Miracle on 34th Street is one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time and includes many memorable quotes. The story about the department store Santa who turns out to be the real thing has been remade several times since 1947. The original Miracle on 34th Street is the winner of two Oscars for writing and one for Edmund Gwenn’s performance as Kris Kringle.Kris’ insistence that he is the real Santa Claus changes the lives of lawyer Fred Gailey, single mother Doris Walker, and Doris’ daughter Susie. The movie focuses on the theme of choosing to be hopeful and kind in the face of hostility. Miracle on 34th Street’s heartwarming quotes fill everyone with holiday spirit.
10 “If That’s Normal, I Don’t Want It!”
Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn)
It is unusual for Santa himself to become dispirited in a Christmas movie, but this is what happens in Miracle on 34th Street. Kris is at a psychiatric hospital and laments about the state of the world, disheartened that a kind man can be locked up while the fraudulent psychiatrist Granville Sawyer (Porter Hall) walks free. This human moment of hopelessness from Kris only makes Fred want to help him more. It also makes Kris’ release and his return to being cheery incredibly heartening.
9 “Maybe I didn’t do such a wonderful thing after all.”
Fred Gailey (John Payne)
Kris leads Fred and Doris to a house in the suburbs where Susie wants to live. Fred and Doris have decided to buy the house and are wrapped up in a moment of romance and Christmas spirit when they notice a cane very similar to the one Kris uses sitting by the fireplace. They are both startled, having believed in the idea of Kris more than him literally being Santa Claus. Fred muses, “Maybe I didn’t do such a wonderful thing after all.” The line suggests that Fred didn’t accomplish anything remarkable by proving that Kris is Santa when Kris is Santa. Fred might also be concerned about Kris breaking into the house and presumably other houses. It’s a hilarious way to end the movie and works better than a final statement about believing. Miracle on 34th Street already has plenty of lines about belief.
8 “I Believe In You Too.”
Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara)
Doris is depicted as a harshly realistic character, for worse and for better. She has never told her daughter a fairy tale and can hold her own in a workplace dominated by men. However, Doris slowly comes to believe in Kris as a person representing important ideals. When Susie writes a letter to Kris to cheer him up during his trial, Doris adds a brief note at the end: “I believe in you too.” This shows how Doris has grown as a character, coming to believe in hope and magic because of Kris.
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7 “Since The United States Government Declares This Man To Be Santa Claus, This Court Will Not Dispute It.”
Judge Harper (Gene Lockhart)
Judge Harper is worried that his election campaign will collapse if he rules against Kris in court. When Fred argues that the post office, a branch of the United States government, recognizes that Kris is Santa because of all the letters delivered to him, Haper jumps at his chance for redemption. Harper’s ruling in Kris’ favor is a triumphant moment in the story, with a small element of humor. The audience knows how relieved Harper is, even if the characters do not.
6 “Yeah, There’s A Lot Of Bad ‘isms’ Floatin’ Around This World, But One Of The Worst Is Commercialism.”
Alfred (Alvin Greenman)
Alfred is a cleaner at Macy’s and the first in the story to implicitly agree with Kris’ mission to renew the Christmas spirit in New York when the holiday has become extremely commercialized. Kris likes Alfred instantly when Alfred reveals that he enjoys playing Santa himself because he gets to interact with happy children. Alfred also plays a vital role in the story of Kris’ court case.Kris sees that Alfred is being bullied by Dr. Sawyer and goes to confront Sawyer. This leads to Sawyer having Kris committed. Kris’ subsequent court case represents the movie’s core conflict between kindness towards others and malevolence for personal gain. All this happens because Kris wants to help one of the few truly good people he has met in New York.
5 “We Intend To Prove That Mr. Kringle Is Santa Claus.”
Fred Gailey
Fred shocks the court when he announces that his entire defense of Kris will be based on proving that Kris is Santa. The story takes a wild turn at this moment when the outcome becomes entirely hinged on an impossibility. But underdog stories in movies are always uplifting, and the rest of the characters are thrilled when Fred is successful. The movie includes scenes of the families of the prosecutor and the judge, showing that even they want Kris to win his case.
4 “Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind… and that’s what’s been changing.”
Kris Kringle
What makes Miracle on 34th Street a perfect Santa movie is that it is more ambiguous about whether Santa is real than other Christmas movies. What drives the story are the abstract concepts associated with Kris, demonstrated by his assertion “Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind.” Kris touches everyone around him and changes their perspective of the holiday season. Kris does not only change the lives of Fred, Doris, and Susie, but the employees and customers at Macy’s and the people he meets in court.
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3 “Don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover they’re the only things that are worthwhile.”
Fred Gailey
Fred’s confrontation with Doris after he quits his job to continue Kris’ case is essential to the story and Doris’ character. He bluntly tells her: “Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover they’re the only things that are worthwhile.” This line represents the forces that conflict with Kris.Kris and Fred are not just fighting malevolent doctors and lawyers, but feelings of skepticism and pessimism. It’s implied that Susie’s father left Doris, and Doris has since approached every aspect of her life with hard realism. Fred tells Doris that she cannot live without hope and joy, because life is meaningless without them.
2 “I believe… I believe… It’s silly, but I believe.”
Susie Walker (Natalie Wood)
Susie is just as realistic as her mother, dismissing Santa and other fairy tales as nonsense. As Susie spends more time with Kris, she discovers other enjoyable aspects of childhood and learns to be more imaginative. While she will probably grow into a practical woman like her mother, she will also let some nonsensical things into her life if they bring her joy. Susie muttering “I believe, I believe, it’s silly, but I believe” in the background while the adults say goodbye is also a funny moment.
1 “Faith is believing things when common sense tells you not to.”
Fred Gailey & Doris Walker
“Faith is believing things when common sense tells you not to” is said first by Fred and later repeated by Doris. This quote captures the entire movie in just a few words. Doris has been living her life and raising Susie with only common sense and not faith. When they meet Kris, he introduces a little magic into their lives. All of the characters are tired of harsh reality, and this message of continuing to be hopeful is what has made Miracle on 34th Street a timeless Christmas story.
