts to portray 1940s-era America, much of the criticism was directed at the reliance of slapstick humor and its inferior derivation of the 1983 film. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes it has only three reviews from critics, all of them negative.FleshEatingZipper panned the film, writing that the slapstick elements in the film detracted from the movie while praising the attempt to "replicate a 40s-era Midwest". Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com wrote: "Shamelessly derivative and plasticized, 'A Christmas Story 2' will only have you wondering why you're not watching the original picture again".
Sequel
On January 20, 2022, it was announced that another sequel (which will have no connection to 'A Christmas Story 2') is in production, entitled 'A Christmas Story Christmas'. The film will be directed by 'The Christmas Chronicles' director Clay Kaytis and be written by 'The Mule' screenwriter Nick Schenk (who will also executive produce). Peter Billingsley will reprise his role as Ralphie and produce the film alongside Vince Vaughn. The film will be set in the 1970s with the film following the now grown-up Ralphie returning to his childhood home with his family for Christmas, following the recent death of his father (aka The Old Man). In addition to Billingsley reprising his role, it was also announced that Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R. D. Robb, and Zack Ward would reprise their roles as Randy Parker, Flick, Schwartz, and Scut Farkus, respectively. In addition, Erinn Hayes, River Drosche, and Julianna Layne will play Ralphie and his kids, while Julie Hagerty will play Mrs. Parker, in a role originated by Melinda Dillon (who retired from acting in 2007) in the original film. Principal photography began in late February 2022 in Hungary and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is scheduled to be released on November 17, 2022 via streaming on HBO Max by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment. The film will dedicated to the memory of Darren McGavin (who plays Ralphie's Old Man in the original film), who died on February 25, 2006 at the age of 83.
See also
* List of Christmas films
References
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