Director: George Seaton
Stars: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood
When a man who claims to be Kris Kringle starts (Gwenn) working at MACY’s, he attempts to prove to a young girl (Wood) that he is actually Santa Claus. As he gets more publicity and attention, the matter of his identity becomes the focus of a court trial and the matter of whether Santa Claus exists or not is determined once and for all.
It’s surprising that I had never seen Miracle on 34th Street before now, but it is one of the perfect Christmas films. The characters are perfectly cast and I particularly liked how pretty much everyone just assumed that the old man was deluding himself, but because it was harmless they just let him get on with it. I’m one of those people that absolutely loves Christmas so I’m happy to entertain the belief that Santa does actually exist, and I like how the matter was debated here and also how there was the hint of mystery at the end.
One thing I found interesting is how Santa openly told people that he was Santa, when in most films it’s important that people believe with their hearts and not with their eyes. It was actually refreshing and I like the concept that he comes to inspect the state of the world. The convincing of the young girl (Wood) and her mother (O’Hara) did get pushed into the background as the court case took the majority of the focus, but I liked how the film showed how belief in something magic can give us a different outlook on life, and it has one of my all-time favorite quotes that is going to become one of my mottos.
‘Christmas is not just a day, it’s a frame of mind.’
That’s a quote that resonates with me . In the film not everyone does actually believe in the good of Christmas, but it shows that people can still do good even if its not for completely altruistic reasons. The discussions and reactions of the business owners was both amusing and realistic, and I liked the idea of how they were trying to outdo each other in generosity. The amateur company psychologist is the main antagonist in the film and I was expecting that he would be converted as well by the end of the film. The discussions with the judge and his advisor felt a little out of place because it was strange to think that a judge of such high standing could be so influenced in the midst of a court case by an outsider.
The resolution of the case was heartfelt and amusing, and the idea of having Santa on trial led to some great moments. I know this probably wasn’t implied due to the era in which it was made, but it struck me how the same case could be made against God. So many people decry Santa as not being real and yet one could make the same movie about Jesus/God and, well, it would be interesting to see what reception that movie would get.
I absolutely love this movie and I’m only sorry that I hadn’t seen it before now. It’s an amazing film and definitely one that should be considered for any Christmas movie lists.
