Quote from a Christmas movie

I wouldn't say this is my favorite quote from a Christmas movie but it is certainly the most memorable quote for me, and it is one no parent likes to think about. The quote is from the 1983 movie, A Christmas Story, and it is “you will shoot your eye out.”

Ouch! Doesn’t that make you flinch? Young Ralphie’s deepest desire is to receive a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, and that goal is threaded through the whole movie. Set in a small town in Indiana, which could be “anytown USA”, Ralphie tells three adults, his mom, his teacher and Santa Claus, about his Red Ryder rifle quest, and they all respond with this quote.

The quote summarizes parents’ concerns for their kids, as the movie’s hilarious plot twists unfold and Ralphie, his younger brother and his parents manage to survive the holiday and find some joy.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out!

Whether you've watched The Christmas Story or not, you'll recognize that phrase in its relationship to a BB gun. I love watching the DVD of the movie, The Christmas Story (followed closely by Lampoon's Christmas Vacation). It reminds me of the Christmas my brother got his BB gun and yes, the caution every time he took it outside was, "Be careful you don't shoot an eye out!"

The movie was filmed in Cleveland and used the old Higbee building that now stands fairly empty except for some offices, I believe. It was a big deal to get dressed up and go shopping, see Santa, and then have lunch at the Silver Grille. For dessert, there was always a scoop of ice cream with chocolate syrup and whipped cream topped with a cherry and decorated with a paper parasol. Even at an early age I was intrigued by mysteries. When you took the parasol apart, there was Chinese writing on the paper that was made into a roll that slid up and down to open the parasol. I imagined it was secret code.

Suburban malls have taken the place of that Christmas shopping experience where the lights of the city, the window decorations and that special lunch were something that made memories.

What movies spark childhood memories for you?

(If you go to this site and scroll down a bit you can see a picture of Higbee's at Christmas in 1952. I would have been five, dressed in something velveteen, with little white gloves, if I remember my mother's tastes. Okay, do the math--I'm old.)