Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street

In the original (1947) Miracle on 34th Street, Edmund Gwenn is Kris Kringle, a nice old man who is institutionalized for claiming that he really is the real Santa Claus.His employer Doris (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) don't believe that he is who he claims to be. But Doris's friend Fred (John Payne) does believe the old man, and, as Fred happens to be a lawyer, he's just the one who can arrange the legal hearing to let Kris prove himself. This undisputed Christmas classi, Miracle on 34th Street, was nominated for four Academy Awards and two Golden Globes in 1948.

Any Christmas movie list wouldn't be complete without Miracle on 34th Street, which features a jolly Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) on the DVD cover of the 1947 film, which somehow manages to make the film even more essential to the holiday season.

The spirit of Christmas was portrayed really well, this was one movie that one couldn't help but feel warm and toasty after viewing. I find even the remake versions of Miracle on 34th Street are enjoyable and can be fun to watch with the whole family.

Complicating what would otherwise be a Macy's Employee of the Month performance by Kringle is the fact that he holds onto the truth that he is the actual Santa Claus. In modern American fashion with a 1940's spin, the bearded one ends up in a courtroom trial defending his sanity, while some courtroom watchers hold onto the hope that they are in the presence of the most giving celebrity on earth. The film challenges us to think about Christmas beyond corporate greed, commercialism, and modern day Black Friday sales (if we took the film into the Internet age).
If you're looking for a break from online shopping and long lines filled with scam-artists at retail customer service desks, you might not have to look any further than 34th Street to be reminded of the true spirit behind the holidays.