Miracle on 34th Street

Capture the spirit of Christmas with this timeless classic!

1947 • 96 min • Comedy · Drama · Family

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Synopsis

Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy's following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

860 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
74 Audience · 858 · 49%

Kris Kringle steps in as Macy's Santa, spreading cheer and an unusual belief that he might be the real deal. When his claims lead to a court case questioning his sanity, a young lawyer and a little girl champion his cause, challenging what it means to truly believe.

Violence & peril: 0/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 1/10

Heads up

Disappointment when Kris Kringle is questioned

What it models well

Belief and faith
Kindness and generosity
The spirit of Christmas
Challenging cynicism

Talk about it after

What it means to believe in something magical
The importance of kindness, even to strangers
How adults sometimes forget to dream
The true meaning of giving

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for Miracle on 34th Street. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: George Seaton • Crew: George Seaton, Valentine Davies

Trailers & clips

Miracle On 34th Street | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX

Reviewer notes

Recommended
I suppose if anyone was ever to play the definitive Santa Claus, then it would have had to be Edmund Gwenn. The glint in his eye, the smile and the avuncular look all lends itself so very well to this tale of the Christmas nay-sayers! Set in the toy department of the legendary Macy's toy store in New York, we meet this character who steps in to help out at the city's famous parade after their existing "Santa" gets...
Geronimo1967, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
This is one of the classic holiday pics I will watch every year if it is available to me (Oh no; he said “holiday” instead of Christmas. Blasphemy!) So I will neither pick it apart nor praise it to the heavens. The story writing is strong and the ensemble cast do a good job. The fact that it has been redone so many times speaks for itself. I won’t even try to compare it to the other versions. Instead, as I read in...
narrator56, TMDB Community