Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street
by Les Mayfield

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Movie Reviews of Miracle on 34th Street

Movie Review: Full of holiday magic and charm!
Summary: 5 Stars

Set in our time, the film opens with the Cole's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) comes upon a severely drunken actor who has been employed to play Santa Claus in the parade's send-off. Her problems are solved when she runs across the delightful Kris (Richard Attenborough), who bears a striking resemblance to the real deal. She convinces him to replace the now-inept actor, and the parade goes off with nary a fault.

Kris's authenticity touches many of those who come in contact with him, including Dorey's young daughter, Susan (Mara Wilson), who is a non-believer. Kris, along with family friend Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott), sets out to make a believer out of Susan, all the while charming the children who sit in his lap at the department store, and causing a buzz of good publicity for the department store.

All of this is done with a great deal of charm and holiday spirit. The movie is one of the better modern Christmas films I've had the pleasure of seeing. The fact that it is based on a classic is of no importance, because it keeps the spirit and wisdom of that previous film and instills into a setting we can better relate to.

It keeps in touch with the original's many touching moments. One that comes to mind is Kris's conversation with a deaf little girl, a truly touching moment that rides the movie's emotional carriage home. It's scenes like this that give the movie such an uplifting sense of direction and spirit, along with the central message, as Kris so magnificently puts it, that "if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed to a life dominated by doubt."

The real delights come from the cast, a perfect addition to the movie's already wonderful story execution. Richard Attenborough is a marvelous actor, and bleeds of good cheer and high spirits; he is the ideal Santa Claus, and his performance is very touching. Equally touching is the acting of little Mara Wilson, who plays Susan with a wit beyond her years, but also provides her with the same childhood skepticism that captivating young minds are so capable of. McDermott and Perkins can't hold a candle to their two costars, but their acting is nonetheless superb, and very believable.

There's nothing to find fault with in this beautifully crafted holiday film, and however you look at it, "Miracle on 34th Street" measures up to the standards of the original. Destined to become a classic, it develops a warmth and charm found in so little modern movies, and its intentions are nothing less than grand.

Summary of Miracle on 34th Street