Miracle on 34th Street
Director: George Seaton
Year Released: 1947
Rating: 3.0
I consider myself pretty unsentimental, but this picture gets to me: there's something so wonderful in wanting to believe that there's true magic in the world, be it real or just radically coincidental: the scene where the 'burden of proof' is provided by the defense in the courtroom is guaranteed to cause feelings of exhilaration. I especially like the film's Foucaultian (pre-Foucault!) view of mental illness (review Madness & Civilization) as being challenging to define: the Kris Kringle in question may be crazy, but he's harmless, and if he brings hope to children (and we Peter Pan-afflicted adults), what's so wrong with it? Natalie Wood shows unusual poise and grace in one of her first roles, a lot like Liz Taylor did in National Velvet.
