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Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Perhaps I knew the story before, but I don't remember watching or reading it. But I knew the ending almost at the beginning as gifts were being discussed the first time.That would be fine if watching the whole movie would have added something to the expected outcome. The characters were all nice and likable, but beyond that, there just wasn't that much to pull you in. Even the "cute kid" plot device only helped a little. It seemed like too much screen time was spent watching laundry or car fixing. Actually it probably wasn't that much screen time, but that stands out in my mind along with everyone's very long sad faces and general moping after the "problem" hits. Maybe part of the reason for what I describe is that the movie was adapted from a short story and that's really what it is - a short story.Too make matters worse, Della and Jim's encounter after they are both induced into going back to their apartment just didn't feel right. There was no trace of anger.If you don't know the story, watch this film. It's a sweet story.

The O'Henry well known and striking short story on which two hour movie was based, is very short and precise. It's a masterpiece story which needs to be short to be as sharp and surprising as it is. It was made into a movie in the 50's, as one of many short tales, with less than a half an hour duration. it is to be expected then, that a lot had to be added to the plot to extend it to two hours.At times it feels like some water has been added to the stew, and it is not as savory. Still,one can certainly find some tasty morsels in it,especially the overall acting quality and the sweet and friendly atmosphere of goodwill surrounding the piece.It's a working class town,and it's pretty bleak, not the upper class glittery ambiance one often finds in many a Christmas film. It's a credit to this "Gift" that it keeps the setting grim,like the story, but warms up the story with the sweet feelings our couple at the center have for each other, Della and Jim (Marla Sokoloff and Mark Webber). Around them are loving families and friends, in struggling hard times; but the folk in this town do take care of their loved ones, and the film successfully transmits this feeling of community support.It's a parable for our actual financially depressed clime. It seems to pat us in the back saying love will carry us through(or at least make the ride easier,just what the Magi(Epiphany's Three Kings) ordered.The story turns on how Della and Jim botch up their Christmas gift list.They vow not to exchange presents, then go ahead and secretly plot otherwise. The conspiracy goes awry. Jim gets jealous when he suspects Della of spending too much time away. She has a secret part time job, with an older gentleman boss. Jim thinks Della's having secret rendezvous with an older gentleman lover. Not much trust from Jim here? Well, if Mr. Shakespeare had Othello mistrusting Desdemona, why not this screenwriter having Jim distrust Della? Later on Jim and Della will unwittingly screw up their gift plans,with the effect of producing an ironic twist that will be the heart and soul of this story. We all love surprises, and this story has one of the best! Marla Sokoloff(Della) and Mark Webber(Jim)put in some really good acting. They're both fit for bigger and better roles. Marla as Della is sweetness and light,the girl next door who blossomed into a great beauty;kind of a young Sally Field with a vamp inside.Mark Webber has a boyish, intense look about him, promising in his soulful eyes a lot of rich layers. His projection of the character's insecurity is perfect for this part.The casting is very good, including an interesting supporting cast. Megan Riordan(Renee) and Tomas(Ian) Suilleabhain-Sullivan in Gaelic)are lively and authentic as the main couple's supporting family.They have an adorable kid(he's not even in the credits)who melts the screen as he gives Jim a big hug at one of Jim's low moments.All you need is love, is the appropriate, timely message this Gift of the Magi delivers. It may not pack the surprise punch of the original story, but it does leave you with a feel-good Christmas warmth.

There was just nothing on television the other evening that particularly appealed to me, so I watched this lame excuse for The Gift of the Magi. If you want to see an excellent adaption, skip this, and get or rent O'Henry's Full House. Farley Granger plays Jim in this adaption. This film was so far removed in every aspect from the original classic short story, that I had absolutely no clue what I was watching. The names are changed, new locales are invented, the storyline is changed to the ridiculous, but, the acting..the acting is so horrendous, I almost muted the sound/volume. Yes, it was that bad. It was intolerable, unrealistic and pitiful. It was like they were reading not speaking their lines. Drone, drone, drone. Boring. Boring. Boring. I absolutely could not take it. Now, perhaps if the title of this film were changed, it could be a barely acceptable made for TV movie, but as it is now, it is total and complete garbage in every sense of the word--and that goes double for anyone who knows the short story or who has seen this made before.

O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is one of the two best-known secular Christmas stories -- the other is, of course, Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". It is also much harder to translate to a screen feature, since O. Henry specialized in short stories with 'snapper' endings -- usually sardonic jokes on their protagonists.This TV movie makes a fair try at filling up the spaces by updating the story -- modern urban women no longer sell their hair to wig makers, and certainly not to buy fobs for their husbands' pocket watches, since men mostly don't use pocket watches these days.But the poor we always have with us, so this story is about a husband who wants to buy a good lens for his wife's beloved heirloom camera while she wants to buy an original steering wheel for the vintage car he is restoring -- these stand in for the original gifts. And the leads, Marla Sokoloff and Mark Webber, are handsome and loving.But the story telling soon gets lost in a maze of secondary characters who are used to fill up the time, and while Ms. Sokoloff continues as earnest throughout, Webber turns into an inconsiderate boor by the time the story is heading towards the lap.Over all, it's a good effort, and the casting and direction are good, but the script needs a bit of work and focus, making this simply watchable. A pity.