Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
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Miracle on 34th Street Movie Review
Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 comedy drama film directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O’Hara and Edmund Gwenn. It’s a holiday classic.
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“Faith is believing things when common sense tells you not to“
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After a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy’s, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he’s not mistaken. The 1940s were a quintessential period for Christmas movies. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ was released a year before this movie, and although this charmer never reached the greatness of that masterpiece, it’s still one of the best holiday movies of all time and a family classic by all means.
This is a very charming, endearing and old-fashioned film about the importance of believing in something bigger than yourself. Magic, fairy tales and religion itself are covered by this theme. Thus, the movie is a product of its time as from then onward the US and the entire Western civilization has lost that sense of spirituality and faith. However, this was the beginning of that downturn as emphasized by this film’s surprisingly cynical nature in its first half.
Yes, the movie ends on a positive and hopeful note, but getting there was a ride. Maureen O’Hara was wonderful and so well cast in the role of this no-nonsense mother. She would stop at nothing to teach her child to be more practical and less of a dreamer in her outlook. But children should believe in myths and fairy tales, which this movie wonderfully conveys.
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The kid was played by Natalie Wood herself in one of her earliest roles and it was so interesting seeing her as a child actress. She was immensely endearing in the role and quite adorable. The mother-daughter relationship is so well established, but others also got their moments to shine. Edmund Gwenn won his deserved Oscar for the role of Santa Claus himself – he was wonderful and undeniably lovable in the role. John Payne and Gene Lockhart were also very good, though their roles are much smaller.
Miracle on 34th Street is at its best when it’s examining its ideas of faith and the importance of believing. The movie paints a picture of 40s America in quite a vivid detail, making it a very effective artifact of the time. But it’s also quite timeless in its themes, an undeniable holiday spirit and that unforgettable, inspirational ending.
The courtroom drama elements are excessive and I wasn’t too thrilled about them. They were the most childish parts of this movie. They were very well executed, but too comedic and even farcical in their approach. I wished that the movie was less concerned with the legal drama elements and more concerned with the family drama as that is where it shined the most.
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As for its technical aspects, it featured strong cinematography, a beautiful score that is fittingly yuletide in its tone and very good editing. The movie is around an hour and a half long, so it felt super breezy and fun to watch. It’s a polished, entertaining and consistently enjoyable movie that has stood the test of time and is still an absolute classic in spite of it being uneven in a couple of areas.
Miracle on 34th Street is an absolute holiday classic that continues to charm many decades after its release. While the courtroom drama elements were far from effective, the family drama at its core was so well done and quite moving. The ending is inspirational and beautiful. The film is superbly scored and wonderfully acted while benefitting from a particularly beautiful central idea about the importance of believing in something bigger than yourself.
My Rating – 4.5
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