Miracle on 34th Street

Six-year-old Susan Walker has been raised by her mother, Dorey, to take a practical view of the world, and that extends to Christmas: she has been told there is no Santa Claus. When Dorey, who runs the holiday parade for a New York department store, needs a last-minute replacement for the man playing Santa, a cheerful elderly stranger named Kris Kringle steps in and proves so convincing that he is kept on for the store's toy department. The trouble begins when Kris insists he really is Santa Claus, which sets him against store management and eventually puts his claim to the test. Susan, meanwhile, has wishes of her own that she has stopped expecting to come true.

The film is a remake of the 1947 picture of the same name, directed by Les Mayfield. It was his third feature, arriving between Encino Man and Flubber in a run of films that also includes Blue Streak and The Man. John Hughes produced and co-wrote the screenplay with George Seaton, and Richard Attenborough plays Kris opposite Mara Wilson as Susan, with Elizabeth Perkins as Dorey, Dylan McDermott as her colleague Bryan Bedford, and J.T. Walsh and James Remar in supporting roles.

Released in November 1994, it took in about 46 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.7 out of 10 from roughly 51,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.8 from around 1,200 votes. A critics' rating of 6.3 from 34 reviews puts it slightly below the audience scores while remaining in similar territory.