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

A little girl discovers dreams do come true if you really believe. Six-year-old Susan has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle - Santa Claus. Her mother told her the "secret" about Santa a long time ago, so Susan 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, Susan 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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language Dutch Italian Russian Swahili

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Milagro en la calle 34

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Gross USA:

$17,193,886

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$46,138,104

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jennifer Morrison plays the teenage Elf assisting Santa at Cole's department store.

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Goofs

Shortly after Kris Kringle is acquitted, the camera cuts to an aerial view of Central Park which is resplendent in green. But this is supposed to be Christmas Eve when all the trees should be bare.

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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

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Home Alone 3 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Performed by Kenny G
Written by Hugh Martin / Ralph Blane
Produced by Kenny G
Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

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.