When you think of Christmas what springs to mind, after like snow, presents and turkey? That's right Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Coca Cola Man. However you refer to the jolly present giver garbed in red and white there is no denying that Christmas isn't Christmas without that Jolly Ol' Saint Nick, and there is one film that deals with him and his very existence in such a delightfully joyous and festive way. That film is the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street.
The Christmas Story
I would let you know my views on The Christmas Story of Miracle
on 34th Street but the blurb on the DVD does such a sterling
job.
“Miracle on 34th
Street is an irresistible fable that has, for many, become synonymous with
celebrating Christmas. The holiday season is in full swing when a cultured
gentleman with twinkling eyes, an ample belly, and a snowy beard is hired as
Macy’s department store Santa. He claims his name is Kris Kringle, and soon
fills everyone with Christmas spirit – except for his boss, Doris Walker, who’s
raising her daughter Susan to not believe in Santa. But when Kris is declared
insane and put on trial, everyone’s faith is put to the test as old and young
alike face the age old question ; "Do you believe in Santa Claus?”
C’mon, now if that doesn’t scream of Christmas (the triumph
of good ol’ fashioned faith, belief and festive good-will over the evils of
commercialism, capitalism and evil-erm-ism) I don’t know what does.
(5/5)
The Voice of
Christmas
It’s a bit of an obvious one for this film, after all its
star is a white whiskered gentleman very aware of reindeer positioning, who
lists his residency as The North Pole and comes complete with his own very
fancy Santa Claus outfit; that’s right Bob Dylan, no I kid, Kris Kringle,
Father freakin’ Christmas himself. Right
from the start Kris knows exactly what Christmas should be about, he tells off
the boozy crap Santa, speaks flawless Dutch and keeps a track on the toy
market, all ensuring that the kids have the best possible Christmas. I know its
second nature to him, being that Christmassy is easy when you are the literal
embodiment of Christmas itself, but Edmund Gwenn plays him with such humility,
joy and selflessness that it is easy to feel that he is Santa Claus. Anything
Kris Kringle says oozes Voice of
Christmas – perfection… and he sleeps with his whiskers out, cold air makes
them grow.
Dude’s Santa, you cannot get more Voice of Christmassy than Santa Claus himself!
(5/5)
The Annoying Li’l
Girl (At Christmas)
Susan Walker despite being a girl, a bit annoying and
existing at Christmas isn’t Miracle’s annoying
little girl. She may be a bit snotty, know-it-all and that oh so special style
of aggravating “I’m so grown up” little child but she is only like that at the
beginning and is only like that because of her mother, Doris Walker, a woman
who because of a failed marriage decides to let her child grow up devoid of
imagination, merriment and faith. This slightly warped upbringing is best
showcased in her reluctance to play imaginary zoo and her subsequent monkey
impression, seriously I don’t know what zoo’s were like in the 40’s but my
word, that’s a bad monkey impression. But in many respects it’s not Doris who
is the most annoying, that dubious accolade falls to the big-wigs, kill-joys
and fat cats that don’t believe in Kris Kringle and his message of Christmas
joy, but special mention has to go to the eyebrow tweaking, faux psychologist Granville Sawyer, he uses
his bad marriage and fat, lazy brother in law as an excuse to psychologically
scar a young lad who loves being a Santa Claus to kids, provokes otherwise
kindly Santa’s into minor bouts of violence and worst of all, lies and cheats until he gets poor Kris condemned as insane. What a Christmas gonk. Although,
he does get fired. Some Christmas justice right there.
(3/5)
The Christmas Miracle
Firstly, it’s a lawyer that believes in Kris, he abandons
his lucrative job at a law firm in order to pursue his lovely intangibles and sticks by his guns so vehemently that he is
more than willing to go down with the white whiskered ship, if TV and film has
given me any understanding of lawyers, they are evil, money grabbing and nowhere
near the kind of fellows to side with the good guys, however Fred Gailey does,
and what is his reward for his selflessness? He gets the girl and wins the case,
and when that girl is Maureen O’Hara and the case is proving the existence of
Santa, you gotta admit, boy done good. Anyway, back to the story, Just when it
looks like the court is going to rule against our rotund protagonist he is
saved by the actions of one selfish postal worker and the scrawled letters of a
crap-ton of kids all powered by their belief in Santa. Saved, and by Christmas
cheer, joy and goodwill! It truly is a Christmas miracle and is there really anything
more Christmassy than seeing fat cats, corporate big wigs and guys with
weaselly little moustaches getting roundhouse kicked in the face by festive
cheer? No, No there isn’t.
(4/5)
The Christmas Message
As Alfred says when he first meets Kris “There’s a lotta bad-isms floating around this world, but commercialism
is the worst” It seems that the birth of our Lord and Saviour and the
holiday that birth evokes has always had trouble with commercialism, people are
always forgetting what the Christmas period truly means and getting bogged down
in the potential financial gain. I’m sure back in the middle ages when Peasant
John was chasing a turkey for his Christmas Feast Nobleman Derek sidled along
and offered him a Turkey Chasing Stick in exchange for all his beans. But I
digress. The message of Miracle on 34th
Street is one against commercialism, it encourages a somewhat blasé
approach to those matters at the Christmas period, can’t get what you want at
the usual destination, forget customer loyalty, tell them to go to your rivals,
don’t worry about your own personal gains only worry about the joy and good
times that the kiddies will have at Christmas.
So this Christmas, take a leaf out of Kris Kringle’s book,
enjoy Christmas for the warm fuzzy feeling that being kind and helpful gives
you, not for commercial or financial gains. As Kris Kringle says “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame
of mind.”
Oh, also believe. Because if we don’t believe there is a
good chance that an old man who may or may not be the real Santa Claus could
get condemned to the mad house.
(4/5)
“KRIS KRINGLE KRAZY? KOURT KASE KOMING.
“KALAMITY” KRIES KIDDIES.” – Best Headline Ever. (+1)
OVERALL FESTIVITY
RATING – 22/25.
SO
Tomorrow Joyeux Noël Cause They Had Christmas in War Times Too!
Tomorrow Joyeux Noël Cause They Had Christmas in War Times Too!
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