It Runs in the Family (1994)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Bob Clark

Writers (WGA):

Jean Shepherd (novels)
Jean Shepherd (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

23 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

It is now summer in the Parker family; and the usual amount of numerous events are happening in their separate lives...

Plot Keywords:

Fishing | Hillbilly | Top | Neighbor | Dog

Cast

Charles Grodin	...	Mr. Parker (The Old Man)
Kieran Culkin	...	Ralph 'Ralphie' Parker
Mary Steenburgen	...	Mrs. Parker (Mother)
Christian Culkin	...	Randy Parker
Al Mancini	...	Zudoc, The Old Man's fishing buddy
Troy Evans	...	The Old Man's fishing buddy
Roy Brocksmith	...	Mr. Winchell the Assessor
Glenn Shadix	...	Leopold Doppler, Manager of Orpheum Theater
Dick O'Neill	...	Pulaski, Shopkeeper
Wayne Grace	...	Emil Bumpus
Tedde Moore	...	Miss Shields, Ralphie's Teacher
Whit Hertford	...	Lug Ditka (as Whitby Hertford)
Geoffrey Wigdor	...	Flick
David Zahorsky	...	Schwartz
Darwyn Swalve	...	Big Dickie Bumpus

Also Known As:

My Summer Story

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Carolco Studios - 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Tedde Moore, who plays Miss Shields, is the only person from A Christmas Story (1983) to reprise her role for the sequel (that is, outside of Jean Shepherd narrating as an adult Ralphie).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Leopold Doppler (Glenn Shadix) is being pelted by the gravy boats, he shouts "Rosebud" from Citizen Kane (1941) and "Top of the World, Ma!" from White Heat (1949). However neither of these films were released at the time the movie was supposed to take place, the summer of 1940.

Quotes:

Ralph 'Ralphie' Parker: [over a badly distorted P.A] ... This is J. Edgar Hoover... Junior!

Movie Connections:

Follows The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski (1983) (TV)

Liked it, has alternate name

I saw it as "It Runs in the Family".

I found it very funny. Midwest Gothic humor I guess and I enjoy that and if you like Jean Shepard you'll like this. But also maybe because I didn't try to compare it with "A Christmas Story". It involves one kid's summer in Indiana, trying to outfox the local bully and dealing with the unspoken world of adults. Shepard's crystal clear descriptions of growing up with stand offs and quirky battles. The sets and settings are done perfectly, with all the humid reality of a Midwest summer.

I thought Grodin and Steenbergen were great, along with one of the Caulkin kids. I missed the first part, but still enjoyed it.