MovieChat Forums > A Christmas Story (1983) Discussion > Is this movie well known in any European...

Is this movie well known in any European country?

posted 22 days ago by EricCartmanBrah (439)
15 replies | jump to latest

I'm from Norway and I had never heard of this movie until various American YouTubers started talking about it like Nostalgia Critic who thinks it's the best christmas movie ever. The movie is NEVER shown on TV here in any December year. For comparison sake, movies like Home Alone 1 & 2, National Lampoon, Christmas Carol (Muppet version, Scrooge McDuck version, Jim Carrey version, I think) are always shown several times. No one in my family has ever heard of it either. Is this the same everywhere else in Europe? Because it feels like Americans are in a bubble when talking about this movie.

[–] Gd5150 (11849) 21 days ago

Weird. Most of those aren’t even good.

Do they show, It’s a Wonderful Life over there? Or White Christmas? Or Charlie Brown Christmas? Or A Christmas Carol (George C Scott).

[–] strntz (12733) 21 days ago

GREAT choices.

[–] EricCartmanBrah (439) 21 days ago

White Christmas predates TV here, and we only had one channel from 1960-88. Charlie Brown christmas probably used to be shown here as the full show was rerun on Cartoon Network and later Boomerang during my childhood. Not sure if it still does on any channels. Those channels are both ruined now with nothing interesting on them. Wonderful Life, very rarely, I think. I've never seen it shown. That version of Christmas Carol, the same, I think.

Home Alone 1 & 2 and National Lampoon are the only ones I think that gets the primetime treatment out of American movies. Also, we have tons of Disney shorts broadcast on early christmas day. Other than that, we have some chrismas movies of our own that gets shown, and a christmas version of Cinderella made in Czechoslovakia 50+ years ago. And also some movies that are not related to christmas but are always shown 23-25. December as a tradition.

[–] strntz (12733) 21 days ago

I think the reason A Christmas Story gained traction in the U.S. is that it was filmed at a time when most people seeing the film as adults either grew up in the 1940s or their parents did and the nostalgia of the '40s pulled them in. I grew up in the 60s mostly but my parents had a steel with enamel coating kitchen table from when they got married in the late 40s, and several aunts/uncles had houses with kitchens that looked just like that. They did a great job of replicating that era.

There are still schools in older cities that look exactly like the school that Ralphie attended.

While I believe it started mostly as a nostalgia thing, the overall charm and humor of the story grew on viewers (this bombed during the theatrical release but became a cult hit on cable TV). The movie is very rewatchable, but I honestly don't know if it will translate to other cultures as it would for Americans.

In addition to the other American Christmas movies mentioned above, 1947s Miracle on 34th St. would be a great American example of a Christmas Movie.

[–] Gd5150 (11849) 21 days ago

It was filmed in the 80s but took place in the 40’s. I think the post WW2 era was a time when people just wanted to be back with their families and enjoy the simple things. ACS does a great job at capturing that era.

[–] liscarkat (19031) 21 days ago

The movie is set during 1940, a year prior to the U.S. entering WWII.

[–] Gd5150 (11849) 21 days ago

Oh whoops. Wow it takes place before it’s a wonderful life came out.

[–] Gd5150 (11849) 21 days ago

I’m looking for some great Christmas movies and would be curious to know what Europeans consider great Christmas movies. Outside of the obvious big ones that are popular in the US.

[–] Sparky (2660) 6 days ago

Try:

The Dead
The Lemon Drop Kid

[–] liscarkat (19031) 21 days ago

It seems like Europeans are in a bubble when talking about movies, as if only European movies matter and American movies don't matter just because they haven't heard of them.

[–] Gd5150 (11849) 20 days ago

Countries like Norway, Finland, Sweden have real life Christmas year round so they don’t need Christmas movies.

[–] EricCartmanBrah (439) 20 days ago

Lol, we reach above 80 farenheit most summers in the most populated areas.

[–] Tam87 (1381) 16 days ago

It's the same in the UK, no one knows this movie here, was never shown on TV at Christmastime (or at least on none of the primetime slots).

I'm guessing this film strikes a particular chord with Americans only, likely because it captures their culture during that era perfectly, and Americans can reminisce over it.

A Christmas Story is a decent but awkward film, hence why it's never been a favourite with European audiences. There are far better Christmas films than this one.

[–] MarkPh (505) 16 days ago

I've had several years in a row during the 80s where I went to the cinema 4 times a week, which was "only" 4 times because in my town in Germany there were only 2 cinemas where each of them showed 2 movies per week.
I've literally seen every single movie that came to the cinemas in northern Germany in 1983 and I've never heard of this movie.
Furthermore I've started collecting movies as soon as video recorders became affordable, I've converted all the VHS tapes I had to digital files when large harddisks became affordable and I've never deleted any movie, but this movie isn't in my collection.

[–] Keelai (35380) 6 days ago

The movie is about a small kid's obsession on receiving a BB gun for Christmas.

It's understandable that the movie wouldn't be popular outside of the United States.