A Christmas Story
“A tribute to the original, traditional, one-hundred-percent, red-blooded, two-fisted, all-American Christmas.”
Synopsis
The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.
Part of the A Christmas Story Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
4K TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2022-11-01
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Melinda Dillon
Mother
Darren McGavin
The Old Man
Peter Billingsley
Ralphie
Jean Shepherd
Ralphie as an Adult (voice)
Ian Petrella
Randy
Scott Schwartz
Flick
R.D. Robb
Schwartz
Tedde Moore
Miss Shields
Yano Anaya
Grover Dill
Zack Ward
Scut Farkus
Jeff Gillen
Santa Claus
Leslie Carlson
Christmas Tree Man
Jim Hunter
Freight Man
Patty Johnson
Head Elf
Drew Hocevar
Male Elf
David Edward
Kid with Goggles
Dwayne McLean
Black Bart
Helen E. Kaider
Wicked Witch
Release History & Theatrical Window
November 18, 1983
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3.3M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$20.7M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
6.27x
+$17.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Bob Clark
- Screenplay & Story
- Bob Clark, Leigh Brown, Jean Shepherd
- Original Score
- Carl Zittrer, Paul Zaza
- Original Title
- A Christmas Story
- Country of Origin
- United States of America, Canada
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 33m
- Production Budget
- $3.3M
- Worldwide Gross
- $20.7M
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Bob Clark
Bob Clark, Leigh Brown, Jean Shepherd
Carl Zittrer, Paul Zaza
Reginald H. Morris
Stan Cole
Bob Clark, René Dupont
Department Leadership Roster
Reginald H. Morris
Director of Photography
Bob Clark
Screenplay
Reuben Freed
Production Design
Bob Clark
Director
Carl Zittrer
Original Music Composer
Mary E. McLeod
Costume Design
Paul Zaza
Original Music Composer
Bob Clark
Producer
Stan Cole
Editor
Leigh Brown
Screenplay
René Dupont
Producer
Jean Shepherd
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
General — Suitable for all audiences.
General — Suitable for all ages.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for A Christmas Story.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring A Christmas Story.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:48 UTC+8)*
Roger Ebert's Great Movies
Every film from Roger Ebert's 'Great Movies' essays. 罗杰·伊伯特的伟大电影： 收录了已故美国著名国民级影评人罗杰·伊伯特（Roger Ebert）在其经典的《伟大电影》（Great Movies）系列专栏文章中推荐、评论过的所有影史经典佳作。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#092] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:12 UTC+8)*
Christmas Collection
Watched Movies
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Movies
What I've Watched.
Similar Titles to A Christmas Story
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.0
6.2
6.2
6.4
5.7
10.0
4.9
5.8
5.5
4.8
6.3
6.5
6.2
5.3
7.3
5.4
More Like A Christmas Story
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About A Christmas Story
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is A Christmas Story about?
The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.
Who directed A Christmas Story?
A Christmas Story was directed by Bob Clark.
Who stars in A Christmas Story?
The principal cast of A Christmas Story includes Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, Jean Shepherd, Ian Petrella.
When was A Christmas Story released and how long is it?
A Christmas Story was released in 1983 with a total runtime of 1h 33m.
What was the box office and production budget of A Christmas Story?
A Christmas Story had a reported production budget of $3.3M and grossed $20.7M at the worldwide box office (6.27 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for A Christmas Story?
The original motion picture soundtrack for A Christmas Story was composed by Carl Zittrer, Paul Zaza.
Is A Christmas Story based on a book or true story?
A Christmas Story is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Jean Shepherd".
What is the age rating and content advisory for A Christmas Story?
A Christmas Story holds official age classifications: AU: G (General — Suitable for all audiences.); CA: G (General — Suitable for all ages.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: PG (Parental Guidance — Unlikely to upset children 8 and older.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).