Miracle on 34th Street 1994

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Miracle on 34th Street ★★½1994 (PG)

Updated remake of the 1947 Christmas classic in which a jolly, bearded gent (Attenborough) claiming to be Santa Claus brings happiness to a doubting girl (Wilson) and her jaded mother (Perkins). Before he can prove himself to the precocious child, he must prove himself in a court of law with the help of Perkins's impossibly perfect neighbor (McDermott), a lawyer with a heart of gold (talk about your Christmas miracles!). This version can't compete with the original's “classic” status, but Attenborough and Wilson bring soul and substance to this otherwise average adaptation. 114m/C VHS, DVD . Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J.T. Walsh, Mara Wilson, Joss Ackland, James Remar, Jane Leeves, Simon Jones, Robert Prosky, William Windom; D: Les Mayfield; W: John Hughes, George Seaton; M: Bruce Broughton.