Plus or Minus is a series detailing and analyzing every feature film now streaming on Disney+. It combines the unique history all these films share, their cultural impacts, and their qualities, or lack thereof. From timeless classics, to acquired hits, to DCOMs, no stone will be left unturned.

This Plus or Minus, focusing on Miracle on 34th Street, is a unique one for this series. Came at the right time too. After all, we’re just a week away from Thanksgiving. A man named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) meets the actor set to appear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The man is inebriated, and Kris is beyond angry this man would embarrass the name of Santa Claus. So after convincing the event director Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), Kris becomes Santa for the parade.

Afterwards, this leads to Kris becoming the Santa Claus at the flagship Macy’s Store on 34th Street. He becomes a sensation across New York, as people love his honest, sincere attitude. In fact, some say he is everything Santa Claus represents. And wouldn’t you know it? Kris Kringle claims to be Santa Claus himself. This seems to defy all logic, as how can any sane man claim to be a mythical figure? And indeed, several people, including Doris, and especially her young daughter Susan (Natalie Wood), refuse to believe Kris Kringle. It’s just a man with a white beard who knows how to perform a good act.

However, through a compelling court case, Kris may just give the world faith and give the people a miracle.

A Foxy Title

Many will remember the infamous acquisition of 21st Century Fox from The Walt Disney Company. The acquisition of Fox’s film and TV divisions was for many reasons. Acquiring film rights for certain Marvel properties, getting all the Star Wars titles under one roof, getting distribution just in time for all those Avatar sequels. But the biggest one of all was for streaming. Disney had majority ownership of Hulu, the upcoming service Star is set to have several Fox television productions. And for Disney+, there’s The Simpsons, which has become one of the biggest selling points for the service.

But of course, Fox also boasts a strong line-up of family films that are prime material to be exploited by the Mouse House. Miracle on 34th Street is no exception here. In fact, there was a very brief instance where Disney put their logo on this movie while promoting Disney+, acting as if Disney made this movie. It’s very odd, since none of the other Fox titles got this kind of treatment. Luckily cooler heads prevailed, and there’s no Disney logo on sight for the movie on the service.

A Timeless Christmas Classic

It is fascinating to say this now, but Miracle on 34th Street wasn’t advertised as a Christmas movie. Reports are that Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck loved the movie and wanted it to be seen by as many people as possible. His logic was that movies perform better in the summertime because of the warmer weather. This resulted in a film all about Santa Claus releasing in May. This also meant any Christmas elements from the film were scrubbed in the marketing materials. The trailer showed no footage of the movie itself, while the poster focused in on Fox staples Maureen O’Hara and John Payne instead of Edmund Gwenn. In a way, Miracle on 34th Street is the Die Hard of the 1940s. And I’m sure audiences at the time were confused by all the Christmas elements when it first released.

Regardless, Miracle on 34th Street was a resounding success. Not only was the film a critical and commercial darling, 34th Street earned three Academy Awards, including a win for Gwenn as Best Supporting Actor. Kind of weird since Gwenn is the focus of the entire movie, but that’s category fraud I suppose.

And since then, the film still lives on as a classic. It’s a favorite for many to watch on Christmas, and garnered several different adaptations. A novella released alongside the original movie. Stage plays have popped up through the years. And of course, the remakes are too many to count. The most famous remake of course is the 1994 Miracle on 34th Street, with Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle.

The Beauty of Gwenn

Santa Claus has seen numerous interpretations through literally thousands of different stories and mediums. So naturally, it is almost impossible to say what’s the definitive interpretation of the man. But Edmund Gwenn really does come close. His jolliness and kindness is infectious to watch, capturing the festive spirit of the holiday to a tee. But what really makes Gwenn work so well is his interactions with others. Specifically with Susan, the little girl who doesn’t believe in anything.

 

Gwenn has a perfect balance of capturing the joy of Santa, but also the humanity of Santa. He cares about others, he takes everything they say seriously, and will fight against those who wronged them. A particular moment between Kris and a fellow Macy’s worker who also dresses like Santa is very emotional and heartfelt. In a way, it’s about as good of a depiction as you can make of the figure.

Natalie Wood is also great here. She plays the “smarter than her years” trope really well, but still manages to have the emotional center of a little kid. Maureen O’Hara as her no-nonsense mother and John Payne as the charming lawyer who defends Kris in the second half are also great. Their romance isn’t especially fascinating, but they bring an interesting dynamic and give plenty of great material for both Gwenn and Wood to work off of.

A Smart Lack of Magic

Perhaps the boldest element to this story about belief in magic is that there’s no magic to speak of. Outside of one or two moments, which can still be traced to reality, there’s no real fantasy elements. No reindeer, no elves. It’s just a man being a kind and caring figure. And that’s all you need to sell to people that he is Santa Claus. Part of this is because special effects weren’t as advanced as they are now. But there’s something so bold about the miracle being so basic.

It’s a very uncynical movie, as Kris warms the hearts of even the most serious and grouchy people. In fact, that’s the miracle on 34th Street. The concept of empathy and kindness. It leads to the film becoming unabashedly sweet, but never corny. This can be chalked to some smart writing, which gives even the court scenes a playful energy. And of course, once again, Gwenn’s performance. Really, he’s the main reason to check the film out.

The writing is also very smart in its look at corporatism. While some have argued this is a Macy’s commercial, director George Seaton does play things smart here. The only reason adults buy into the idea a kindly old man like Kris could be Santa Claus is when he becomes the Santa for the flagship Macy’s store. His ability to boost profits makes these companies realize the value of Santa and force the idea of making him real so as to boost profits. It’s a nice dig at companies like Macy’s and Gimbels, and Seaton makes sure the store owners are not seen as heroes for believing in Santa. If anything, the spirited conclusion, based on the idea of faith and kindness, is what truly succeeds at the end of the day.

Plus or Minus

Like with many of the other films I’ve discussed in Plus or Minus, Miracle on 34th Street was easy to pick. Taking the spirit of the holidays with one incredible Oscar-winning performance, 34th Street delivers on all accounts. It’s whimsical, it’s endearing, it’s heartfelt, and gets you right in the spirit of the holidays. If I were to choose Plus or Minus for Miracle on 34th Street, it is an automatic Plus through and through.

NEXT TIME: We return to the Disney package series with Fun and Fancy Free. Is the title indicative of the film’s quality itself?