One Magic Christmas

1985 1h 28m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 122

FamilyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ginny Grainger, a young mother, rediscovers the joy and beauty of Christmas, thanks to the unshakable faith of her six-year-old daughter Abbie and Gideon, Ginny's very own guardian angel.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Mary Steenburgen
Ginny Grainger
Gary Basaraba
Jack Grainger
Elisabeth Harnois
Abbie Grainger
Arthur Hill
Caleb Grainger
Wayne Robson
Harry Dickens
Jan Rubeš
Santa Claus
Elias Koteas
Eddie
Robbie Magwood
Cal Grainger

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Phillip Borsos
Writers: Barry Healey, Thomas Meehan, Phillip Borsos
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

41 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Phillip Borsos, shot by Frank Tidy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Conway Baker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Sidney Wolinsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Mary Steenburgen and Gary Basaraba and Elisabeth Harnois carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0089731 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Phillip Borsos directs. Frank Tidy behind the camera. Michael Conway Baker scores. Sidney Wolinsky cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Canada, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
241 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Canada, United States of America.
4Directed by Phillip Borsos, shot by Frank Tidy. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michael Conway Baker. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Sidney Wolinsky shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Mary Steenburgen and Gary Basaraba and Elisabeth Harnois carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0089731 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Frank Tidy
Original score: Michael Conway Baker
Editing: Sidney Wolinsky
Production design: Bill Brodie
Costume design: Olga Dimitrovová
Makeup / hair: Ann Brodie
Sound: Bruce Nyznik
Stunt coordinator: T.J. Scott
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $13,677,222
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: One Magic Christmas (1985)

Also by

Phillip Borsos

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

r96sk2020-09-17
★ 5/10
Absolutely bizarre. What is the meaning of this film? Don't get me wrong, there is a positive one in there - somewhere, I think - but the core one is dodgy. I won't go into detail as I don't want to spoil anything, though in short the film is about a mother who has lost all belief in Christmas. A standard festive premise, yet this does it with a major twist. It doesn't land with me at all, it's basically a form of blackmail by the end which is wild! Mary Steenburgen portrays mother Ginny fairly well, given the plot troubles. Ginny is incredibly, pretty much, the villain of the production, for no real reason other than disliking the current period for logical reasons. Elsewhere on the cast, you have notable roles for Harry Dean Stanton (Gideon) and Elisabeth Harnois (Abbie). Stanton, himself, is alright. The film actually builds up nicely, before the already mentioned capitulation with the story occurs. <em>'One Magic Christmas'</em> is extremely odd!

Production companies