One Magic Christmas (1985) Disney/Drama RT: 89 minutes Rated G (some violence, mature themes, upsetting scenes, might be too much for small children) Director: Phillip Borsos Screenplay: Thomas Meehan Music: Michael Conway Baker Cinematography: Frank Tidy Release date: November 22, 1985 (US) Starring: Mary Steenburgen, Gary Basaraba, Harry Dean Stanton, Arthur Hill, Elizabeth Harnois, Robbie Magwood, Michelle Meyrink, Elias Koteas, Wayne Robson, Jan Rubes, Sarah Polley, Graham Jarvis. Box Office: $13.6M (US)
Rating: **
‘Tis the season to be ….. gloomy? Despite the happy-sounding title, One Magic Christmas is far from cheery. It’s depressing. After watching it, I needed a double dose of extra strength Zoloft.
To be fair, One Magic Christmas isn’t a bad movie and while I don’t want to give anything away, the movie’s final moments do chase away most of the dark clouds. Still, it hardly erases the 80 minutes of misery we just endured. It carries a G rating which surprises the hell out of me since it clearly isn’t something you’d bring a small child to see. It doesn’t contain any offensive material, but I would think that the film’s mature themes and upsetting scenes should have earned it at least a PG. I don’t think any mortal man will ever understand the enigma that is the MPAA.
I was a high school senior when One Magic Christmas hit theaters in November ’85. I had no desire to shell out my money to see a kid’s movie. I know I caught it on the Disney Channel one year, but it left no impression at all. I couldn’t remember a single detail. Anyway, I revisited it this Christmas and still can’t believe how dark it is. I assume the makers of this somber Christmas story were looking to do an updated, more relevant take on It’s a Wonderful Life with its tale of an angel sent to help somebody without any Christmas spirit. Geez, George Bailey NEVER had it this bad!
Ginny Grainger (Steenburgen, Philadelphia) has no Christmas spirit whatsoever. She has nothing to be joyous about. Her good-natured husband Jack (Basaraba, Fried Green Tomatoes) has been out of work since June and they’re about to be evicted from their home (it’s company property). She has to work as a cashier at the local grocery store to make ends meet. Jack dreams of opening his own bike shop, but she says it would be a waste of the $5000 needed to start such a business. Ginny also has two young children- Abbie (Harnois, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Cal (Magwood)- to think about.
It’s time for some divine intervention and it arrives in the form of an angel named Gideon (Stanton, Repo Man). He initially approaches Abbie as she’s about to mail a letter to Santa Claus. He suggests asking her mother to mail the letter as a way of helping her rediscover the true meaning of Christmas. He visits the child in her bedroom the next night and explains she shouldn’t be afraid of the bad things that will happen the next day, Christmas Eve. He’s about to put Ginny to the test in much the same way God tested Job’s faith. All kinds of tragedy is about to befall the already unhappy woman, but it’s meant to teach her about the true meaning of Christmas. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will tell you that Gideon takes Abbie to visit Santa Claus (Rubes, Dead of Winter) at his workshop in the North Pole in the aftermath of the tragedy.
SPOILER ALERT! It all leads to a predictably happy ending, but did anybody really expect otherwise? One Magic Christmas really wants to be a Capra-esque fantasy movie right down to its small town setting (a town called Medford). Hmmm, Medford, Bedford Falls. It doesn’t wholly succeed because of the overall dark tone that hangs over the entire proceedings like a big storm cloud.
The acting is actually quite good. In my opinion, Harry Dean Stanton can do no wrong. He’s perfect as the angel who brings bad tidings for a good reason. Steenburgen also does a reasonably good Scrooge impression, especially in her refusal to say “Merry Christmas” to anybody. It’s revealed that something happened to her as a child around the holiday season and she still carries it around with her. Harnois turns in a great performance as young Abbie, the shining light at the end of the tunnel. Incidentally, take a close look at the young actress who plays her best friend Molly. Does she look at all familiar? It’s Sarah Polley, an actress familiar to lovers of independent cinema. Her credits include The Sweet Hereafter, Guinevere and No Such Thing as well as more mainstream fare like Go, Splice and the Dawn of the Dead remake. I did not know that she was in this until my recent viewing of it.
One Magic Christmas was filmed in Meaford, Ontario, Canada which is the perfect setting for this kind of movie. It really augments the bleak tone of the story. There’s not that much to smile about here. Santa’s workshop even comes off as a pretty bleak place. In all fairness, it isn’t too bad of a movie. It’s just not the movie the title would appear to suggest. It’s definitely not for viewers looking for a happy Christmas flick. I would also strongly urge those who suffer from depression to choose another movie. One Magic Christmas is a sure cure for any kind of Christmas spirit. ‘Tis the season to be gloomy, indeed!
