"A Christmas Story" has three sequel "attempts." None of them are canon to anything other than the original film. So "My Summer Story" and "A Christmas Story 2" just ignore each other's existence. "A Christmas Story Christmas" also ignores the other two films as well as if they never happened. Each of these films are intended to be watched right after "A Christmas Story." Isn't that weird? I don't know of any other franchise where that happened in the same way.
The story of this one takes place in the 70's. Ralph is all grown up and has a wife, as well as a son and daughter. Yes, he has like an extremely perfect nuclear family happening. He is trying to become a writer, but his stories are just too long for the publishers to take seriously. And then suddenly, he finds out that his Old Man has sadly passed away. This leaves him to take his family back to his old home to share Christmas with his mother, who is now a widow.
I know this seems like a sad start, but let me give you an idea of what's really happening here. This movie actually stars the entire cast of the original film. The actor who played the Old Man had actually passed away in 2006. Everybody who could come back did come back to reprise their roles, letting the audience see how they had faired over the years. Ralph must now reclaim the family Christmas tradition all by himself without his Old Man's help, and that is the main thrust of the story.
Now, I don't want to do a lot of spoiling, and here is why: this is an extremely well-made movie across the board. Where the last two sequel attempts were not very good, this one finally hit the mark with a perfect blend of drama and comedy. They got everything right and did so with a finesse that I so rarely see in modern filmmaking.
Christmas movies are difficult to do. You're lucky if one becomes a classic, and it is three times as hard to make a sequel to a Christmas film where anybody will actually care. Even in the case of "A Christmas Story Christmas," very few people even know about this film. It will likely fade away into obscurity purely because of its sequel status, but that does not mean it isn't good. In fact, this movie is the very definition of a diamond in the rough.
Despite the inevitability of this film falling into obscurity, it was reviewed well, and people tended to agree that it was a good movie and one worth making. The main reason for this was the returning cast, a brilliant script, a flawless narration, and a loving reminder of who started this franchise: Jean Shepherd. It's also a wonderful Christmas movie in general which honestly got me right in the feels on multiple occasions. The ending itself made me tear up pretty badly. I was watching with a friend, and he asked me why I had gone so silent. When I tried to explain why, my voice was all cracked and garbled. The ending nearly destroyed me emotionally, and I was very, very happy with what they did.
Before I end this review, there is one more thing I want to mention here. My favorite scene in the original film was when Ralph beat the snot out of Scut Farkus, the bully. It is actually one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever. The actor who played Scut does return in this movie, and it is probably, ONCE AGAIN, one of the best scenes I have ever seen in film. Lightning struck twice. I was astounded. I want to talk about it, but I just really want people to see this film. It's just too good to toss away in a spoiling session. But I am not joking when I say that the return of Scut Farkas was brilliantly executed and filled me with joy at its execution.
"A Christmas Story Christmas" is only intended for people who saw and liked "A Christmas Story." That is sort of a flaw, but such things happen when you make sequels to things. If you liked that original movie, I absolutely recommend this film to you. It is a must see. Near flawless execution, and a solid and meaningful Christmas movie.
And with this review, my Jean Shepherd journey is complete. Rest in peace.
Jean Shepherd (1921-1999)
This blog was written on January 22, 2026.
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