Brian Katcher

29th Nov 2022

A Christmas Story (1983)

Question: Why can't Mr and Mrs Parker go next door to the Bumpus and tell them to control their dogs, so they won't bother them?

Trainman

Answer: Who's to say they didn't? Ralphie describes the Bumpuses as 'hillbillies' so they might not care too much about controlling their animals or what they neighbors thought, and apparently the old man was the only one the dogs ever bothered so it would be hard to prove they were a general nuisance. Of course, the turkey incident might have tipped the scales.

Brian Katcher

Answer: You'd have to go back and watch a movie called *It Runs in the Family*. It's sort of a summertime Christmas story. All the actors are different, but it's Ralphie during the summer, and they actually go over to the Bumpass house and have more interaction with them.

It Runs in the Family is a completely different movie and has no connection to A Christmas Story. The movie you're referring to is called My Summer Story. It Runs in the Family was a tagline on the movie cover.

ctown28

It is the same movie. It was released under both titles.

Question: If they were constantly being bullied then why didn't Ralph and his friends tell their parents about their bully? That and why take the same route home if they knew that's where he'd be waiting for them?

Rob245

Answer: Until recently, bullying wasn't taken very seriously. Also, school kids don't take very kindly to the idea of 'snitching.' Scut might have gotten in trouble if they'd told their parents, but in the long run, that might have made things worse for them. As for taking a different route home, it's possible he altered where he ambushed them or that he wasn't there every single day.

Brian Katcher

Thanks it's just that when Mad Magazine did their spoof of this I wondered this as did they.

Rob245

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