If you have never seen Miracle on 34th Street, you are seriously missing out. I’m not talking about the version made in 1994 starring Richard Attenborough and Mara Wilson. I am talking about the classic, black and white, made in 1947 version. I’ll admit, I do watch the color version, but it’s still a classic, and you need to see it.
Every Christmas Eve, my parents and I build a fire in our fireplace downstairs, slip on our Christmas pajamas and sit by the Christmas tree with our plates of homemade cookies and hot chocolate. Just writing this is making me nostalgic and eager for Christmas Eve. This film is the perfect mix of Christmas spirit, pure joy, and hope.
As the film opens, you see none other than Kris Kringle himself, explaining to a salesman that he has got the order of the reindeer wrong. Edmund Gwenn (Kringle) embodies the true persona of Santa Claus: someone who is honest, kind-hearted, and just wants to help everybody. We follow Kris Kringle’s journey in NYC, from accidentally becoming the Santa in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to becoming a key member of Doris and Susan Walker’s business, and family dynamic.
Throughout the film, many people cannot believe that this man truly thinks he is Santa Claus, because no one thinks he really exists. But, that is the spirit of Christmas. We have faith in the ones that we love, and believe, even if we cannot really explain it. Doris, Susan’s mother who oversees the parade, has brought her daughter up to believe in reality, not fairytales. As the film progresses, though, they start to believe in the things they can’t really see. Susan mutters to herself after meeting Kris Kringle and says: “I believe, I believe. It’s silly, but I believe.”
With the influence of the media, and a sale for every holiday under the sun, we tend to forget what the holidays—and what Christmas in particular—are about. This film is so grounding to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Kris Kringle says it best: “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.” Just because you may not see the toy or gadget you put on your list under the tree, doesn’t mean that Christmas spirit doesn’t ring true.
If you have never seen Miracle on 34th Street, or even if you have, I encourage you to watch it this holiday season, and to remember what Christmas is truly about.
Happy Holidays!!