Dec 23, 2007

A (pre-)Christmas Story

Back in October, when our local Oakwood Mall re-opened after two years of being shuttered following its looting and burning in the aftermath of Katrina, I went to scope it out with my mother.

We really just wanted to see if the Chick Fil-A was open, but no such luck. We've been without a Chick Fil A around here for nearly three long hard years. Actually, the mall was still nearly as dead as it had been two years ago. Nothing much had opened still. It was all rather disheartening.

Disapointedly, we made our way through the food court when suddenly I saw a familiar face at one of the tables. He was sitting there with an older man, who looked like a grandfather perhaps, but it was unmistakably him, I could tell.
It was none other than Peter Billingsley, Ralphie of "A Christmas Story"



I couldn't imagine why he was there, in fact I doubted that I was right. I mean really, why in heaven's name would he be sitting at food court table on the Westbank in a half deserted, half opened mall in October? It was too bizarre.

But as soon as I got home I looked through some old papers and surely enough, there he was, Peter Billingsley (with Vince Vaughn) both in town for a film festival at that very time.

I only recognized the adult Peter because I was one of the few who actually saw "The Breakup" in which he (with Vaughn and Anniston) starred.
Twice.
It's not something I'm proud of, but it did come in handy ultimately.

7 comments:

Dave said...

A fun Christmas fact: the guy who made A Christmas Story also directed Porky's.

jason said...

Ah yes, Dave. I found that out.

What's odd is that if you listen to the Porky's dialogue with A Christmas Story's video they totally match up.

Silly Monkey said...

I saw The Breakup--maybe with you--and hated it. It was so boring. But they had a great apartment to look at. I don't remember him in it. What was his role?

Is Oakwood the one as you get off the bridge? Or the one on Barataria?

jason said...

Yeah, I think one of the times I saw it was with you all.

I actually kind of liked the movie.
Bickering makes me feel like I'm at home I suppose.

It's there, right near the bridge.
The other is long dead.
(Visit the dead malls website linked above for more information. :)

Ladrón de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

Sometimes I wish a natural disaster would wipe out a couple of our malls without hurting anybody.

How surreal, this exact scene was playing at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square where I was just 20 minutes ago. (Okay, I confess that I was buying a last minute gift...for ME.)

No Milk Please said...

a christmas story is always a great watch during the holidays. brian and i probably spend a few hours watching reruns this season. :)

Miss Janey said...

Now THAT is a great star sighting, especially timely.