<P> A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on Jean Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, with some elements from his 1971 book Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories . It stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, and Peter Billingsley . A seasonal classic in North America, it is shown numerous times on television, usually on the networks owned by the Turner Broadcasting System . Since 1997, a marathon of the film titled "24 Hours of A Christmas Story" has aired annually on TNT and / or TBS, comprising twelve consecutive airings of the film on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day each year . </P> <P> The film was released on November 18, 1983 . It earned two Canadian Genie Awards in 1984 and in 2012 was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". </P> <P> The film is presented in a series of vignettes, with narration provided by the adult Ralphie Parker reminiscing on one particular Christmas when he was nine years old . Ralphie wanted only one thing for that Christmas: a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200 - shot Range Model air rifle . Ralphie's desire is rejected by his mother, his teacher Miss Shields, and even a Santa Claus at Higbee's department store, all giving him the same warning: "You'll shoot your eye out ." </P> <P> Christmas morning arrives and Ralphie dives into his presents . Although he does receive some presents he enjoys, Ralphie ultimately is disappointed that he did not receive the one thing he wanted more than anything . After it appears all of the presents have been opened, Ralphie's father, "The Old Man," directs Ralphie to look at one last present that he had hidden . Ralphie opens it to reveal the Red Ryder gun he wanted . </P>

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