PHOTO PROVIDED Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), watches as his friend Flick sticks his tongue to a metal pole to prove it wouldn’t freeze to the object.

I can’t think of a better movie for my last Christmas themed Throwback Thursday columns than this absolute gem.

“A Christmas Story” is the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies. Everyone knows at least one classic phrase from the 1983 movie released by film giant WarnerMedia even if you don’t celebrate the holiday.

The movie centers around 9-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) who is living with his parents and younger brother Randy in small town Indiana.

I had to do some research to find out when exactly the film was based. From what I could gather it was set sometime in the very late 1930s to early 1940s.

Older Ralphie narrates the movie which focuses on his youngerself’s quest to get one thing for Christmas — a “Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.”

Throughout the film we see Ralphie get turned down by his mother, his teacher Miss. Shields and even a Santa Claus… all of them saying the same thing “you’ll shoot your eye out kid.”

Although the film centers around Ralphie’s childhood wish, there are multiple smaller story lines that also take place:

— His father — commonly referred to as “The Old Man” — winning a major award (and what an award it is!) to his profanity laced fights with the furnace.

— Ralphie and his friends Flick and Schwartz running away from bullies Scut Farkus and Grover Dill… with Randy straggling behind in the multiple layers his mother dressed him in.

— The well known “triple dog dare” that sees Flick get his tongue stuck to a metal pole to Miss. Shield’s horror.

— And finally the infamous “ohhhh fudge… except I didn’t say fudge.”

Honestly there are so many moments and quotes from this film that I’d take up an entire page just talking about them.

My family and I, like many across the country I’m sure, have a tradition of watching “A Christmas Story” during its 24 hour run on TBS when it first begins on Christmas Eve. We then leave it on throughout Christmas morning as we gather to open presents.

That tradition is one of the absolute best we have I think. I have so many memories of us all gathering together in the living room to watch the movie. We even got my Dad a miniature version of The Old Man’s major award which is currently displayed proudly in his front window.

I think my favorite thing about “A Christmas Story” is its simplicity. It’s just the story of a young boy and his family during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

We’ve all been Ralphie, desperately hoping against hope that Santa would bring us the one toy we wanted more than anything. It can make us reminisce on those times and, hopefully, look back on our own childhood Christmas’s with fondness.

For me it’s just not a true Christmas without watching “A Christmas Story” at least one, twice or… ya know what probably like five or six times if I’m being honest.

“A Christmas Story” is rated PG and… honestly instead of listing all the places you can pay to rent it why don’t you just flip to TBS at 8 p.m. tonight? It’ll be one of many chances you’ll have between then and the night of Christmas to enjoy this classic.

Merry Christmas to everyone!

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Laura Jameson is a staff reporter for The Express.