If you had heard my Dad laugh out loud (he seldom laughed out loud) every single time he watched A Christmas Story, there would be no doubt. It really touched home, as he was just about the same age as Ralphie circa 1940. Grew up in a small, industrial midwestern town. Even the parents, in whom I can easily elements of my grandparents, must have hit close to home.
A perfect movie. Jean Shepherd was a storytelling genius. If I could spend an afternoon in a bar sipping cold beer and knocking back a few shots with anyone who has ever lived, it would probably be Jean Shepherd.