Originally, Zack Ward was supposed to play the sidekick and not the bully in the 1983 holiday classic “A Christmas Story.”
“I showed up on set beside Yano Anaya, who’s roughly nine inches shorter than me. This was the first time (director) Bob Clark had seen us side-by-side. So he looks at us and sees our disparity in height and says, ‘Oh, okay. You get his lines and he gets yours. Great. Done. Thank you.’ I went from being the sidekick to being the main bully,” said Ward, who played Scut Farkus, whereas Anaya played his sidekick Grover Dill.
Ward and Anaya will appear on Friday, Dec. 13, at the Emagine Rochester Hills. From 4-7 p.m., they will do a VIP Meet & Greet, which includes autographs and photos with the two actors. At 8 p.m., they will do a Q&A session with the movie starting immediately after.
Every year, “A Christmas Story” is a tradition for Robert Fox, who teaches media arts and film production in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and his family.
“I sometimes skip other classics if time doesn’t allow for them, but I would never skip ‘A Christmas Story!’ I might as well cancel Christmas at that point!” said Fox.
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Based on the book “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash” by the late Jean Shepherd (the film’s narrator), “A Christmas Story” is set circa the 1940s where 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, much to the objections of his mother (Melinda Dillon), his teacher (Tedde Moore), and even Santa Claus (Jeff Gillen) himself because they’re afraid he’ll shoot his eye out.
“There are just so many relatable moments – even if the specifics are different, the feelings and vibes this movie puts off are dipped in Christmas cookie nostalgia,” said Fox. “Of course, there are many specifically relatable things as well. This is a movie that works equally well for kids, as well as adults. In fact, the older you get, the more nostalgic it becomes, as you see it through the lens of both being a kid and then as a parent. It almost feels like the experiences these characters have are your own experiences. That is how deeply baked this movie is in my DNA. Also, the pacing of the whole Christmas season leading up the actual holiday just rings so true to me.”
Ward stated that the camera angle is all from Ralphie’s perspective. It’s aimed at his height, hence the world is seen from a child’s point of view.
“I’ve had the distinct honor of watching young children watch this movie,” said Ward. “(Kids) see themselves in it. As they get older, they remember that film as part of their Christmas when they were children, which is the only time when Christmas is that good. Christmas, as you get older, is a raging pain in the ass. There’s a lot of things to do to take care of everybody else and then you gotta worry about taxes. When you’re a kid, Christmas is the king of rock and roll. It is fantasy made reality. It’s magical. As they go forward, they reflect on it and remember being that kid – that’s amazing.”
Throughout the movie, Scut and Grover also terrorize Ralphie and his friends. Towards the end when they hit him in the face with a snowball, Ralphie snaps and brutally beats up Scut and scares off Grover.
“As a kid who was constantly bullied and teased, I can’t help but get some satisfaction from that moment,” said Fox. “Though, I do always feel a bit sorry for Scut when he wipes away his snotty tears. I imagine he doesn’t come from a good home life.”
“At the end, he gets his comeuppance. His hat gets knocked off and he’s just a wounded little kid. He’s got that pouty face and bloody nose. A bully has been dethroned and he’s just a person – I think that’s why people love the character so much – that made him real. He’s not an omnipotent super-powered villain. He’s not Darth Vader. People come up to me and say, ‘You got your ass kicked!’ with such joy on their faces,” explained Ward.
The movie did moderately well upon its initial release, making $19.2 million against a $3.3 million budget. However, it found a new life on home media and its popularity skyrocketed.
“It went on to become a true classic,” said Fox. “‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ also wasn’t a huge hit at the time, but its legacy has grown and grown.”
Since 1997, TNT has aired the movie for 24 consecutive hours called “24 Hours of ‘A Christmas Story.’” This year is no exception; the marathon begins at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24) and ends on Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25). On TBS, the movie will be broadcast continuously from 8 p.m. on Dec. 24 through 8 p.m. on Dec. 25.
“I kind of like how you can just jump right in at any moment during those two days,” said Fox. “This movie lends itself well to a continuous loop because it is so episodic, much like the short story collection the book is based on. It isn’t a movie where plot comes first like ‘Elf’ or ‘Wonderful Life.’”
According to Ward, part of the reason the movie plays for an entire day is because not many TV stations make much money since not many people watch TV on Christmas.
“So you can’t charge a lot of money for advertising space. You’re just keeping the lights on; you’re not caring about making a profit. It makes sense. You have the secretary and janitor running the place; you don’t have the A-team there, so you put on stuff that isn’t gonna cost you anything and isn’t gonna bother anybody,” explained Ward. “They’re looking at a 24-hour period where they’re always losing money so they play this movie and they don’t have to worry about it; it’s an easy way to fill 24 hours. It keeps on going. And it keeps on going. And it keeps on going.”
Few movies are so indelibly interwoven into Fox’s DNA like “A Christmas Story.”
“I am not one to watch movies over and over – at least, not since I was younger,” he said. “There are so many great films I haven’t seen that I would rather see something I haven’t seen yet. But most of the movies I re-watch are during Christmas time. It’s a testament to the power of this movie in particular that I never get sick of it! It truly is synonymous with the holidays.”
Ward doesn’t mind being remembered for “A Christmas Story.”
“It has definitely been the greatest calling card I could ever have,” he said. “People hug you like they’re old friends. Whereas I was a guy on a hit TV show, it’d be like, ‘Oh yeah, I like that show. You’re good.’ It wouldn’t be the same level of effusive ebullience. There’s something that touches your childhood in that film where it’s “Hey, buddy!’ as opposed to ‘Nice to meet you.’ They’re incredibly genuine. It’s awesome.”
“A Christmas Story” bullies at the Emagine Rochester Hills
“A Christmas Story” actors Zack Ward and Yano Anaya will appear at the Emagine Rochester Hills, located at 200 Barclay Circle in the Hampton Village in Rochester Hills.
From 4-7 p.m., there will be a VIP Meet & Greet for $90, which includes photos with both actors and autographs. This event is separate from the movie tickets and can be purchased here.
The Q&A session at 8 p.m., which is followed by a screening of the movie immediately after, costs $20. Tickets for the movie can be purchased here.
A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to Jay’s Juniors, a charity founded by TV/radio personality Jay Towers which helps children battling chronic and terminal illnesses.
For questions or further information, call (248) 243-3456 or visit emagine-entertainment.com/.
