MovieChat Forums > Miracle on 34th Street (1994) Discussion > If he really is Santa, why does he live ...

If he really is Santa, why does he live in a nursing home in New York?


And why are his reindeer in pens in New York?

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The North Pole isn't really a hospitable environment, he'd be a fool to stay up there 365 days a year.

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"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the antidote to shame."

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Since he's "Santa" I guess he has to temporarily live in local areas during the holidays. It was also his way or not blowing his cover too I suppose

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[deleted]

I kinda wish they would have explained more about the reindeer. As for the nursing home I figured he was living as a regular person. I know as a kid I use to think even if most of the Santas at the mall were helping just maybe the real one was out there somewhere. Maybe this one year he was at Coles.

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Aren't you all rather missing the point? Surely the story is that he seems to be an eccentric old boy who just thinks he's Santa Claus - so he has the beautiful suit, keeps reindeer, speaks all languages, charms the children... Nobody really believes, of course, even during the court case.

Except that maybe, just maybe... Hence the bit about the prosecutor's television aerial - how does Kris Kringle know about that, eh?

Btw, I wish Attenborough didn't have to say he 'tore his pants' on it. Pants, in English English such as he speaks so beautifully, are underwear. I don't want to have to think about Father Christmas's underwear.

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Yes but Kris' references to the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy were unnecessary, completely silly and counterproductive to the mystique that the rest of the film was trying to create. That would have been perfect fodder for the prosecution to declare him as a certifiable nut case.

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Although Attenborough is British, the story takes place in New York, where "pants" refers to outer wear.

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Could be a cover up so no one knew he was Santa!

Kinda like how in The Santa Clause when the elves would roam around the neighborhood posing as kids and how Scott Calvin stayed at home with Charlie

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It's easier to understand that in the original Kris wanted to get closer to the people to change the commercialization of Christmas, that he felt the people have lost their way with Christmas. Going from the north pole to NY everyday for morning commute is a bit excessive yes?

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I actually had the exact same question. If he's really Santa--and I think that the very ending of the film answers this question in the affirmative--then he should have a very nice home and workshop at the North Pole, and Mrs. Claus should also be there. So why is he living in an old folks' home in New York? How did he get in there in the first place and how long has he been there? I agree that it makes little sense and no real explanation is given in the film.

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He’d only come around in public during December I guess, then disappear after the holidays are over.

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