5. Another Story or Two
Not content with the late blooming success of A Christmas Story, MGM produced A Summer Story (aka "It Runs In The Family"/"My Summer Story") for release in 1994. Shepherd was back as narrator, with Charles Grodin filling in as The Old Man, Mary Steenburgen stepping into the role of Mom, and a young Kieran Culkin (Wallace Wells himself) reviving the role of Raphie Parker. Instead of his Red Ryder, Ralphie longed to be the king of the Tops, as he battled with friends in tightly wound circles of toy combat. We also got to see more of The Bumpus family of Rednecks, Mom obsessing over a China collection, and The Old Man using some light profanity to curse motorists and policemen alike. It is recommended that fans seek this out, and avoid the awful cash grab "A Christmas Story 2".