Christmas is my favorite time of the year; I love everything about it. Decorating the tree, spending time with family, watching snow fall, presents, and all the traditions each family has. Christmas has inspired countless filmmakers to create movies about the holiday season, and some of my favorite films are Christmas movies. To celebrate the season, I've compiled a list of my favorite 12 Christmas movies or specials, and there will be a review of one of them every day, a countdown from 12 to 1. We're almost done...today is Christmas Eve, and tomorrow is Christmas; on that day, you'll see my pick for the best Christmas Movie!
The 12 Films of Christmas
12: Elf (2003)
11. A Christmas Story (1983)
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
9. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
8. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
6. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)
5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (1970)
4. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
3. A Christmas Carol (1984)
2. Miracle on 34 th Street (1947)
I'm sure everyone expected to see this film somewhere on the list, and for good reason.
Miracle on 34 th Street is one the most heartwarming, enjoyable films ever made. The best part of this movie is Edmund Gwenn's performance as Kris Kringle, a man who may or may not be Santa Claus. Gwenn's portrayal of the man in red is the best Santa performance of all time. He captures the spirit of Santa in a way on other actor before or after ever has. The simplest way to describe his portrayal is that Gwenn's Kringle is the kind of guy you would really like to know, perhaps even have as your neighbor.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. The movie is a classic, but there are people unfamiliar with the premise. Single mother Doris Walker (Maureen O-Hara) is organizing the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade, and when her Santa Claus gets drunk, a nice old man steps in to do that job, and is instantly hailed as the best in the parade's history. He's hired to play Santa at Macy's, and begins to tell customers where they can go to buy gifts that Macy's doesn't have. His policy angers some at first, but soon makes Macy's the most popular store in town. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the man truly believes that he is Kris Kringle, and though this isn't a problem for a while, some become resentful of the man and frame him, which results in his commitment to a mental institution. Meanwhile, Kris befriends Doris and her daughter, Susan (a very young Natalie Wood); Doris has taught her daughter not to believe in...well, anything, and Kris means to change that.
As you can see, there's actually a lot of stuff going on in this film. The core storyline, and the one that carries the most emotional resonance, is Kris' relationship with Susan, who slowly but surely comes to believe in Santa. This is a touching relationship, and Natalie Wood is perfect in the role. She doesn't even seem to be acting; she's just a little girl acting like a little girl, and that's what makes the character work. If there's one complaint I have with this movie, though, it's that in the end, Susan bases her belief in Santa on whether or not Kris can buy her a house...I mean, it doesn't even seem like she's learned anything. She just comes off like a spoiled little brat, and that's too bad, given how well done the rest of this storyline is.
The other main storyline, about Kris at Macy's and eventually on trial, touches upon quite a few interesting thematic elements. Kris believes he is Santa, and there is no doubt of that in his mind. To me, this is the most compelling part of the story, because while his sanity is questionable, he does nothing but help others and improve the lives of strangers. Above all, though, the character proves that while Santa may only be a legend, what he stands for is immensely important and can have as much of an impact as the jolly elf of lore. My favorite part of the movie, though, is the trial, which is riveting and intelligently written. I won't dare spoil the outcome for those who haven't seen the film, but it's immensely clever and has a lot of buildup. Everything that happens in the trial comes together for the final scene, and it's immensely satisfying. This isn't only clever, but it also hammers home the message of Kris' character and the impact he's had on everyone's lives.
Miracle on 34 th Street succeeds in many ways, but the main reason why everybody needs to see it is for Edmund Gwenn's performance as Kris, which is incredibly heartwarming and endearing. The qualities possessed by Gwenn's performance are found throughout the film; its excellent characters, strong story, and timeless quality make it a must-watch every Christmas season.