For a Christmas film to achieve lasting status, it ought to be able to withstand repeated viewings. When I first caught this film, I thought it was an impressive, under-seen gem. But a few years have gone by and my initial enthusiasm has waded.
The biggest problem with the film is that the script relies heavily on re-stating everything that had happened before it, as if it needed all the padding it could take. This happens many times over, most notably in the courtroom sequence, and after awhile it gets pretty monotonous.
The second problem, and it is a minor point, but the story's initial conflict doesn't really translate well to today. One wonders why comparison shopping was so problematic back in the late 1940s, and whether the Janet Leigh character had to actually purchase a train set to find out what the price would be. We live in a society that thrives on "Consumer Reports" guides. Even "A Miracle on 34th Street", made two years prior, touched upon a similar subplot that made this one seem outdated.
Lastly, the kid was annoying. Enough said.
With a thin plot, unrealistic circumstances, and dialogue that repeats itself (thinking it's funny enough to stretch a story to feature length), this makes the film worthy to watch once, and then forgotten shortly afterward.
The biggest problem with the film is that the script relies heavily on re-stating everything that had happened before it, as if it needed all the padding it could take. This happens many times over, most notably in the courtroom sequence, and after awhile it gets pretty monotonous.
The second problem, and it is a minor point, but the story's initial conflict doesn't really translate well to today. One wonders why comparison shopping was so problematic back in the late 1940s, and whether the Janet Leigh character had to actually purchase a train set to find out what the price would be. We live in a society that thrives on "Consumer Reports" guides. Even "A Miracle on 34th Street", made two years prior, touched upon a similar subplot that made this one seem outdated.
Lastly, the kid was annoying. Enough said.
With a thin plot, unrealistic circumstances, and dialogue that repeats itself (thinking it's funny enough to stretch a story to feature length), this makes the film worthy to watch once, and then forgotten shortly afterward.
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