Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

A lawyer and a little girl must prove that a man claiming to be Santa Claus is the real thing.

Director:

Les Mayfield

Writers:

Valentine Davies (story), George Seaton

Stars:

Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Attenborough	...	Kris Kringle
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Dorey Walker
Dylan McDermott	...	Bryan Bedford
J.T. Walsh	...	Ed Collins
James Remar	...	Jack Duff
Jane Leeves	...	Alberta Leonard
Simon Jones	...	Donald Shellhammer
William Windom	...	C.F. Cole
Mara Wilson	...	Susan Walker
Robert Prosky	...	Judge Henry Harper
Kathrine Narducci	...	Mother
Mary McCormack	...	Myrna Foy
Alvin Greenman	...	The Doorman
Allison Janney	...	Woman in Christmas Shop
Greg Noonan	...	Cmdr. Coulson

Storyline

Six-year-old Susan Walker discovers dreams do come true if you really believe. She has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle, Santa Claus. Her mother, Dorey, told her the "secret" about him a long time ago, so she doesn't expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa who's convinced he's the real thing, she is given the most precious gift of all, something to believe in.

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Plot Keywords:

santa claus | girl | remake | parade | court | 

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Taglines:

Discover the Miracle.

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a scene in Cole's where Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) is standing on the second floor looking down at a group of children below. Her hair is pulled back in a low ponytail and she is talking to Mr. Shellhammer. This is a shout out to a scene in Big (1988), in which she also starred. In that, she is also standing on the second floor with the same hair style looking down at a group of children below talking to Paul (John Heard).

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Goofs

Near the beginning of the film, when Tony falls off the parade float, you can see a sack full of presents on the back of it. In the next shot, when people are lifting the sleigh off of him, the sack has disappeared.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Grandson: Ask him. Ask him. Look at him, Grandpa. Ask him.
Judge Henry Harper: Uh, I'm sorry. He, uh he thinks you're Santa Claus.
[Kris Kringle and Judge Harper laugh]
Kris Kringle: [quietly to Harper's grandson] I am.
[to Harper]
Kris Kringle: Merry Christmas.

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Connections

Featured in Best Ever Christmas Films (2005)

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Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
Performed by Natalie Cole
Written by James Pierpont
Produced by Tommy LiPuma
Courtesy of Elektra Records

User Reviews

51 year old guy bawls his eyes out, as usual

I can't see why a retelling of a really good story gets panned. It stayed true to the original concept, that believing in something good, even if it only comes once a year, can make us better. If I may reference another Christmas classic of which there have been several worthy interpretations, "Scrooge" (1951), the young Scrooge says to the young Marley upon their meeting, "I believe the world is becoming a very hard and cruel place...". If it was that way in the 1800's, it's ten times worse today, and therefore all the more reason to be reminded of our better nature. I especially enjoyed the scene where the streets of New York City were filled with throngs of people, traffic on the bridges was stopped, all waiting for the verdict. I know NYC well, and how its people rise to such occasions. These scenes were not in the 1947 version, and I think they added a uniqueness to this version. Better, worse than the 1947 version? Neither - just different, and just as valid.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language Dutch Italian Russian Swahili

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miracle on 34th Street

Filming Locations:

Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,753,208, 20 November 1994

Gross USA:

$17,320,136

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,264,384

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Hughes Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1