Welcome to the next article in our Nerds Gets Cheery series! During the month of December, we are recommending some of our favorite holiday films to get you in the spirit of the season. For today’s film, I chose a classic film that has been a staple of holiday viewing for years. Miracle on 34th Street (both the 1947 original and the 1994 remake) is a moving film about the power of belief.
The film follows Kris Kringle, a department store Santa, and Doris Walker who hires Kris to play Santa at Macy’s. Doris and her young daughter Susan are cynical, with Doris raising Susan to not believe fairy tales.
Susan witnesses Kris perform seemingly impossible miracles and begins to believe despite her mother’s objections. But when Kris is involuntarily committed after being judged insane for his insistence that he is the real Santa, Doris, Susan, and the many people touched by Kris’ actions must come to his defense and prove that perhaps he really is Santa Claus.
I love both the original and the remake for their depiction of the power of faith and belief. In the end, it doesn’t matter if Kris really is Santa; the light he brings to the lives of the people around him is true Christmas magic regardless. Both films also feature a great cast, with the original starring Edmund Gwenn (Kris), Maureen O’Hara (Doris), and Natalie Wood (Susan) and the remake featuring Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, and Mara Wilson.
For a heartwarming and funny holiday film, be sure to check out Miracle on 34th Street!
