Billingsley relishes role playing on the Paramount Theatre’s big screen

One of the reasons “A Christmas Story” has become a holiday classic that runs round the clock on cable outlets throughout December is that the film is relatable. The story of a young boy and his misadventures during the 1940s connects with families.

Peter Billingsley, who played the iconic Ralphie in the sweet, amusing film, believes “A Christmas Story” endures since parents and children see their own families in the movie.

“I think people view ‘A Christmas Story’ as realistic, and that’s part of why they come back,” Billingsley said while calling from his Los Angeles home. “Perhaps it helps that when you see ‘A Christmas Story,’ it’s about a family that doesn’t hide its bumps and bruises like some of the sitcoms. There’s a lot going on in that house in the film, and I think that’s how it is with a lot of people. They love that.

“I also think it’s fascinating that such an eccentric film that has pretty wild fantasy sequences has such a devoted following.”

Billingsley, 53, will provide details and insights about “A Christmas Story” on Saturday night at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids. The event includes a moderated Q&A and a screening of the film.

“I still enjoy talking about it,” Billingsley said. “I learned so much and have so many great memories.”

Role model

Darren McGavin, who played Ralphie’s left of center father, had a huge impact on Billingsley. It’s not surprising, since the late McGavin was a gifted actor who had a great reputation on the set.

“He was an incredibly focused guy,” Billingsley said. “He was very nice to me and was as prepared as you would expect. He was knowledgeable about every aspect of the business. He could be having a conversation and overhear how the grips were talking about how to make a shot work. He would stop and make a suggestion that the grips would love and just jump back into the conversation.

“Darren McGavin had that natural intensity that you see in a Robert Duvall and a Gene Hackman. He had a real presence and was very sweet.”

The Old Man character portrayed by McGavin inspired the 2022 sequel “A Christmas Story Christmas.” Billingsley reprised his role for the film. The clever flick features Ralphie, his wife and two children in Cleveland in 1973. The focus is on Ralphie, his old friends and his family in another generation, but without the beloved Old Man.

  Buy Photo

“ ‘A Christmas Story Christmas’ was a lot of fun to do,” Billingsley said. “It felt good being around as much of the original cast that is still with us. To experience all of that 39 years later was amazing. We weren’t going to move forward with the project unless it felt right.

“The sequel had to be worthy of being seen. We didn’t want the sequel to damage the memory of the original film,” he said. “Our goal was to create something that will sit nicely alongside of the original. We wanted it to be a film in which viewers enjoyed seeing where the characters would go later in life. The film had to be good.”

Christmas cheer

Billingsley knows what it’s like on the other side of the camera. He has directed such films as 2009’s “Couples Retreat” and 2016’s “Term Life,” in which he directed his close friend, actor-producer Vince Vaughn. The two created the entertaining podcast, “A Cinematic Christmas Journey,” in which they dissect Christmas movies and Billingsley answers the weighty question, is “Die Hard” a Christmas film?

“I believe ‘Die Hard’ is a Christmas movie,” he said. “And it’s an entertaining Christmas movie.”

How can film fans not defer to Billingsley who knows a thing or two about Christmas?

“I love the season,” he said. “How can you not?”

Billingsley enjoys looking back at “A Christmas Story.”

“It’s wonderful being part of a film that endures,” he said. “I love that people continue coming back to see ‘A Christmas Story,’ which has become a holiday tradition.”

How can you not return to a film that has a scene when a child’s tongue is stuck to a frozen pole?

“We had so much fun with that scene,” Billingsley said. “It was a low-end kind of effect. A fake pole was put over a real pole. We all tried sticking our tongue to the pole and it’s a memory that we’ll have for a lifetime. It was such a blast.

“We shot that scene in Canada. Most of the other exterior shots were in Cleveland. It was brutally cold, but we all had a good time,” he said. “The most important thing is that people still love that scene. They can’t wait to get to that part of the film. It’s relatable, since kids do things like that. Again, part of the reason people come back to this film is because they see their family, their mother, father, brother, in it.

“I’ve worked on a lot of different projects, but none are like what I experienced working on ‘A Christmas Story,’ which still stands up today.”