“Gee whiz, mom! Do I really have to put it on?” “On the double, Ralphie!” Whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday this season, there’s a good chance that you’ve watched the tale of a young Cleveland, Ohio lad, Ralphie, whose dream to own a Red Rider BB gun was the staple of “A Christmas Story’. He embarks on a mundane adventure made classic with its relatable entertainment, from the Bumpus Hounds to the infamous Leg Lamp- which of course, was a major award for Ralphie’s dad to win. Tonight on December 17th, the holiday traditional movie takes a new form of (you guessed it) revivalism in a live remake.
Laden with celebrities, the live ACS aires tonight on Fox. Why exactly is this timing so perfect? Between the current political climate asking for greatness again paired with the latent or deliberate desire that the American public has for nostalgic traditions (sans the violence and prejudice obviously), we at the Retro Revival believe that these incidences of mainstreaming retro culture are the media’s attempt to stand and deliver. Realistically, only the privileged in America got to experience that stereotype of (estimated) 1910-1970ish lifestyle due to de-facto and de-jure effects. Today, while we rightfully recognize all persons as being equal and deserving, we also crave that slower-paced, more meaningful lifestyle that is often attributed to ‘the good old days’. Particularly appealing to the emotions is the holiday season, making the intersection of vintage and nostalgia more powerful than ever.
So, ACS is situated in a modest 1940s home, complete with accurate furnishings and set, costumes and relative language. It an attempt to bring all Americans (and really, all people) closer to that warm and fuzzy feeling, ACS Live offers the chance for that nostalgic inspiration to seep into every home this Christmas season. It encourages all the best facets of ‘back in the day’- like ankle length coats for mom, durable snow gear, walking home from school, haggling a price for Christmas trees, waiting for the mail, comfortable living without excess, and (a personal favorite) teaching school-age children good penmanship. Perhaps what makes this movie an excellent revival is an-absence of any prejudice within the film, likely due to its release date being in 1983 as opposed to being produced any earlier in the 20th century.
Still not convinced? Tune into Fox tonight at 7 PM EST and let’s see how this remake satisfies the sweet tooth in us all for the swell of retro living. And to all those who celebrate, we will be signing off until New Year’s Eve. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Manny’s notes:
Another benefit to this format for a television program is that it puts Hollywood/film & television actors into a stage performance style performance where there is no reshooting, only rehearsal and performance. This kind of programing if done more often offers stage actors an in with television shows and also challenges seasoned television actors to keep their live performance skills sharp.
Retro Curious Rebellious: The Revival 