Initially overlooked as a sleeper film,[45] A Christmas Story was released a week before Thanksgiving 1983 to moderate success, earning about $2 million in its first weekend.[46] Film critic Roger Ebert initially gave the film three stars out of four,[47] but later gave the film four stars and added the film to his "Great Movies" list and suggested the film had only modest success because holiday-themed films were not popular at the time.[48] Vincent Canby's mostly negative The New York Times review complained that "the movie's big comic pieces tend only to be exceedingly busy. Though Mr. Billingsley, Mr. Gavin [sic], Miss Dillon and the actress who plays Ralphie's school teacher (Tedde Moore) are all very able, they are less funny than actors in a television situation comedy."[38]
In Canada, the film would go on to win two categories in the 5th Genie Awards, for Director Bob Clark and Best Original Screenplay for the work of Leigh Brown, Bob Clark and Jean Shepherd.[49]
By Christmas 1983, the film was no longer playing at most venues but remained in about a hundred theatres until January 1984.[20] Gross earnings were just over $19.2 million.[46] In the years since, due to television airings and home video release, A Christmas Story has become widely popular and is now an annual Christmas special. The film was produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). The rights to the film were acquired by Turner Entertainment Co. after Ted Turner's purchase of MGM's pre-1986 film library. Subsequently, Time Warner purchased Turner Entertainment in 1996 and currently holds rights to the film as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Over the years, the film's critical reputation has grown considerably and it is regarded by some as one of the best films of 1983.[50] Based on 61 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 89%, with an average score of 8.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Both warmly nostalgic and darkly humorous, A Christmas Story deserves its status as a holiday perennial."[51] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[52] In his movie guide, Leonard Maltin awarded the film a four-star rating, calling the film "delightful" and "truly funny for kids and grown-ups alike" with "wonderful period flavor".[53]
On December 24, 2007, AOL ranked the film their #1 Christmas film of all time.[54] IGN ranked the film the top holiday-themed film of all time.[55] In 2012, a Marist Poll named the film the favorite holiday film in the US.[56] In 2019, a poll commissioned by Tubitv and conducted by Onepoll also ranked the film Best Holiday Movie Ever.[57] A Christmas Story received a nomination for Best Digital – Comedy, and won Best Digital – Animation/Family at the 2023 Golden Trailer Awards.[58][59]
