In “A Christmas Story,” the “old man”—played brilliantly by the late Darren McGavin—at first glance seems like nothing more than a vehicle for some laughs. He is portrayed as aloof and somewhat out of touch. He’s there to be the dad—the breadwinner, the disciplinarian, the in-house repair man and mechanic.
His relationship with Ralph, his son and the movie’s main character, doesn’t appear to be fully explored, but if you look closely, the power of the father-son bond is evident. The subtleties are hard to catch due largely to the “adult” Ralph narrator poking fun at his dad, albeit in a good-natured manner.
That said, when you look at Ralph’s face and his mannerisms throughout the movie, it’s clear that he is in awe of his father and subconsciously depends on his father, as most children do and should.
