the audience applauded

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Absolutely brilliant

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I think I'm beginning to realize that its very easy to have exactly the right expectations when going into a Christmas film. You can read a synopsis or even a title in some cases and you should know exactly what it will be. All I Want For Christmas is one of those films. Its not amazing, its not terrible, its a cute, fun, family friendly movie about two kids trying to get their parents back together. Its similar to Parent Trap (though not as good) and set at Christmas to give it some ambiance. The cast is good, the story is good, the direction is good...everything is good. Someone looking for something unique or extremely emotional won't find it here. This is mildly predictable and obvious and you know how it will turn out and it doesn't try to extend itself outside of the box.Ethan Embry and Thora Birch are insatiably adorable as the O'Fallon siblings who want nothing more than their beloved parents to be back together again. Both have decent charisma on screen and they are really good together. They are definitely believable as mildly trouble makers with a plan. Harley Jane Kozak and Jamey Sheridan are their parents and they are also good in their roles. They suit the roles, they're believable and entertaining without being anywhere near mind blowing. The film even features a couple of legends in small supporting roles, Lauren Bacall and Andrea Martin.The best way to describe this film is a cute made for TV type film. I actually think it probably had a theatrical release but it has more of that feel to it. It definitely has a certain nostalgic feel to it for a lot of 80's kids and they love it for that reason and there is nothing wrong with that but if you're going into it now as an adult for the first time, you'll find it mildly entertaining but mostly forgettable. If you look at director Robert Lieberman you'll see a long history of Television specials which definitely plays into the feel of the film. He is all over the board for genre but if he plays everything simple enough he could spread himself over various genres. I feel like I've trashed this movie throughout this review but that isn't my intention. Its just very simple and very cute but not much more. It was still fun to watch. 7/10

I think this is a great movie. Perfect for families to watch on christmas eve together. Ethan Embry(credited as Ethan Randall) gave a stunning performance for a 12-13 year old, in only his second starring role. Flawless New York accent. Thora Birch was of course perfect for the role of Hallie, and seeing Leslie Nielson as Santa was cool. Kevin Nealon deserves some credit for his role, that man always amuses me.Although the movie is quite typical for a family christmas film, I like it better than most.8.5/10 stars.

Leslie Nielsen took a break from his usual latter day lowbrow comedy to portray a department store Santa Claus who just might be the real thing in this 1991 Paramount release. Shades of "Miracle On 34th Street." The story here is not exactly feel good material since it has to do with a couple who are planning to separate and then divorce so close to the Christmas holiday. This really upsets their kids (Thora Birch and Ethan Embry) so they decide to ask the aforementioned Santa to help them in their efforts to bring their parents back together in time for the holidays. Almost everything in the film is overacted and used to a rather poor effect. All I want for Christmas is to know that I'll never have to see this one again.

One of the few films where I first say that chances you'll like it are slim. It's childish, poorly acted in spots, completely unbelievable. But also extremely harmless and a rare Christmas adventure. Randall and Birch's parents got divorced earlier in the year. They aren't quite prepared for their first Christmas as a broken family. Little Birch (who's adorable) asks Santa to get them back together, but Randall knows better that it's pretty much left up to him. That's probably the element I enjoyed most about the film, as the older brother wanting to grant his little sisters Christmas wish. So, they hatch one of those totally implausible schemes to get their folks back, where everything falls perfectly into place and could only succeed in movie land. But, again, I was into it (and a nice bonus is that the film is wonderfully edited). Though I could've done without the obligatory moment where Santa flies thru the air and really does exist. Such a worn out scene that should've been dropped. But, maybe it was the atmosphere of the snow and seasonal setting, and innocence of the characters that had me compelled. Randall is an absolutely terrible young actor, but when with Birch, the two have a terrific chemistry as bro and sis. Which baffles me, as Randall had already done a film earlier in the year ("Dutch", with Ed O' Neill) and though he wasn't awesome, he was at least decent. Here he constantly repeats himself, rambles a lot and is always adding a nervous giggle. Made him hard to watch at times. Same with Oberer as his crush. She tends to talk with a smile and shortness of breath. Birch comes off best as the spunky 7-year-old. Bacall is barely glimpsed, with Sheridan and Kozak good as the folks. The ending loses points as well, with Randall's endless speech about wanting to be a family again. Then the expected return of Kozak's cliche, tight-ass boyfriend so he can berate her kids and make her realize he aint the one. But I loved Randall's last line of "Thank you, Santa!" after being kissed on the neck by Oberer. So if you need one for the kids or maybe a viewing by the whole family, give this a shot. Surprised by the G-rating, though. Talk of divorce, one sort of swear (the word "sucks") and a big painting of a naked woman with huge knockas (and, yes, its complete with her "flower" exposed as well).