Miracle on 34th Street

(Note: This review refers to the Blu-ray version of the DVD.)

This engaging Christmas fairy tale manages to be both a slick Hollywood artifact and a warm and quirky character-based comic drama. Edmund Gwenn is particularly fine as the bearded old man hired by Macy's for its department store Santa who thinks he's the real St. Nick, and cute little Natalie Wood is sweet and genuine as the skeptical prodigy who wants to believe in Santa Claus more than anything. The 1994 remake scripted and produced by John Hughes is also available on Blu-ray, but there's no topping the original. Includes commentary by Maureen O'Hara among the supplements.