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Movie · Comedy · 1983 · PG

A Christmas Story: parents' guide

8+our pick

Best for ages 8 and up. Rated PG.

A beloved, very funny look back at a 1940s childhood Christmas that grade-schoolers usually enjoy, though it carries more salty language and roughhousing than its cozy reputation suggests. Ralphie schemes for a BB gun while dodging bullies, a cranky dad and his own big mouth. Adults swear often (no f-word is heard, though one is clearly implied), a bully ends up with a bloody face, Ralphie gets soap in his mouth as punishment, the leg lamp brings innuendo, and a Chinese restaurant scene mocks the staff's accents, one of several dated ethnic jokes. Age 8 fits most families; plan to talk about the stereotypes.

What's in it

Violence

Moderate

Ralphie snaps and pummels a bully, who is left with blood on his face; bullies twist arms and give a black eye; there is a daydream shootout, a tongue frozen to a pole, and a BB gun mishap near an eye.

Language

Mild

Frequent mild swearing: about nine damns, five hells, three uses of son of a bitch, smart-ass twice, and God's name misused around eight times. Ralphie's famous fudge moment stands in for an unheard f-word.

Sex and nudity

Mild

Innuendo, mostly about the dad's prized leg lamp, which the narrator treats as titillating. A magazine shows nude sunbathers in side profile, and the dad makes a crude joke after a bowling ball lands in his lap.

Drinking, drugs and smoking

Mild

Light. The parents share wine on Christmas, and the dad offers Ralphie a sip that his mom vetoes; a daydream shows Ralphie with chewing tobacco.

Scary or intense scenes

Mild

Mild. A gruff department-store Santa and a steep slide frighten little kids on screen, bullies menace Ralphie, and a classmate needs rescuing after the frozen-flagpole dare.

Sensitive topics

  • Bullying
  • Racism

Worth talking about

The Chinese restaurant scene plays accents for laughs; talk about why that kind of joke hurts. Ralphie's fight with the neighborhood bully also opens a conversation about better ways to handle being picked on.

Where to stream →

On our lists

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Checked October 24th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, Plugged In, movieguide.org, decentfilms.com. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.