Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

ShangLuda Admirable film.

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

JohnHowardReid Copyright 4 June 1947 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. New York opening at the Roxy: 4 June 1947. U.K. release: 1 December 1947. Australian release: 18 December 1947. 8,700 feet. 96 minutes. U.K. release title: The Big Heart.SYNOPSIS: Is there really a Santa Claus? Kris Kringle claims there is.NOTES: Edmund Gween carried off the year's most prestigious award for Supporting Actor, while Valentine Davies won for Original Story and George Seaton took out the similar award for Adapted Screenplay. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but lost to Fox stablemate, Gentleman's Agreement. COMMENT: I am not a George Seaton fan. He is a wonderful person to talk to, and in my opinion he is extremely competent, but he is one of a fair group of directors who sincerely believe that the director's role is to draw the audience's attention to the story and the players, but definitely not to the direction. So Seaton is very deliberately a thoroughly bland director. But in my opinion, directors who share Seaton's philosophy (and there are many) have outsmarted themselves. I believe that if this screenplay had been entrusted to a director like René Clair or Preston Sturges, this movie would have emerged as a really amusing and thoroughly diverting work. Admittedly, as it stands, it is certainly slickly produced and ably acted, especially by Edmund Gwenn who thoroughly deserved the award he won at the expense of Charles Bickford, Thomas Gomez, Robert Ryan and Richard Widmark (for their performances in The Farmer's Daughter, Ride the Pink Horse, Crossfire, and Kiss of Death respectively). True, too, that many critics thought this movie was second only to Life with Father as the best movie comedy of the year. But I still think its ingenious little story was not milked for all its potential by writer-director Seaton. In my opinion, his delightfully whimsical satire on Big Business versus the Christmas spirit, really needed a stronger and somewhat less gentle director's hand.

bombersflyup Miracle on 34th Street is a splendid film, full of wonder and lovable characters.This is the best Christmas film I've seen to date. Maureen O'Hara was particularly wonderful. I wasn't sure whether to watch this, I thought maybe Christmas movies were past me, but this is a film for adults, a real keeper. It was pleasant without being fluffy at all and it doesn't try and over do it. Writer and director George Seaton did "The Country Girl" with Grace Kelly, which was great also.

studioAT "Do you believe in Santa Claus?" is the big question in this festive classic from 1947, that features a stellar performance from a young Natalie Wood.I had only seen the 90's remake of this film written by John Hughes previously, but it's interesting to now compare/contrast and see how little that film adds to the original story.It was a little slow in places, but I liked the ending much better and thought that everybody involved gave wonderful performances.If any film deserves the title of 'festive classic' it's this one.

Amy Edwards I have felt ashamed to have never seen the original version of Miracle on 34th Street. I have watched the 1994 version and my Christmas movies are more like Home Alone or the Grinch.This said, I have to tell that this movie and story line is touching and very clever. This is about Christmas spirit and how it should be felt. This is about happiness family and magic instead of 'make a buck make a buck this is only about make a buck' like Alfred liked to say. This theme is quite actual.Maureen O'Hara's character, a heartbroken divorced woman who doesn't believe in any magic and faith anymore is representing this situation all on herself. She lost the spirit and is drowning in her work. She educated her daughter in a way that she don't believe in anything either. So the fact that both of them starts to believe again alongside Santa Claus is really symbolic. Even more importantly she believes in love again which is the real essence of Christmas.I wish we would keep this authentic spirit. Being less selfish and more sharing. Believe in something even when we think everything is dark and lost. This is all Christmas is all about. And I am thankful that there are movies like Miracle on 34th Street to remind this to us.