Miracle on 34th Street is a time honored holiday movie watching tradition at this time of year. The 1994 version is the second remake of the original 1947 movie. That movie starred Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood. The first remake was for TV in 1973. That star David Hartman, Jane Alexander and Sebastian Cabot. USA Network sometimes still airs that version.
In the 1994 version of the movie you will notice that Macy’s and Gimbels are no longer the stores that are mentioned, the reason for this is because Macy’s wouldn’t grant permission to use their name and Gimbles went out of business in the 80's.
At the beginning of the movie we see Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) walking down the street. At a light, he come across a little boy (Casey Wurzbach) and his Grandfather (Robert Prosky). The little boy tugs on his Grandfather’s coat and begs him to ask the nice gentleman next them a question. His Grandfather apologizes to Kris. Kris leans down and whispers in the boys ear saying yes he is the real Santa. When the light changes Kris walks away and the little boy says he should have gotten his autograph.
Kris walks over the Thanksgiving Parade. Mr. Shellhammer asks Mrs. Walker why her Santa is in a coat and hat and not his Santa suit. Mrs. Walker looks at the monitors and says that is not her Santa. They watch as Kris is trying to teach the parade’s Santa (Jack McGee’s) how to use the whip. That Santa doesn't care. He turns his back and takes a drink of liquor from flask. Kris notices and starts yelling at him. He asks if he cares what the children will think if they saw. That Santa does care and gets on his sleigh and is so drunk that when he is climbing the ladder to get into the sleigh his pants fall. This horrifies the children making them scream. Kris empties the Parade Santa’s flask. The Parade Santa sleigh falls off the float on top of him. Mrs. Walker sees this. Kris is leaving the parade and Mrs. Walker goes after him. She offers him the part.
Kris is a smash in the parade. Mr. Shellhammer congratulates Mrs. Walker for hiring him. She tells him that Kris has his own Santa suit too. Mr. Shellhammer thinks that is strange. She tells him if they don’t like it they will make him wear one of theirs. He asks her if she is going to stay and watch the parade but she says no she wants to go home. She is tired of the parade.
When Dorey Walker gets home she finds her daughter Susan is not home and has left a video message saying she went next door to Bryan Bedford’s (Dylan McDermott) apartment. Susan is watching the parade through Bryan’s window. Susan tells him that she knows how much the parade costs and wonders how Cole’s can afford it. She tells him Cole took out a loan just to keep a float and doesn’t know how they will pay it back. Bryan tells her to ask Santa to find money to pay back the loan so they store will be okay. Susan tells him she knows the secret that there really isn’t a Santa. This surprise him. Just then Dorey comes to the door to get her daughter. She tells Susan it is time to go home. Bryan asks if she can stay till the end of the parade after all Santa didn’t come by. Dorey says it is okay for her to stay but as soon as Santa comes by to send Susan home. Susan asks if it is the same one from last year. Her mom says no they had to get new one at the last minute because the old one was a bad. Susan is looking out the window watching the end of the parade and Santa comes by. Santa is waving to everyone and looks up at the window where Susan is and waves to her. Susan gets excited.
Meanwhile, the head of Cole’s competitor, Shopper’s Express calls his henchman Jack Duff (James Remar) who is spying on the Cole’s Parade to see how many people that were there. He tells Jack that their store should offer a free giveaway so that no one goes to Cole’s. Jack tells him that Cole’s has a better Santa who will pull in more people and if he didn’t know better he would think that it was the real Santa. Jack will do his best to get more people to go to Shopper’s Express.
Dorey, Susan and Bryan sit down to their Thanksgiving meal. Susan says it is almost like a real family she sees on TV expect they are missing a brother and a cook. When Susan says that Bryan is like the Dad and her mom would be the mother, then Dorey gets embarrassed. They begin to eat but Bryan asks if they say the blessing first. Susan says they only do that when her grandmother is around. Bryan asks if they mind if they do it now. Then they bow their heads and pray.
Kris is getting ready for his first day. Everyone comes to Coles to see Santa. All the kids are lined. There is this one boy who asks for a special toy. Kris start to promise him that he will get this toy but off to the side his mom (Allison Janney) is trying to tell Santa that it is too expensive but Kris ignores her. She tells her son to go stand on the side to wait for her so she can talk to Santa. The mom tells Kris that he shouldn’t promised it because it is too expensive. Kris tells her that she can go to Bargain Village and get it much cheaper. This puzzles the mother who wonders why Cole’s is sending shoppers someplace else. This mother finds Mr. Shellhammer and tells him that she is impressed by this Santa. That the Cole’s Santa just told her where she can get her son’s toy for a better price and the at Bargain Village it comes with Batteries. She loves how Coles puts Christmas before the consumerism. This shocks Mr. Shellhammer that Santa would be doing that. When she goes on to tell him that she will be doing all her shopping at Coles except for bananas and toilet paper. She thinks every department should do that.
Mr. Shellhammer proposes to Mrs. Walker this idea that they tell consumers where they can get the best buy for an item if Cole’s doesn’t have it. Then they go to Mr. Cole (William Windom) and tell him the idea. He loves it. He says that it will drive Victor Landbergh nuts. They put this plan in motion. They put signs in the store stating, “If we don’t have it we will find it for you.”
Victor Landbergh (Joss Ackland) of Shopper’s Express hears of Cole’s new plan and is furious that his staff didn't think of it first. He tell his staff Alberta Leonard (Jane Leeves) and Jack Duff that they should have thought of it first. That if Cole’s make a lot of money that he will not be able to buy the store from them.
Bryan brings Susan to Cole’s to meet Santa. Susan goes up to Kris and shakes his hand. Kris puts her on his lap and they have a nice chat. Susan tells him she knows he is not the real Santa because it is her mother who hired him. That he is just and employee of the store. Kris tells her that is sort of true. She compliments on his suit saying it is not the stores. He tells her that it is his own. She notices the gold buttons. She tells him she likes his beard and it is glued on very well unlike last years Santa. He tells her it is real. She doesn't believe and lets her pull it. Then she believes. He asks her what she wants for Christmas and she tells him that it will be whatever her mother thinks is reasonable. Kris asks about her father. Susan tells him she doesn't know where he is. This confuses Kris because he thought Bryan was her dad. She says no that he is just a friend. Just then her mom comes by to get her. Her mom, Mrs Walker, tells Susan that it is time for her to go that there are other customers waiting and they come first. After she leaves Bryan tells Kris that those two are non believers.
Back in her office, Dorie is talking to Bryan why it wasn't okay for him to bring Susan there. She says that if she tells Susan one thing and she sees Santa for herself and he seems real to her who will she believe. Bryan ask Dorie back to his apartment that night but she says no. She does ask him to take Susan home. She then looks at Kris’ file to see it says that his name is Kris Kringle and he is from the North Pole.
Later that night, Kris goes to feed his reindeer. Jack and Alberta follow him. They offer him a job at Shopper’s Express but he turns them down. He tells them he already has a job at Cole’s. They then offer him a ride back to his home. Jack asks Kris how Santa gets around the world in one night. Kris replies telling them that if you can slow down time then you can do anything. There was a time many years ago that not only could he deliver all the toys but then have a late supper a nap and still play a round of golf with the Easter Bunny. Kris gets out of the limo and goes into his building. Jack and Alberta both think that Kris is nuts. That if anyone found out that Cole’s hired a crazy Santa it would hurt that store’s business. This makes them happy.
At the store, one of the children that comes to see Santa is deaf. Her mom tells Kris that it is okay if he can’t talk to her. That she told her daughter that he may not be able to. Just then Kris begins to sign with the little girl. Susan who happens to be at the store that day see Kris doing that. She watches from a far in amazement. Kris spots Susan and winks at her. Susan runs off. That night, Susan talks to her mom about what she saw that at the store. She asks why she doesn't believe in Santa when everyone else does. Her mom says that it is because Susan knows the truth and they don’t but if she wants to believe in Santa then it is okay. That she should ask Kris for a present that she can’t get Susan so this way if Santa does bring her the present then she will know Kris is the real Santa.
Jack goes to the bar where the original Cole’s Santa who was fired from parade and talks to him. The Santa tells Jack how he was unfairly fired from Cole’s. That the new Santa is crazy. Jack asks how he knows. He said that he even tried to pick a fight with him and used his cane. Jack asked if he was aggressive. That Santa said yes. Jack said he had a plan and would this Santa like to help. Jack offered him money and he said yes.
Dorie is helping Kris get ready for his TV appearance they begin to talk. Kris tells her he knows she doesn't believe in him. That if he can get her to believe in Santa then all will be okay. Kris does the opening for Good Morning America.
Bryan calls Dorie at work and asks her out for that night. He says if he can get a good babysitter would she go shopping with him that night and then to dinner. She says yes. Then she comes home to find that Bryan has brought Kris home with him to watch Susan that night. At first Dorie isn't happy but Bryan said that who else is a better babysitter than Santa Claus himself. They leave to go out. When Kris is putting Susan to bed she pulls out a paper from her lockbox to give to Kris. She tells him that for Christmas she want a house, brother and father. Kris says that is a tall order and not every Christmas wish comes true. Susan tells him that is what she thought he would say and if he is truly Santa Claus he will get it. Kris says he will try.
As Bryan is walking Dorie home he asks her if she wants an early Christmas gift. She says yes. He takes out a ring box. She isn't happy. He asks her to marry him. She says did she ever give him the idea that she wanted to get married again. He said no. Dorie goes into the elevator with tears in her eyes. A few minutes later Kris comes out. He asks the doorman to get him a taxi. While waiting, he sees Bryan in the park across the street sitting on a bench. Bryan tells him what happens. Kris said they need to work on Dorie and Susan. Kris’ taxi arrives. Bryan tells Kris to give the ring to someone who can use it. Kris tells him to hold onto it for a little bit he may need it. Kris leaves. Just so you know here is a fun fact. The Doorman in this scene is played by Alvin Greenman who was in the 1947 version of this movie. In that version he played Alfred the young janitor that Kris Kringle mentors.
Kris is at work talking to the children when the old Santa comes by and taunts him. He tells the children waiting in line that this isn't the real Santa. That this person lives in an nursing home. The old Santa keeps saying horrible things and it is upsetting Kris so that he almost reaches for his cane. Later that night after work the old Santa follows Kris and keeps taunting him so much that Kris knocks him out. This draws a crowd and Jack and Alberta tells everyone that this is Cole’s Santa. Just then a photographer takes his photo.
News of Kris’ arrest is everywhere. Dorie goes into work and calls Bryan to help Kris. Kris is being held at Bellevue Hospital. Bryan agrees to help. At Judge Henry Harper’s (Robert Prosky), Ed Collins (J.T. Walsh) comes in with Kris’ commitment papers and says that it just needs a signature. Then Bryan walks in and says that if the Judge does sign it he will bring habeas corpus papers. Bryan says he wants a hearing on this and will bring witnesses. The Judge agrees to this and sets a date.
Bryan visit Kris at the hospital. He asks Kris why he failed his mental exam on purpose. Kris said he didn't feel the children would believe in him. Bryan said they would because all he was doing was standing up for them. That it was set up. They know the person who taunted him was the old Cole’s Santa who was fired. Bryan wants to get Kris out of the hospital and tells them there will be a hearing and everything will be proven there. Kris agrees to this.
Mr. Cole is having a meeting about what to do with Santa when Dorie walks in and begins to yell at him for not standing by Kris. She tells him that they spent millions on the campaign that they are the store that cares and yet they don't if they don't believe in Kris. Mr. Cole listens to her and goes on TV to tell the world that they will stand by their Santa. He tells everyone to believe. This is when signs all over New York begin to pop up saying that they believe.
Now is the time we leave you so you can watch the movie and see what happens next.
The 1994 version
The 1947 version
The 1973 version
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