So there's one moment where I always tear up, I'm afraid to say. It's the moment after all the Christmas presents have been opened and Ralphie hadn't received the BB gun he lusted after so desperately. And then (spoiler alert: but if you haven't seen the movie, you've clearly been celebrating Kwanzaa on Jupiter for the last 25 years) Ralphie's gruff Dad gives him the gift - from out of nowhere. It's just amazing in that scene to watch the Dad, the late Darren McGavin (of Kolchak: The Night Stalker fame): you can see him reliving his childhood and feeling the sense of wonder about the gift even more than Ralphie, somehow. And that's how I am, I've found out: getting gifts is great, but what I really revel in is the giving. When I see the look of surprise and delight in someone's eye when they open a gift I gave them, that's what I live for this time of year.
And that scene will always get to me.
2 comments:
I'm glad to see that I'm not the only man that wells up at that part. I have to admit that I try and hide it the best I can. I don't know why though. In fact, I'd say that if you don't cry at that scene your manhood is truly in question.
Indeed. I think it is related to manhood quite a bit. It demonstrates a certain quality of fathers, who are often in the backgrounds of these kind of family movies (and these kinds of families): they're actually listening and paying attention to what's going on and they always come through in the end. It's the most unexpected surprise in the film - even though I know it's coming, it's like I'm always surprised every time I see that scene.
Post a Comment