Movie Review: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

1947
Not Rated


"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here. Maybe I can do something about it."
-- Kris Kringle

Miracle on 34th Street is a 1947 dramatic comedy directed by George Seaton that serves as an annual holiday classic. When Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade coordinator Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) learns that her current "Santa Claus" is a drunkard, she turns to a man who appears to be a perfect fit for the job. After the parade, Doris learns that the man calls himself Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) and claims himself to be the real Santa Claus. Despite his seeming insanity, he happens to have a rather brilliant marketing strategy, so the higher-ups at Macy's elect to keep him on as their resident Santa for the holidays. At the same time, Kris hopes to show both Doris and her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) the true spirit of Christmas. However, when Kris deliberately assaults Macy's company psychologist Granville Sawyer (Porter Hall), Kris finds himself committed to a mental institution and ultimately finds himself facing trial. The hearings, however, turn to a discussion over whether or not Kris happens to be the one and true Santa Claus.

When a film becomes a holiday classic, you know that it's bound to have some sort of dignifying feature that keeps audiences coming back to it year in and year out. While I know I've seen snippets of Miracle on 34th Street over the years, I can't honestly say that I've seen it in its entirety until this morning. I knew all about its accolades: it has always been very well-received critically, and it even managed to nab three Academy Awards along the way. It even spawned a 1994 remake of the same name. With such a high-class resumé, you can imagine the expectations I held going into my viewing.

I do have to say that the film at least met, if not exceeded, each and every expectation I had going into the film. We're getting a very clever screenplay - one that ultimately won two Oscars (one for the Original Story, and one for the screenplay itself) - so you can imagine just how good it actually is. Sure, there are moments where you'll be scratching your head. It takes a little bit of time to realize just why the real Santa Claus might be hanging around New York City, but considering the bit of anti-commercialism message trying to be conveyed, what better place for the man to make his existence known? In a way, it's almost as if the story, which focuses on proving to the doubters that Santa exists, is also trying to prove to the audience that he exists. Especially in today's society, it's difficult to think that such a man might actually be real, and I'm not about to use this post as a soap box for my ranting and raving. I only know what the public and the media have told me, but there's an aspect of faith that's incredibly important when talking about the Santa Claus story. There's even a moment towards the end of the film where O'Hara's character says, "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to." In a way, Miracle on 34th Street works to re-instill that Christmas faith and spirit in a way I haven't truly seen in another Christmas-oriented film.

To complement the story and the screenplay, we actually have a rather stellar cast to bring the characters to life. I can't say enough about Edmund Gwenn, who won an Oscar for his "supporting" role in the film. Were I ever to meet the real Santa Claus, I would hope he turns out to be just like the Kris Kringle that Gwenn brings to the screen. He's consistent in his jolliness and good will towards every man, woman and child he meets. He's the epitome of the man we all want to envision bringing gifts to all the good girls and boys come Christmas Eve. While Gwenn steals the show, there are still a few others worth mention. I thought O'Hara did quite well considering she doesn't have a ton of material with which to work, and Natalie Wood also proves to be a fantastic piece to the puzzle. John Payne, who plays O'Hara's love interest and Gwenn's attorney, probably brings forth the second-best performance in the film, and there's something about his everyman that's ultimately appealing. Even Porter Hall, who plays the sniveling weasel of a "villain" in this one, offers a stellar bit. It's just a great ensemble all around.

And so, if you're looking for a fantastic film for the Christmas season, you need not look further than the original Miracle on 34th Street. It should do quite a bit to re-instill the true Christmas spirit, and while there is quite a bit of talk about commercialism and politics, there's still a basis of love and happiness that shines through it all.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: B+
2 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

1946
Not Rated


"What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary."
-- George Bailey

It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Academy Award-nominated drama directed by Frank Capra that has become a classic around the Christmas holiday. The film starts in the heavens with a couple of angels telling another angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), whom is contemplating ending his life. Clarence learns that George's life has held a lot of ups and downs. Growing up in Bedford Falls, his only aspiration was to get away from his hometown and see the world. After the untimely death of his father, however, he has to forego his aspirations and take over the family business: the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan. Over the years, he still plans on getting away, but time and time again, incidents occur that prevent him from doing so. In response, he creates a seemingly meaningful existence being a man of the people, and with the help and love of his wife Mary (Donna Reed), he does his best to keep his life on an even keel. On an especially bad night, however, his life takes a turn for the worse, so Clarence comes down to earth to show him why he should keep living.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn't seen, or at least heard of, It's a Wonderful Life. It's a staple for the holiday season, and I'm sure it'll be playing dozens of times over the course of this month. I'm sure I saw snippets of the flick over the years, but I don't think I ever sat down and watched it in its entirety until my junior year of high school. At the time, I was in my school's theater class, and we were preparing a small-scale stage version of the film for the holiday season. So, as one can imagine, we had to watch the film in order to understand the story and the characters. (For those of you interested, I was cast as George's brother Harry in every show, and played Martini the bartender as well in some of the shows.) And seeing as this is the first time I've watched the film since performing in those shows seven years ago, I'm relatively surprised that I remember it so fondly and vividly as I do.

Let's start with the screenplay, shall we? The first ninety minutes of the film serve as a type of flashback as we see the visions Clarence sees as he learns about George Bailey's life. We're given the most important aspects of his life, seeing the moments that crafted him into the man he became and ultimately led him to his current predicament. There's an interesting sense of connection in realizing that, while we as the audience are learning about Bailey's life, another character is doing the same. Even though we don't see a physical Clarence until the film's final act, we already feel a connection with him, having gone through this entire experience with him already. And while the storyline itself is intriguing enough to pull even the most casual viewer into engagement, the beautifully-written lead character is a marvel to behold. George Bailey is written as a man with a slew of aspirations but also as a man who puts everyone before himself. At every turning point of his life, he has the opportunity to continue in the path he had planned; however, he instead chooses to take the path that benefits those people around him. This selfless behavior may lead him to a lot of his troubles, but he continues to choose to be the better man and help those around him.

The acting in It's a Wonderful Life is also top-notch. While Stewart generally brings a certain type of character to all his roles, it never works better than his everyman George Bailey. He's an instantly likable character, and from the moment you meet him, you'll fall in love with him down-home charm and laid-back attitude. He's also able to showcase his wide range of acting skills, bringing us very manic moments of happiness to very downtrodden moments of deep depression. He climbs the scale of emotions throughout this film, and it works exceptionally well at all times. Next to George Bailey, every other character is either supporting or fleeting, but all play their parts well. Travers does a very good job in his limited screen-time, as does the aforementioned Reed. Also be on the lookout for a dastardly wicked performance from Lionel Barrymore, who plays Henry F. Potter, the film's main antagonist. I could probably go on for ages if I wanted to break down each and every character, but I won't go that far into it. Just know that the ensemble cast is spectacular and fires on every cylinder.

Despite all that, I think what makes It's a Wonderful Life such a fantastic Christmas film is that it's not really about Christmas. While most Christmas-oriented movies are centered around the holiday and sometimes shove it down our throat, only the final thirty minutes of this film take place on the holiday itself. Because of this, there isn't enough time to get into all the details of the holiday, especially considering George is having an emotional breakdown amidst the cheer and holiday spirit. In a way, the fact that it all culminates on Christmas makes George's ultimate revelation all the more beautiful. He comes running back to his family and friends on a day that's supposed to be about love and human fellowship. Had the filmmakers decided to make a more holiday-oriented film, I'm not sure the film's final moments would have been as powerful.

Overall, this is a definite must-see for anyone who has yet to take it in. I can guarantee that it will play on numerous occasions during the month of December, so please check your local listings and grab the family for a movie night. It's easily the best Christmas film I've ever seen, and it will always remain one of my favorites.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: A+

2 Thumbs Up