"Miracle on 34th Street" is a charming remake of the 1947 classic which starred Maureen O'Hara and a young Natalie Wood. The new film casts Elizabeth Perkins as Dorey Walker, a work-minded mother who has taught her six-year old daughter Susan (Mara Wilson) that there is no Santa Claus. It's a good thing that Susan isn't exactly sure if her mom is right because the department store where Dorey is an executive has just hired the genuine article (Richard Attenborough) to play Santa in their store.
A competitor who has tried and failed to lure Mr. Kringle away, attempts to have him committed instead. In order to regain his freedom, he must prove in a court of law that he is who he claims to be. Dorey's boyfriend Bryan (Dylan McDermott) becomes attorney for the defense. What tricks does he have up his sleeve?
"Miracle on 34th Street" has been updated just enough to attract today's hipper youngsters. It deviates from the original film in one major respect. In the 1947 version, we aren't really sure until the end if the kindly old gentlemen who purports to be Santa Claus is a crackpot or the real thing. The remake casts no doubts and makes this fact clear in the film's very first scene.
Richard Attenborough ("Jurassic Park") makes a marvelous Santa Claus; he is able to infuse his character with genuine emotion. Mara Wilson, as young Susan, is absolutely adorable and a fine performer in her own right. More than even the time-proven storyline, these two actors make "Miracle on 34th Street" a splendid Christmas treat.