I've Watched "A Christmas Story" Over 50 Times, and Ralphie's Struggles Are Still a Mood

Remember when you were a kid and your friends used to dare you to do stupid stuff . . . and then you did it, no questions asked? That's exactly what happens to poor Flick when he gets his tongue stuck to a frozen pole in the middle of winter. It doesn't help that all of his friends leave him outside in the cold ("The bell rang!"), but, hey, having the entire fire department come over to melt your tongue off a pole is a pretty cool story to tell.

Most families hope for a peaceful holiday season, and the Parkers are no exception. Unfortunately, they're basically the perfect example of all the unexpected things that can go wrong during the holidays. In addition to the fact that Ralphie has to put a bar of soap in his mouth after he swears, his parents also spend a substantial amount of time arguing over a sexy leg lamp.

To top it off with a bow, the neighbors' poorly trained pack of dogs devour their homemade Christmas dinner, forcing them to go out to eat on Christmas Day. It isn't exactly the holiday they were expecting, but they definitely make some lasting memories.

Ralphie's age is never officially stated in the film, but he seems to be in elementary school based on context clues, which explains why he has such a vivid imagination. The film does a fantastic job of translating the imaginary scenarios in his head into moments that we can relate to.

For example, when Ralphie is afraid he's failing his class, he imagines his mother and his teacher — dressed as a jester and a witch, respectively — making fun of him. But when he imagines getting the Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, he sees himself as a cowboy from the Old West, saving his family from a band of burglars. He sees what he wants, even if it's far from reality, but that's exactly what makes him so relatable to kids watching the film for the first time.

Most of us have probably had at least one relative or friend who couldn't decide what to get us for Christmas, so they ended up giving us a well-intentioned, but ultimately misguided, gift. For Ralphie, it's his Aunt Clara, who's convinced he's a 4-year-old girl and gives him a handmade pink bunny onesie. While I personally would have loved this as a kid, Ralphie doesn't look too thrilled. (Spoiler alert: his parents also get him the Red Ryder rifle he'd been hoping for — and as expected, he almost shoots his eye out.)

While helping his dad change a tire during a family outing, Ralphie surprises the whole family when he says, "F*ck." We don't actually hear it, because this is a family movie, so the word gets censored to "fudge." Still, the look on Mr. Parker's face says it all. The scene ultimately leads to more than a few people being punished (See: Ralphie putting soap in his mouth) and adds to the film's classic storyline.

Scut Farkus is the school bully who picks on Ralphie and his friends constantly. When Ralphie has finally had enough, he pounces on Farkus and takes him down, letting out all his frustrations in the form of several mitten-clad punches. When Ralphie's mom catches him in the act, she patches him up and covers for him after his dad comes home.

All in all, even though it isn't what they expected, the characters in "A Christmas Story" have a pretty great holiday after all. I get a good laugh out of watching this movie every year, but it's the plot — a story about family, childhood, and embracing the holiday spirit, no matter what life throws at you — that makes it my favorite.