History Fridge / AChristmasStory

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it. He even chuckles after telling Ralphie to go back to the car.
* Ralphie's parents seem too old for a working class family during the Great Depression, Darren McGavin was 61 and Melinda Dillon was 44. However the movie is based on Ralphie's memories, and when we're young our parents seem really old. So it's likely his parents were actually in their 30s but just seemed really old to Ralphie.

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it. He even chuckles after telling Ralphie to go back to the car.

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it. He even chuckles after telling Ralphie to go back to the car.
* People have pointed out historical errors in the movie--a song that wouldn't have been on the air in 1940, etc. But these may not be errors when you consider: this whole movie is the adult Ralph recounting a childhood memory. How many of us mix up details in our childhood memories, or mash them together?

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it. He even chuckles after telling Ralphie to go back to the car.

* Scut's final laugh while taunting Ralphie is shallow and forced. It's entirely possible he saw how angry Ralphie was getting and was getting a little worried, possibly even scared.

* On a related note, The Old Man's fascination with The Lamp neatly matches Ralphie's own fascination with consumer products like the decoder ring or, of course, The Red Ryder BB Gun itself.

* Miss Shields' reaction to Ralphie kissing up... we know he's doing it to curry favor for a good grade on his theme. But it's implied she takes it as Ralphie developing a crush on her, which concerns her.

* Clever use of a rotating sweep pan, a fish-eye lens and distorted music perfectly expresses the chaotic bewilderment a child would actually feel when sitting on Santa's lap.

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it.
** Watch him closely after he tells Ralphie to go back to the car; it's a quick moment, but he does give a rueful chuckle just before the scene cuts away.

* The Old Man's thrill over every minor victory, and his love for the Leg Lamp, makes sense when one considers that TheGreatDepression would have been the very recent past when this movie takes place, meaning The Old Man would have very clear memories of a chaotic time when even bare essentials were scarce. It makes sense he'd take pride in the few things he can control, and that he'd be so proud of a tacky yet unique leg lamp. He sees it as a small luxury item. More importantly it’s a major award, HE won so of course he’d be happy.

* Given the lack of mention to any sort of war and the date on the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring, it can be inferred that the film takes place in December 1940. That means Ralphie's next Christmas would be happening in the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor. No wonder he looks back on this Christmas so fondly. Possibly counts as FridgeHorror.

* The gun has "a compass in the stock and ''this thing that tells time''." Considering the technology available in the period, and that it's paired with something that finds North, the "thing that tells time" is almost certainly a sundial.

* The department store elves are surly and peevish. Makes sense, as it is heavily implied they are department store employees who have been forced to do this crap duty.
* The Old Man [[spoiler: buying Raphie's beloved air gun]]. It becomes clear later that [[spoiler: he wasn't as oblivious to his son's obsession as he let on, and bought the gun offscreen prior to Christmas]].
** Bonus points when you consider [[spoiler: Ralphie never discussed the gun with him, unlike every other adult in the movie]].
** Even more points when you realize it was probably also The Old Man's revenge for the Battle of the Lamp.
* Everything about Ralphie's being an unreliable narrator. Anything post-December 1940 that creeps in, the ''massive'' size of the Santa display, the AllegedCar status of the Old Man's two-year-old Olds (which they probably kept through [[WorldWarTwo the war]]), all are as remembered by a man well into his 50s.

* The Old Man's thrill over every minor victory, and his love for the Leg Lamp, makes sense when one considers that TheGreatDepression would have been the very recent past when this movie takes place, meaning The Old Man would have very clear memories of a chaotic time when even bare essentials were scarce. It makes sense he'd take pride in the few things he can control, and that he'd be so proud of a tacky yet unique leg lamp. He sees it as a small luxury item. More importantly it’s a major award, of course he’d be happy.

* The Old Man's thrill over every minor victory, and his love for the Leg Lamp, makes sense when one considers that TheGreatDepression would have been the very recent past when this movie takes place, meaning The Old Man would have very clear memories of a chaotic time when even bare essentials were scarce. It makes sense he'd take pride in the few things he can control, and that he'd be so proud of a tacky yet unique leg lamp. As he says its a major award he won (as well as a small luxury item for himself).

* The Old Man's thrill over every minor victory, and his love for the Leg Lamp, makes sense when one considers that TheGreatDepression would have been the very recent past when this movie takes place, meaning The Old Man would have very clear memories of a chaotic time when even bare essentials were scarce. It makes sense he'd take pride in the few things he can control, and that he'd be so proud of a tacky yet unique leg lamp he sees it as a major award as well as a small luxury item he was able to win for himself.

* The Old Man's thrill over every minor victory, and his love for the Leg Lamp, makes sense when one considers that TheGreatDepression would have been the very recent past when this movie takes place, meaning The Old Man would have very clear memories of a chaotic time when even bare essentials were scarce. It makes sense he'd take pride in the few things he can control, and that he'd be so proud of even as tacky a luxury as the Lamp.

* While Ralphie's mother may ask where Ralphie heard "that word" from, you'll notice the Old Man doesn't. Surely he knows damn well where Ralphie heard it.

* Scut's final laugh while taunting Ralphie is shallow and forced. It's entirely possible he saw how angry Ralphie was getting and was getting a little worried, possibly even scared.