If I had never seen the original movie version of "A Christmas Story", with the incomparable Darren McGavin as "Old Man Parker"; Melinda Dillon, the perfect compliment, as his spouse, "Mother Parker"; Peter Billingsley as "Ralphie" like no one else could have ever portrayed him; and the cohesive sound of Mr. Jean Shepherd, whose artistic voice acted as a brush painting the masterpiece narration along the way and who also wrote the novel which this wonderful tribute to the holiday season is based on, however as I began to say, if I had never seen the original, I still would have felt that the attempt by FOX this evening was a failure in its interpretation of the source, its delivery of the interpretation and its emphasis being placed more on political correctness vice talent and ability regarding its casting of the parts.
But I have seen the original, more times than I can count. The original is a modern holiday classic in much the same way that "Miracle on 34th Street (1947)", "It's A Wonderful LIfe (1946)" and "A Christmas Carol (1938)" are holiday classics from the golden age.
I don't know what FOX was attempting to accomplish with this production besides showing that anything can be remade with heavy handed subjective political correctness, but whatever else was their goal, maybe others will feel they were successful in their mission. Just don't count me among them.
