EXPERIENCE THE MIRACLE. 

A remake of the 1947 Christmas classic where a department store event director (Elizabeth Perkins) hires a friendly, helpful old man (Richard Attenborough) to be Santa… but then he turns out to actually believe in the myth.

The film tries to update the story a little bit, but still goes for an old-fashioned look with 1940s-style gauzy cinematography. The film retains the original theme of daring to believe, but does it in a clumsier, schmaltzy way and is unnecessarily drawn out.

Still, cute enough and Attenborough is a perfect stand-in for Edmund Gwenn.

1994-U.S. 114 min. Color. Produced and written by John Hughes. Directed by Les Mayfield. Cast: Richard Attenborough (Kris Kringle), Elizabeth Perkins (Dorey Walker), Dylan McDermott (Bryan Bedford), Mara Wilson, Robert Prosky, J.T. Walsh, James Remar… Allison Janney. Cameo: Joss Ackland.