1. Richard Attenborough – Miracle On 34th Street (1994)
The greatest movie Santa Claus of all time isn’t actually one of the more magical or fantastical iterations, but rather one of the most realistic. Trading magic for mystery, Richard Attenborough’s turn as Santa Claus in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street is one of the most memorable and iconic Santa Clauses ever committed to film. Though he doesn’t spend his screen time flying around in a sleigh or working with elves and reindeer, there’s something special about Attenborough’s Santa Claus that makes him the all-time best.
Miracle on 34th Street is a time-honored Christmas classic because it tells a simple story of belief and everyday magic. In the film, Richard Attenborough steps in as a department store Santa in New York, identifying himself as Kris Kringle. Due to his popularity, a rival store sues him, forcing him to announce his true identity. The film ultimately leaves his true nature ambiguous but sees him restore the magical Christmas spirit in young Susan Walker, delivering a Christmas miracle.
It’s this ambiguity that makes Attenborough the perfect movie Santa. He contains a touch of the unknowable mystery that Santa Claus should possess, and never does Miracle on 34th Street make bold and outlandish claims about his abilities. Instead, he acts as a kind, patient, and somewhat ordinary man who may or may not be the real deal – thereby asserting that Santa Claus may just walk among us. It’s the implied magic of Miracle on 34th Street, combined with Attenborough’s gentle grandfatherly charm, that makes its Santa the definitive movie Santa Claus.
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