Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Directed by George Seaton
Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy's following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.
7 connections found
View:
7 connections, in both directions
What critics compared Miracle on 34th Street to
Even as it evokes classic Christmas fare like Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Tokyo Godfathers is loosely based on John Ford's Three Godfathers (1948), whose pseudo-Christian plotline is also the inspiration for Three Men and a Baby (1987).
Certainly, it fancies itself an instant classic, with its numerous references to holiday immortals -- Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, the claymation of Rankin-Bass -- intended to suggest that it not only borrows, but also belongs.
The North Pole has a retro look, Buddy ends up at Gimbel's, one of the department stores immortalized in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), and there's an animated snowman like the one in the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV specials.
I've heard it compared to It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and A Christmas Story.
It is even less effective than the similar scene in the 1994 remake of Miracle On 34th Street.
Buddy's disruptions extend to the working world as well, when he takes a job at Gimbels (shades of Miracle on 34th Street).
The basic story is hardly new to literature and film: From “Peter Pan” to “Miracle on 34th Street” to “Up,” adults have tapped into universal yearning for the simple joy of childhood throughout history.
He’s been forced into marriage (Santa Clause 2) and working retail (Miracle on 34th Street).
Advertisement
Last year's Bad Santa starring Billy Bob Thornton went so far with its travesty of holiday movies like Miracle on 34th Street that you could trust the moviemakers hadn't just tacked the unironic redemption on at the end to appeal to the audience.
Wide-eyed, sweet-faced Mara Wilson ("Miracle on 34th Street") is perfect as the precocious Matilda Wormwood, a brilliant, eager-to-learn child who must face the harsh reality of uncaring and loutish parents--wonderfully overplayed by actor/producer/director Danny DeVito and "Sunset Park's" Rhea Perlman.
(Attenborough’s next film role was playing Kris Kringle in John Hughes’ remake of Miracle on 34th Street.)