Miracle on 34th Street

Rating:
Summary: A man's gotta do SOMETHING to keep warm!
Review: "MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET" is the closest thing to a christmas classic you will ever see on this planet. I loved it when I saw it. Edmund Gwenn is PERFECT as Santa. In fact, I think this film is a great classic. If you're ever stuck with absolutely NOTHING to do one wintery-like, and a very low temperatured day, and you are inside with no fire goin' in a fireplace, watch this. And to remember something useful for a review like this, read the title of this review a second time. I don't have experience, but I'm sure it works if you love christmas.

Rating:
Summary: A Christmas Treasure
Review: I feel like there was never a time that I didn't know MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, so intimately is this wonderful movie connected with the Christmas season. MIRACLE is a richer and more complex film than many take it to be, and it can be enjoyed on more that one level. It is a heart-warming parable of child-like faith overcoming cynicism. It is also a satire on big business, commercialism, psychoanalysis (which was becoming popular in the 1940's), and political machines. For me, the most interesting element of the movie is the subplot involving the psychiatrist, Mr. Sawyer (Porter Hall), who has ambitions of being a psychoanalyst but is stuck in an unfulfilling job giving intelligence tests. He dabbles in Freudian studies on the side and, filled with delusions of grandeur, thinks that he is qualified to psychoanalyze Alfred, an impressionable young boy who works at Macy's. This encroachment on the innocence of children raises the ire of Kris Kringle, the Macy's Santa Claus with delusions of his own; by acting out his anger on Sawyer, he gets himself committed to a sanitarium. That Sawyer is ultimately defeated (when Mr. Macy fires him) is fitting and just, but also - like many villains in classic drama - gives him a hope of redeeming himself. Porter Hall, Gene Lockhart (as the judge), Philip Tonge, William Frawley, Jerome Cowan, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and young Natalie Wood all make this movie sparkle; and as for Edmund Gwenn - what can I say? - he IS Santa Claus!

Rating:
Summary: Ok, I know this may be really corny, but....................
Review: .............I am a New Yorker(73rd St E.) and a bartender to boot, so I have kind of given up Christmas as a time to deal with amatuer drunks who have priced us out of the Upper Westside(aka.CHIPS, you know, loafers with no socks, upturned collars and cheating wives) so, I haven't watched this film for years. I rented it this year(2004) on a whim and was surprised what an impact it had. Great movie to overcome the cynical times we live in. It actually does remind us what it is all about. Great for New Yorkers to see Manhattan when it was great. We already knew, New York at Chistmas is magic, don't let the CHIPS and lame people get you down-Greg-NYC

Rating:
Summary: Faith, love and Christmas
Review: What can be said that hasn't already been eloquently expressed by our fellow Amazon reviewers here? Not much-but it's "that time of the year", I've just ordered the DVD of this classic film, and I can't help adding my two cents to set the goodwill overflowing.

One of the very, very few films of this period to actually shoot on location in New York rather than on a studio backlot(fascinating scenes), this original "Miracle" is about as far from corny as it's possible to get(it's really the two later versions, one for TV, and one of several years ago, that veer increasingly into phoniness and corn). There are loads of lessons here for any writer or director who might take on a holiday or "fantasy" film: just play it *straight*, don't cuten it up-period. Every actor plays this wonderfully written screenplay brilliantly-down to the smallest part-a huge reason why, like "Casablanca", it's so watchable-over and over again. John Payne and Maureen O'Hara play two real, live adults who-rare in films-both seem to have "real" lives; Maureen works at Macy's, and clearly takes her job seriously, a true professional. The scenes which begin the story where she's desperately trying to wrangle the annual Macy's parade are almost documentarian-totally believable-and that's what helps make the moonshine of "the REAL Santa Claus" showing up work so well. Quite differently from our current, special-effects-extravanga-fantasies that present to us an art director's idea of exactly how The North Pole, Santa's reindeer, etc.etc. look, this one leaves all that to our imaginations, and the incomparable Edmund Gwenn plays that jolly old soul with a perfect air of mystery and sagacity. Others have written about Natalie Wood, and she is really unbelievably great. Smart, natural, somehow turning scenes that could have been a little cringe-making(chewing gum with Kris at bedtime)into honestly charming and un-icky highlights. That's a result of HER amazing talent. If she were off by a hair, the film wouldn't be the perfect thing it is. I should mention the score, by Alfred Newman, which is really masterfully scored-what that man did with "Jingle Bells"! You've got to admit along with Susan(Wood)"I believe, I believe, it's silly, but I believe". Silly and wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: charming and enchanting
Review: this story is about santa claus coming to a town and being comitted and even tried.the kids will like it.a cool saying from the movie is"youve heard of the french nation,and the british nation.well this is the imagination".thats pretty clever!its one of the top 10 best x-mas movies.santas out trying to prove hes the real deal.its an abselutely magical and touching tale.the important message is....do you really knowwhat reality is?could you?

Rating:
Summary: Rx - - - Revisit Annually
Review: Unless you live under a rock, you have seen this annual favorite every Christmas. A wonderful heartwarming story to rekindle the tiniest doubter about faith and goodwill. Kris Kringle (Santa Claus) goes on trial to prove his sanity after a run in with a Macy's store psychiatrist and has to prove to the world who he is. Events will make you laugh and even cry as you feel the government come to his rescue and little Suzy's (Natalie Wood) coming of age. See the movie!!!