Yes Virginia
Almost got it.
Can I see it now?
Please.
Your mom said you could only
come over if you were good.
So be good.
Come on, Virginia. Let me look at it.
Boots.
Santa
What's that thing?
It's his bag of toys.
You know, for kids all over the world.
Hey, Virginia
How can Santa make toys when he's
always standing on the street corner?
What?
He just yells at people and rings his bell.
Ollie, I don't think that's really Santa.
It is. I saw him. I bet he's there
right now. Let's go.
Dear, listen to this.
A train that runs underground
across the whole city.
Sounds a little far-fetched, dear.
According to theNew York Sun
t's a streetcar inside a complex system of tunnels.
Honey, if you see it inThe Sun
I know.
If you see it in The Sun... It's so.
And where are you off to?
We're going to see Santa.
Back by supper.
Put a penny in the bucket.
Penny to help the poor.
Come on. It's Christmas.
Peace on Earth
Goodwill among men.
Jingle all the way.
You, sir. One penny. Just one.
No, thank you. Not today.
Frank?
Francis Church!
Always a pleasure.
How are things at the paper?
Uh, same as when you worked there.
Bad news, worse news, and awful news.
Sir, the way I see it, in times like these
we have two choices:
report bad news or make good news.
And a penny or two would certainly be
good news to somebody out there.
I guarantee you one penny
won't do any good.
Of course it will, Frank.
That's why they call it change.
You always were terrible at headlines.
Put a penny in the bucket!
You've got the pennies. I've got the bucket.
But, Ollie, Santa lives at the North Pole.
I was here with my papa,
and Santa told him to...
Put a penny in the bucket!
I told you. It's him.
Why, uh, um.. Hello, children.
Hope you've been good this year.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm
Much warmer here than at the
uh, North Pole.
He's not Santa.
You're right. Not Santa.
Not even close.
Then why are you pretending to be him?
Uh, well, I guess you can say I work for him.
You work for Santa?
I'm just doing whatever Santa would
be doing if he were here
which he's not, 'cause he is extremely busy.
Come on, Ollie.
He's just some scraggly guy.
Bye, scraggly Santa.
The real Santa must be, um...
somewhere else.
Don't cheat!
Hey, Virginia Where have you been?
We went to see Santa
but he really wasn't Santa.
He just has a red coat.
Like this.
Ollie, no.
Wow. It's so pretty.
Last year, Santa brought me a train set.
He brought me a dollhouse.
I got a bow and arrow!
Did Santa bring you a baby bottle, too?
Hey, Charlotte.
What do we have here?
How precious.
It looks just like the real Santa.
You all still think Santa's real?
Oh, that's hysterical.
Santa doesn't really exist.
How do you know?
Maybe when you're nine and a half,
you'll understand.
There's no way someone could
circumnavigate the world in one night.
I never thought of that.
And a person that rotund could
never fit down a chimney
Um, yeah.
That doesn't mean anything.
You can't prove Santa's not real.
You can't prove he is.
Maybe I can.
Grow up, Virginia
You really believe that an old man sneaks
into your house and brings you toys?
It's infantile.
It's baby stuff!
Hey, give it back!
Better behave, or Santa won't
bring you any presents.
Give her the book, Charlotte.
Is the baby going to cry?
Stop it.
Face it, Virginia There is no Santa Claus.
Ah, here we are. Santa Claus.
We've got books from all
over the world here!
Why do we need so many books?
We need to prove that Santa Claus is real.
In England, his name is Father Christmas.
In Holland, he's called Sintirklass.
In Estonia, he's J uluvana!
- Kriss Kringle
- Gwiazdor
- Tomten in Sweden.
- Hotei-osho in Japan!
Ded Moroz in Russia.
- What's a Belsnickel?
- Joulupukki
Agios Nikolaos in Greece.
Agios Baba in Turkey.
Here's a good one: Chimney john.
Now, that's nice and simple.
Look at this. He rides on a donkey.
He has a giant goat.
He lives in Finland.
Greenland.
The North Pole!
It's all interesting
but none of this tells me if Santa is real.
Well, if he isn't, why do children
all over the world think he is?
I wonder if Santa's goat is friends
with his reindeer.
Maybe they take turns pulling the sleigh.
Coming, Papa.
Bye, Virginia. See you tomorrow.
Bye, Ollie.
All right, son, that's enough. Let's go.
You heard him, now. Let's go.
If you are real, give me some proof. Please.
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
A joyous Penny in the Bucket Day.
Hi.
Hey, kid.
Still looking for Santa?
I guess.
Where's your coat?
Somebody needed it more than me.
I've been wondering-- what did you mean
when you said you work for Santa?
I just... try to do whatever Santa would.
You know? Make things a little better.
So, Santa's your boss.
Uh... yeah.
Does he pay you?
Do I look like I have a steady income to you?
What is...You got to be...A dinner roll?
Very generous of you, sir.
Listen, kid...
Papa?
Is there a Santa Claus?
Santa, eh?
Well, um, let's examine the facts.
Someone brought you presents last year.
Correct?
Yes
And someone ate the milk and
cookies you left out, right?
Right.
So, it stands to reason that
someone who brings presents and likes
cookies came to our house last Christma
And logically, given the night in question,
the present-bringing cookie-eater..
Papa!
That doesn't tell me anything!
Uh, well, I suppose the evidence
is largely circumstantial...
If you see it inThe Sun, it's so.
The New York Sun.
They always tell the truth, don't they?
I could write to them.
Well, yes but newspapers are very busy
and they don't have time to
answer every letter
Thanks, Papa.
Dear Editor
I am eight years old.
Some of my little friends say
there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it inTheSun,it's so.'
Please tell me the truth.
Is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West 95th Street.
Lewis, it's never going to happen.
New York will not incorporate Brooklyn.
Sir, I think it's a possibility.
Manhattan has too many people already
and there's no way...
Why don't we look at today's mail?
My daily dose of whining and moaning.
Politics, crime, scandal, crime, poverty
What is this?
Dear Editor
some of my little friends say
there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it inThe Sun,it's so.
Who do these people think we are,
Barnum's museum?
We report facts, not fantasies
I don't know, sir.
Maybe readers would find it...
Lewis, people rely on this paper
for the truth.
If I answer this,
what will happen to our credibility?
Sir, she's a child.
Everyone grows up sometime.
Virginia
I brought you some lunch.
Is everything all right?
I just need some proof.
Proof of what, sweetheart?
Proof that Santa's real.
Virginia believing in Santa isn't
something you prove.
It's something you do.
Whenever we do things that Santa would
like being kind to others
or helping those that have less than we do
that makes Santa real.
That's the proof.
Does that make sense?
Mm... no.
Well, give it some thought.
Don't let your soup get cold.
Oh, Charlotte, don't drag your feet.
Not in those shoes.
Ugh! And stop chewing your nails.
It's not ladylike. It's...
- It's infantile.
- It's infantile.
Yoo-hoo! Driver!
Why can't you tell me?
Because it's a surprise.
Can I open it?
It's not for you, Ollie.
Penny in the bucket. Let's go! Let's go!
Getting cold out here.
This is a chestnut, sir.
Hi, scraggly Santa.
Oh. Hey, there, kid. And other kid.
How's the search for Santa?
Better. This is for you.
Look at that lining. Red's my color.
You needed a coat
so I broke open my piggy bank
and got you one.
Listen, I can't accept this.
Yes you can. Merry Christmas.
Oh, toasty!
Thank you
Virginia
Well, Virginia today you're Santa Claus.
Isn't that adorable?
Wow, Virginia. I knew you liked Santa,
but this is pathetic.
Go away, Charlotte!
Don't worry.
I'm just here to deliver the mail.
My letter?
Where did you get that?
just outside the newspaper office.
In a garbage can!
No.
Where are you going?
Hey, uh... Virginia. Wait.
Come back.
All right, prissy pants, we need to talk.
Try to catch me, Stinky Santa.
Ring loud. Smile. Don't take checks.
For the last time, no! Sir,
I insist that you leave the building.
I apologize, Mr. Church.
I told him you were busy.
It's all right, Lewis.
Looking for more spare change?
This letter was written by a friend of mine.
I guess you misplaced it.
Ah. It's nothing personal. I report the facts.
And only the facts.
But this is bigger than facts!
Just because you can't prove something
doesn't mean it's not real.
So you'd have me print fiction then?
Not fiction.
Hope. Belief. Inspiration!
That is not my job.
It's your job today, Frank.
When people believe,
they make the world a better place
So you can tear up that letter and leave
the world the way it is, or you can answer it
and give this girl, this whole city,
something to believe in
That letter is a gift, Frank.
Merry Christmas.
Virginia. Are you all right?
Do you want to talk?
Baby stuff.
If you see it inThe Sun...
it's... so.
The paper. Your letter. Santa.
Look!
Virginia your little friends are wrong.
They have been affected by the
skepticism of a skeptical age.
They do not believe except for
what they see.
Yes Viriginia
There is a Santa Claus.
He exists as certainly as love and
generosity and devotion exist.
How dreary would be the world
if there were no Santa Claus.
It would be as dreary as if
there were no Virginias.
There would be no childlike faith then,
no poetry
no romance to make tolerable this existence.
Is it all real?
Ah, Virginia
in all this world, there is nothing
else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus?
Thank God he lives and lives forever.
A thousand years from now, Virginia
nay, ten times 10,000 years frow
he will continue to make glad
the heart of childhood
I told you.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!