The late Lord Richard Attenborough looked like he enjoyed himself in the role of Santa Claus aka Kris Kringle in this delightful updated remake. With a solid supporting cast, the film included a believable love story between Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott. Mara Wilson was wonderful as the child. There are other notable performances like Robert Prosky, Allison Janney, Mary McCormack in her first film role, J.T. Walsh and others. The film was shot on location in New York City. Instead of Macy's there is a Cole's Department store and a rival with Jane Leeves. The film has a charm all its own.

This remake is for me one of the better remakes out there, but it lacks the charm, magic and heart of the original, which I consider one of the best Christmas movies of all time for several reasons(Edmund Gwenn's performance being a pivotal one).

So what were the film's flaws? Well while I thought the last act was very well done and strong, the first act especially is rather juvenile and is hard to get into. The script lacks sparkle and could have done with more sophistication, and I found Dylan McDermott rather flat as Bryan Bedford.

However, it is beautifully filmed, perhaps looking a little more slicker than the original, and the score is sweet. The direction is good on the whole, while with the exception of McDermott the acting is fine. As Kris Kringle, Richard Attenborough positively twinkles and is easily the best actor in the film(though I still prefer Edmund Gwenn),and Mara Wilson, a very talented child actress, is undoubtedly charming as Susan. Elizabeth Perkins also gives a good performance as the somewhat cold-hearted yet sympathetic Dorey Walker.

Overall, a decent remake but lacks the sparkle of the original. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins) is the producer of the Christmas parade for Cole's department store. Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough) is shocked at the drunken Santa in the parade. Dorey quickly puts Kris Kringle in to replace the drunk. Her daughter Susan (Mara Wilson) doesn't believe in Santa because her mother explained it all to her. Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott) is Dorey's boyfriend. Dorey hires Kris Kringle as the store's Santa who becomes popular for recommending shoppers to other stores. Susan is taken with the new Santa and starts to believe that he's the real deal. There is a rival store Shopper's Express which tries to sabotage Kris Kringle by getting him arrested.

There is the great Richard Attenborough and a cute little girl. There is nothing wrong with the acting. The script is a little dated. Some of the simpler elements seem charming in the original but seem naive in the modern version. This one has very little to offer other than Attenborough. Also for some reason, they got rid of the post office plot line. The mailbags piled into the courtroom is probably the most compelling scene in the original.