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Parents' Guide to

Miracle on 34th Street

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Classic holiday movie has positive messages.

Movie NR 1947 96 minutes
Miracle on 34th Street Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 7+

Based on 10 parent reviews

elainec1
elainec1 Parent of 7 and 10-year-old
November 25, 2016
age 13+

Best for teens and up

I LOVE this movie as a young adult and really wanted to share it with my children. I saw that Common Sense Media suggested it for 6 years and up and so I was excited to share it with my 8 year old and 10 year old. I haven't seen it in a while so I forgot some of the scenes. Both my kids believe in Santa Clause and parts of this were really disturbing. The opening scene was a drunk Santa in the Macy's parade and it totally confused our kids. Given that so many people discussed that there wasn't a Santa Claus and there was a LOT of dialogue in the beginning of the movie, my kids were bored and asked to be excused, so they were and didn't watch the rest of the movie. Later on, I'm glad I excused them as one scene (which adults find very funny) was a very drunk woman saying "Of course Santy-Clause can stay with us!". There is also smoking in a few scenes. Also, the Kris Kringle gets put in a mental hospital which would also be confusing for my children. There are so many subtleties in this movie ("latent tendencies", "guilt complex") that it wouldn't be entertaining for my kids except for the monkey imitation scene and the bubble gum scene with Natalie Wood which are completely charming, and of course, the end where the mounds of letters pour on the judge's desk and Susan she gets the house of her dreams. It really is a movie for us adults and perhaps tweens and teens, though. Not for young kids.
jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
December 28, 2019
age 6+

Excellent!

This is a Christmas classic! Even though it is all about being against the existence of Santa Claus, and about Santa trying to prove that he actually is Santa, it really gets you to think. Would you believe Santa was actually Santa if he existed today in the modern world? It is also interesting because the main character besides Kris Kringle is a young girl whom you would typically expect to believe in fairytales and myths, but she doesn’t even know that they are around. It is very bizarre, but very interesting. Also, there should be something about drinking, drugs, and smoking. There is a scene where Fred Gaily smokes in his apartment. But, it is very brief. Highly recommendEd if you are looking for a classic Christmas movie for the entire family.
See all 10 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) is an executive at Macy's who's responsible for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. When the Santa Claus she's hired for the parade shows up drunk, she quickly substitutes Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), who's an enormous success and becomes the store's even more successful in-house Santa. He tells customers to shop elsewhere when Macy's doesn't have what they want. The employees are aghast, but it turns out to be a public relations triumph. Doris raises her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood), without any fantasies or illusions to help her handle "reality." Susan doesn't believe in Santa Claus. But Kris tells her that he really is Santa Claus, and, after observing him for a while, she begins to believe him. Kris has the enthusiastic support of lawyer Fred Gailey (John Payne), who cares deeply for Doris and Susan. But Kris' insistence that he really is Santa Claus leads to a hearing on his mental competency. Downtrodden, Kris doesn't even want to assist in his defense. So it's up to Doris, Susan, and kids everywhere to show adults the truth.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (11 ):

This holiday classic from 1947 remains a great example of Hollywood studio filmmaking. Both Gwenn and Miracle on 34th Street's screenplay won Academy Awards, and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture. It lost to A Gentleman's Agreement, but while the latter has become rather obscure, best reserved for awards completists, Miracle remains a timeless work of art that can uplift even the most cynical spirits.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Doris doesn't want Susan to use her imagination in Miracle on 34th Street. Why do Kris and Fred think it's important?

  • Why is it important that Kris tells people to go to other stores to buy things they didn't have at Macy's?

  • Why doesn't Mr. Sawyer like Kris? Why did Fred have Mr. Mara's son testify in the trial?

  • How do the characters in Miracle on 34th Street demonstrate courage and integrity? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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