Michael Jordan Loved A Christmas Story So Much, He Kept A VHS Copy In His Locker
If you are one of the people who watch "A Christmas Story" yearly as a holiday ritual, you are in good company — really good company.
Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie Parker in the 1983 film, and his Wild West Picture Show Productions partner Vince Vaughn have started a new video podcast called "A Cinematic Christmas Journey." They're tackling films like "Home Alone," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," "Four Christmases," "It's a Wonderful Life," and "The Grinch." Of course, they're also breaking down "A Christmas Story."
Joining this episode are Ian Petrella, who played Randy, Scott Schwartz, who played Flick, and R.D. Robb, who played Schwartz, with Billingsley as co-host, along with Nick Schenk, who wrote the script for the new sequel "A Christmas Story Christmas."
The guys begin by talking about how the film did at the box office, and despite good reviews, it wasn't expected to do well, it seems. Petrella mentions that the late Gene Siskel and the late Roger Ebert liked it and that Ebert said, "This is a good movie ... unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people are gonna get it, but it is a good movie." Schwartz adds that Ebert came up to him and his father in a New York deli once and told him, "You were great in 'Christmas Story.' It's a wonderful little film you got there. Congratulations."
As it turns out, according to Schwartz, Michael Jordan is also a fan of the film. He actually met Michael Jordan and found out exactly how big a fan the basketball legend really is.
'Michael Jordan is A Christmas Story fanatic'
Scott Schwartz describes "the second biggest compliment" he got on the film after Roger Ebert's. He says on the podcast:
"I was in Chicago doing a radio show, the "Mancow" show ["Mancow's Morning Madhouse"], and he wanted me to go and talk to the Bulls guys, Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman. He couldn't get them, and I had met Rodman, whatever. And come to find out that Michael Jordan is 'A Christmas Story' fanatic. He had the VHS tape in his locker and took it on the road with him."
I would expect Jordan to have some inspiring sports movie in his locker, but hey, "A Christmas Story" is very comforting. Schwartz adds that Jordan even did impressions from the film, including "the whole tongue on the pole thing," referring to his character sticking his tongue on a frozen flagpole. Friends, please do not do this. It will not end well. It's nice to know that sports stars and, according to Schwartz, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson, are "monster fans" of this lovely little trip down memory lane, even for those who weren't alive when the film was set.
The video podcast, which has a ton of great stories like this, is available now on Spotify. Future episodes will tackle films about other holidays like Halloween and Valentine's Day.
"A Christmas Story" and "A Christmas Story Christmas" are currently streaming on HBO Max.