This remake of the 1947 classic shows how beautifully constructed George Seaton's original script was, because every change John Hughes made from that script weakens the film. For example...
In the original, Kris hits someone with the cane who has been psychologically harming his genial friend. Violent, but sympathetic. In the remake, he attacks someone for mocking him. Uncool. It makes me sympathetic to the idea that he might be dangerous.
This makes the "we believe" hysteria unconvincing. There's no good reason after that for him to become even more popular with the public. And the store execs coming out in support of him ... well, I wouldn't.
His reasons for flunking his psychological test also make no sense (I've forgotten what they were, I just remember it was dumb).
The courtroom scenes are a disaster. Replacing the DA's kid with his wife weakens the scene - what was the point?. The suggestion of improper influence on the judge is a throwaway that doesn't fit anywhere. The judge staring at that dollar bill for a minute and then coming up with the exact legal argument Kris' lawyer wants him to have is just absurd, and the speech itself is awful. And while the original divided the courtroom sequence into two parts, first forcing the judge to rule there is a Santa (based on political and personal concerns removed from the remake) and only then, with the insanely brilliant mail scene, giving him an out to rule for Kris, the remake simply has the judge basically say, "well, if there's a Santa Claus I guess, sure, it's this guy."
Then there's the final scene. In the original, they are using instructions from Kris that lead them to THE house. In this one they *know* they're going to a house (unclear on why) and the girl keeps shouting it's her house (it's as though Hughes believed everyone knows how it would end so why attempt a surprise) and then there's someone at the house with keys who prattles on and it's all just messy and anticlimactic and so, so inelegant.
Even the most reasonable change - making the antagonist a scheming outsider - ultimately undercuts the theme. The original was about faith, and the mix and hostility, skepticism, and belief within Macy's represented that. By making Kris' downfall an external plot, you lose that. It's a small thematic weakness, but the point is, it's a change, and the movie is worse because of it.
Everything is dumber, everything is less convincing, everything is less resonant.
NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY ... here's my review
This remake is a dumber, less engaging take on the old movie with a few high points and way too many low points. Richard Attenborough is excellent as the charming and philosophical Kris, and Elizabeth Perkins is every bit as good as Maureen O'Hara. The scene where she rejects the proposal is actually really intense, with Perkins beautifully displaying angry lashing out built from intense fear. It's a scene that deserves to be in a better (and very different) movie.
Dylan McDermott, on the other hand, brings to mind a statue brought to life, distractingly perfect and running the emotional gambit, as the old joke goes, from A to B. As for Mara Wilson, her performance is an interesting alternative to Natalie Wood's, less steely and intellectual and a little more human and cutesy, and while I prefer Wood I wouldn't say one was necessarily better than the other.
I'm of two minds about how watching the original effects my take on this one. On the one hand, perhaps I'm being too harsh because the original was so good. On the other hand, if I'd never seen the original this one would probably make even less sense and I would wonder why anyone thought it was a good idea to make such a stupid movie.
Not unredeemably terrible, but not recommended.
In the original, Kris hits someone with the cane who has been psychologically harming his genial friend. Violent, but sympathetic. In the remake, he attacks someone for mocking him. Uncool. It makes me sympathetic to the idea that he might be dangerous.
This makes the "we believe" hysteria unconvincing. There's no good reason after that for him to become even more popular with the public. And the store execs coming out in support of him ... well, I wouldn't.
His reasons for flunking his psychological test also make no sense (I've forgotten what they were, I just remember it was dumb).
The courtroom scenes are a disaster. Replacing the DA's kid with his wife weakens the scene - what was the point?. The suggestion of improper influence on the judge is a throwaway that doesn't fit anywhere. The judge staring at that dollar bill for a minute and then coming up with the exact legal argument Kris' lawyer wants him to have is just absurd, and the speech itself is awful. And while the original divided the courtroom sequence into two parts, first forcing the judge to rule there is a Santa (based on political and personal concerns removed from the remake) and only then, with the insanely brilliant mail scene, giving him an out to rule for Kris, the remake simply has the judge basically say, "well, if there's a Santa Claus I guess, sure, it's this guy."
Then there's the final scene. In the original, they are using instructions from Kris that lead them to THE house. In this one they *know* they're going to a house (unclear on why) and the girl keeps shouting it's her house (it's as though Hughes believed everyone knows how it would end so why attempt a surprise) and then there's someone at the house with keys who prattles on and it's all just messy and anticlimactic and so, so inelegant.
Even the most reasonable change - making the antagonist a scheming outsider - ultimately undercuts the theme. The original was about faith, and the mix and hostility, skepticism, and belief within Macy's represented that. By making Kris' downfall an external plot, you lose that. It's a small thematic weakness, but the point is, it's a change, and the movie is worse because of it.
Everything is dumber, everything is less convincing, everything is less resonant.
NOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE WAY ... here's my review
This remake is a dumber, less engaging take on the old movie with a few high points and way too many low points. Richard Attenborough is excellent as the charming and philosophical Kris, and Elizabeth Perkins is every bit as good as Maureen O'Hara. The scene where she rejects the proposal is actually really intense, with Perkins beautifully displaying angry lashing out built from intense fear. It's a scene that deserves to be in a better (and very different) movie.
Dylan McDermott, on the other hand, brings to mind a statue brought to life, distractingly perfect and running the emotional gambit, as the old joke goes, from A to B. As for Mara Wilson, her performance is an interesting alternative to Natalie Wood's, less steely and intellectual and a little more human and cutesy, and while I prefer Wood I wouldn't say one was necessarily better than the other.
I'm of two minds about how watching the original effects my take on this one. On the one hand, perhaps I'm being too harsh because the original was so good. On the other hand, if I'd never seen the original this one would probably make even less sense and I would wonder why anyone thought it was a good idea to make such a stupid movie.
Not unredeemably terrible, but not recommended.