"One Magic Christmas"

by MediaPhile@evpl on Monday, December 22 2008, 7:03pm. Viewed 988 times.
EVPL Blogs » Blogs » Movies Blog » "One Magic Christmas"

one magic christmas

Everyone has favorite Christmas DVDs. 

My favorite comedies are "Scrooged" with Bill Murray (since all I had to do was look at Murray and I would start guffawing) and "Christmas Story" (since it is set in Hammond, which is where I grew up).  My favorite dramas are "It's a Wonderful Life" (no explanation required) and "One Magic Christmas."

Released in 1985, "One Magic Christmas" stars Mary Steenbergen as an overworked, fretful mom who labors away  as a grocery store clerk and Harry Dean Stanton as Gideon, a guardian angel.  Mary's husband is laid off and she doesn't look forward to Christmas at all.  In fact, she is an outright Scrooge. 

Things get much worse before they get better.  But a sequence of events lead her to once again believe in the Christmas message of hope and change.

Just a couple words of caution -- this is more a slice of reality than a magical little children's flick.  Also, Mary's children willingly rendevous with Gideon on a trip to the North Pole, but he is after all an angel!  (Don't know if times were safer then, or if we just thought they were).

Filed under: , , , , ,

Comments (12)

Have something to say? Share your comments by signing in to your account, then returning to this page.

librarianinheels@evpl wrote
on Monday, December 22 2008, 7:49pm

My favorites are the 1938 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart, "The Year Without a Santa Claus", "It's a Wonderful Life", The 1977 American Ballet Theatre Production of "The Nutcracker" (with Mikhail Baryshnikov...va va voom!) and, of course, A Charlie Brown Christmas. :)

HRevvdon@evpl wrote
on Tuesday, December 23 2008, 6:33am

Every year my oldest brother and I argue over the best "Scrooge" and I always maintain he is Reginald Owen.  I vote for Alistar Sim (1951), but like the Lockharts as the Crachits in the Reginald Owen version.  The worst is the musical though, I think that is Albert Finney.

MediaPhile@evpl wrote
on Tuesday, December 23 2008, 9:14am

I guess my favorite dramatic version of Scrooge is the George C. Scott version.  Yes, it definitely is!

professor.knowsitall@evpl wrote
on Tuesday, December 23 2008, 4:46pm

My favs are "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and the California Raisins Christmas Special (don't think it's on DVD...good thing I still have the 20yr old VHS, recorded from TV).

professor.knowsitall@evpl wrote
on Friday, December 26 2008, 11:32am

I watched "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" again this year...at 23 years old, it's still hilarious and relevant.

WashinMyGoat wrote
on Friday, December 26 2008, 3:52pm

I always loved "The Ref" from 1994 with Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey.  It's not your traditional heart warming Christmas story, but it is hilarious and under-rated.  Even better is you can usually find it for less than 8 dollars on Amazon.

MediaPhile@evpl wrote
on Friday, December 26 2008, 4:15pm

I don't think I have ever seen "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."  Go figure!

MediaPhile@evpl wrote
on Friday, December 26 2008, 4:19pm

I forgot about "The Ref."  I agree that it should go right to the top of the list of Christmas comedies.

this.is.not.here@evpl wrote
on Saturday, December 27 2008, 11:14am

Didn't I buy this for you?  My favorites are "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase and "Mixed Nuts" with Steve Martin. As for classics:  "A Christmas Carol" with Alistair Sims, and "Christmas in Connecticut" with Barbara Stanwyck, and Dennis Morgan.  (There is a horrible remake of "Christmas in Connecticut" with Dyann Canon and Kris Kristofferson----my advice is to stay away from it.

And an old tv classic has just been released on dvd "Amahl and the Night Visitors".  

MediaPhile@evpl wrote
on Saturday, December 27 2008, 12:56pm

Yes, you did buy "One Magic Christmas" for me.  (Thank you very much).  It is one of the few DVDs I own.  Christmas in Connecticut with Dyan Cannon and Kris Kristofferson -- sounds dreadful -- but I think I saw it once!

Shh_ImReading@evpl wrote
on Monday, December 29 2008, 6:33pm

I had sort of forgoten about this movie; I'll have to make sure I watch it next Christmas. I think I'll also be putting The Best Christmas Pagent Ever on my list, since I just read the book this year. Oh, yeah, and I noticed there's a movie version of Hogfather now too!

I think it's safe to say there are a lot of Christmas movies I love, but my top-3 must see Christmas movies are classic TV specials: A Muppet Family Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

booklover wrote
on Tuesday, June 9 2009, 10:41am

My fave Christmas Movie is Miracle on 34th Street.  I remember begging to watch it over and over when it would be on television while I was growing up.  I like the original better, but still enjoyed the re-make.