Why Miracle on 34th Street Is the Definitive Christmas Movie
Greg Ehrhardt, OnScreen Blog Columnist
I always find the discussion with friends and family about Christmas movies interesting because everyone has their staples, the movies they watch yearly around the holidays. They started watching these movies as kids, and it’s a part of their childhood as much as anything else. As a result, they will defend the movie to the death, no matter how mediocre it is.
Honestly, I’m not here to bemoan that reality. Not every movie has to be an Oscar contender to be enjoyed, and in fact, some of our finest movies had no intention of being good; they just wanted to be fun or delight the audience.
However, I do think it’s important we do recognize, objectively, what is the best movie of any genre, but especially Christmas movies, considering that so many people have their silos and stick to what they are attached to and do not branch out.
I think “It’s a Wonderful Life” is considered by the public as the best and definitive Christmas movie, and it has a strong case, considering the vibes, the messaging, and Jimmy Stewart’s everyman performance.
We can argue about the “best” movie all day and not get anywhere. Everyone has different criteria for “best”. But I hope we can objectively agree on what the definitive Christmas movie of all time is.
What distinguishes “best” from “definitive”? I'm glad you asked!
The definitive movie is the one that best represents all aspects of a genre. The definitive movie is the one you would show to someone who has never watched a single movie of the genre to explain the genre best. It could also be the best, but it could also be the worst. (See here for my example of one of the worst movies of the Las Vegas genre, Showgirls being the definitive Vegas movie)
So, when it comes to Christmas movies, what is the definitive movie you would show to aliens who visit Earth and only have time to watch one movie but want to understand the Christmas genre completely?
That movie is “Miracle on 34th Street” (the 1947 version), and here’s why:
1) One of the best and definitive depictions of Santa Claus
An ideal Christmas movie has Santa Claus present in some form, and Miracle on 34th Street has the best depiction of Santa Claus, bar none. For one, the actor Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his performance, and deservedly so.
Secondly, Gwenn depicted the best qualities of Santa Claus (as we understand him) while still portraying him very humanly, especially in the courtroom scenes and when dealing with Macy’s psychologist, Granville Sawyer. Gwenn’s depiction of Santa Claus is the one you’d show to aliens, or any child as the most realistic depiction of what Santa Claus might be like if you ever met him. (For a mythological figure, of course)
2) A Pantheon child actor performance from Natalie Wood
Most Christmas movies (good ones anyway) feature kid actors prominently because Christmas is about the holiday’s relationship with children. This movie is unique because it features not one but two redemption arcs, one by Susan Walker (Wood) and the other by her mother Doris (Maureen O’Hara).
Susan’s arc is particularly special because she captures the tragedy of a kid imitating her mother’s cynicism about life to such a heartbreaking degree, making her turnaround even more heartwarming.
3) It combines all of the different aspects of Christmas movies brilliantly
Commercialism
Every good Christmas movie deals with the commercial aspects of the holiday in some fashion because, unfortunately, they are inextricably linked, and we as a society will always forget the true meaning of Christmas. Miracle on 34th Street deals with this well, not just diving into the cynicism companies like Macy’s had as far as how it viewed the holiday, but also how people like Doris Walker view Christmas as simply a holiday they must do well to succeed at their job and succeed at life. Doris felt so overwhelmed by life that she didn’t care or pay attention to hiring the right person to play Santa Claus at the parade; she just wanted to check the box and move on.
Understanding The True Meaning Of Christmas
Pretty much every Christmas movie ends on a note about the characters coming to realize what Christmas is about, and Miracle on 34th Street does this brilliantly for not just the main characters but for almost all of the principal characters involved (well, except the District Attorney Mara who left the trial scrambling to find the football helmet)
People Doing The Right Thing For The Wrong Reasons
This is an under-discussed theme of the movie. One thing I love about this movie is how it depicts institutions defending the legend of Santa Claus for the wrong reasons, from Mr. Macy admitting on the stand that he believes in Santa Claus to protect store profits to Judge Harper doing everything he can to not dismiss Kris Kringle out of hand due to politics. It’s not exactly the most Christmassy message, but the most realistic.
When it comes to Christmas, for it to thrive, you need people who defend it for the right and wrong reasons.
4) It prominently features Christmas
This is less about Miracle on 34th Street and more about other movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which is barely centered around the holiday. This is no shot at “It’s A Wonderful Life,” it’s a deservedly legendary movie. Still, the definitive Christmas movie should be focused on the holiday, like Miracle on 34th Street, and not qualify for a Christmas movie solely on themes such as redemption and understanding the true value of life.
5) It doesn’t definitively answer the question whether Santa Claus is real
This may seem a counterintuitive argument for a movie being definitive, but stay with me. Most Christmas movies featuring Santa Claus treat him like he is the real deal, which is good for Christmas! But, for the definitive movie, the one to show to Aliens, it’s best to leave this slightly open-ended, like Miracle on 34th Street.
Sure, the evidence in the movie’s reality is compelling, but it never answers it definitively, which I believe is smart. After all, many things happening in the movie are miraculous, and the miracle might be that Santa Claus is real and visited New York City or that a kindly old man pulled off impossible feats to make complete non-believers believe in Christmas.
Either way, the title reinforces what Christmas is all about.
Isn’t that what we want from the definitive Christmas movie?
If you liked this concept of determining the definitive movie in a genre, actor, or director’s filmography, check out the Definitive Cinema playlist on the OnStage Blog YouTube channel!