A Christmas Story

Parents need to know that A Christmas Story has become a perennial holiday favorite. Its 1940s setting offers an appealing sense of nostalgia for those who grew up in middle-class, Midwestern homes. And it really gets what a kid in that setting felt at Christmas -- main character Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) has to practice self-control to earn his dream gift. That said, both kid and adult characters use and discuss strong language ("ass," "son of a bitch"), and one famous scene involves young Ralphie using the "F" word (though viewers hear the word "fudge"). Afterward, he's punished for swearing by having his mouth washed out with soap. Ralphie is also bullied and eventually beats up his nemesis, then cries afterward. One child sticks his tongue on a flagpole on a dare and needs the fire department to unstick him. A scene set in a Chinese restaurant includes racist stereotypes about Asian people, and Black characters are only robbers or in the background of the story.