One Magic Christmas is a 1985 Christmas fantasy film directed by Phillip Borsos. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures and stars Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton. It was shot in Meaford, Ontario with some scenes in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.
Plot[]
Saint Nicholas assigns the Christmas angel Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton) to restore the Christmas spirit of Ginnie Grainger (Mary Steenburgen), the mother of Cal (Robbie Magwood) and Abbie (Elisabeth Harnois). Her husband Jack (Gary Basaraba) has been out of work for six months, and they must vacate their company-owned house by the new year. Jack fixes bikes as a hobby and dreams of opening his own bike shop, which would use up all the family savings. Ginnie works as a grocery store cashier.
Two nights before Christmas Eve, Abbie meets Gideon while mailing a letter to Santa Claus. Gideon asks her to have her mother mail it instead and protects Abbie from being hit by a speeding car. Abbie gives the letter to her mother, but she refuses to mail it.
The family visits Jack's grandfather Caleb (Arthur Hill), who gives Abbie a snow globe of the North Pole. Gideon visits Abbie again and warns her that some bad things are going to happen, but she should not be afraid. He "accidentally" drops and shatters her snow globe, then magically restores it. Ginnie and Jack discuss their finances and Ginnie tells Jack he should find a new job instead of opening the bike shop. Frustrated, he leaves the house to go for a walk. She goes after him and meets Gideon. All the Christmas lights on the street around her turn off.
On Christmas Eve, on her way to work, Ginnie meets Harry Dickens, who is trying to sell some of his possessions in order to support himself and his son. Jack leaves the children in the car while he goes to the bank to withdraw some of their savings for Christmas shopping. Abbie leaves the car to see Ginnie at the grocery store across the street and tells her that Jack is at the bank. Ginnie leaves to stop him and her boss fires her. She returns Abbie to the car and enters the bank, which Harry is robbing at gunpoint. Jack attempts to calm Harry down, but he impulsively shoots and kills Jack. He flees in Jack's car with Cal and Abbie still inside. Ginnie takes Harry's car to chase after him, but runs out of gas before she can catch up to him. He swerves to avoid the police, but skids off a bridge into the river. Believing she has lost her husband and children, Ginnie returns to the house grief-stricken. Gideon rescues the children and the police bring them home. Ginnie tells them that their father is dead and is never coming home.
Abbie goes to the town's Christmas tree to find Gideon and asks him to bring back her father. He tells her he can't and the only one who can is Santa Claus. Gideon takes Abbie to the North Pole to see Santa, who informs her that he also cannot fix what has happened or make her mother feel better, but perhaps Abbie can. He shows her his workshop, which is a factory run by Christmas angels instead of elves. He retrieves a letter Ginnie sent him as a child and tells Abbie to give it to her mother.
Gideon returns Abbie to her house and she gives her mother the letter. Reading it makes Ginnie realize that the spirit of Christmas is to be thankful for what she has. She goes outside to mail Abbie's letter and says goodbye to Gideon. All the Christmas lights on the street come back on and it is the night before Christmas Eve again. Jack is alive.
The next day, Ginnie's boss gives her the day off so she can spend it with her family. At the gas station, she buys Harry's camp stove. He does not rob the bank. That evening, she attends the tree lighting in the village square and joins the participants in singing O Christmas Tree. Later, the family is celebrating Christmas at Caleb's and she writes a check to Jack for the bike shop as a Christmas present. Ginnie hears Santa downstairs and finds him putting presents under the tree. He tells her "Merry Christmas, Ginnie" and she says it in return.
Cast[]
- Mary Steenburgen as Ginnie Grainger
- Gary Basaraba as Jack Grainger
- Harry Dean Stanton as Gideon
- Arthur Hill as Caleb Grainger
- Robbie Magwood as Cal Grainger
- Elisabeth Harnois as Abbie Grainger
- Michelle Meyrink as Betty
- Elias Koteas as Eddie
- Wayne Robson as Harry Dickens
- Jan Rubeš as Saint Nicholas / Santa Claus
- Sarah Polley as Molly Monaghan
- Graham Jarvis as Frank Crump
- Timothy Webber as Herbie Conklin
- Joy Thompson as Mrs. Monaghan
- John Friesen as Mr. Noonan
- Debra McGrath as Mrs. Noonan