Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Anyone skeptical of updated retreads of Christmas movie classics may be genuinely surprised by this 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street. Based on the 1947 holiday classic, this new Miracle sticks close to the original's story, though it offers more contemporary, crisper pacing and a tone curiously more reflective--even sorrowful--than before. Richard Attenborough is charming and twinkly as Kris Kringle, the part that won Edmund Gwenn an Oscar. Mara Wilson is the little New York City girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus until Kris persuades her otherwise. Elizabeth Perkins is her hardened mother, and Dylan McDermott plays the handsome lawyer next door who defends Kris during an insanity hearing. While screenwriter John Hughes has toughened up the dialogue a bit, and McDermott's intensity looks like a dry run for his then- future role on television's The Practice, this Miracle is as persuasively sweet as the one previous. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

Great!

This film is a Wonderful Christmas film with some truly heart warming parts. One in particular is the scene where he signed with the little deaf girl in the store.

I did not care too much for the court scene but I realize it was a take on the original and that is somewhat of a staple of the whole film.

But all in all, I loved it! September 23, 2008

Worth a watch at Christmas

We watched this movie with the kids the other night and I was reminded how much I like it. It's a great feel-good movie for the holidays. I wouldn't recommend it for the kids though - it's too long and Santa really doesn't have his suit on for much of it. But if you have not seen this movie, it is worth a watch this holiday season. July 25, 2008

Why Why Why

Maureen Ohara related that during the filming of the original, everyone knew it would be successful because they could sense how much heart was in the film. Heart seems to be something very difficult to generate in films these days and this remake is a good example. The film is competent, but heart is replaced with cutesy and smarmy. Hopefully this film will pass into oblivion. I doubt that 60 years from now anyone will be calling it a classic, that is, if it's still being shown. If your new to movies and heard about how enjoyable "Miracle on 34th Street" is, they're talking about the originial. May 5, 2008

As good as the originial - just different

I felt this remake of "Miracle" brought it into the modern world. While I loved Natalie Wood in the original version, this little girl has a personality all her own that fits the movie well.

I also thought the adults in the film were actually better than in the original -- except for maybe the guy who played Santa!

March 5, 2008

Miracle on 34th Street - the remake

This is truly a classic movie filled with all the charm and sincerity you would want in a Christmas movie. A feel good movie, which is in short supply these days. I would recommend this movie to anyone of any age. February 7, 2008

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