Yes, Virginia – review

I am mister nostalgia, so that makes me notoriously hard on new Christmas specials, all you have to do is look at some of my other reviews.  So I set my expectation for Yes, Virginia low so I would not be disappointed.  Well I was very wrong, Yes, Virginia has become an instant classic for me and my family.  It has all the things needed to push it to that classic level, great story, characters you care for, and a Christmas message that does not have to be seen with a magnifying glass.

“YES, VIRGINIA”, is a new animated Christmas special based on the 1897 true story of Virginia O’Hanlon, an 8-year-old girl who inspired the most famous newspaper editorial of all time by asking, “Is there a Santa Claus?” This heartwarming tale of a little girl who taught the whole world to believe makes its television debut on Friday, Dec. 11th (8/7c), on CBS.

So, instant classic, let us talk a bit more why I really liked this show so much.  The first one we can talk about is the animation.  It really looks like it will stand the test of time, the characters are animated, but in a way that is well done and does not seem as CGI as some holiday specials do.  The people and the town are alive and this puts you right into the story with these characters.  The one thing you do not want animation to do is keep you outside of the story, and you do not have to worry about that with Yes, Virginia.  The question I ask myself is, “Will I feel the same way about the animation in 40 years like I do about the  Rankin/Bass stop motion specials?”  I believe that my answer will be yes for this show, which is saying something special.

The characters of Yes, Virginia all feel real, you are put into one story of their life but you can feel that they have existed before you have started watching and after you turn off the television.  Virginia and Ollie, while not related, play a great brother and sister roll in late 1800s New York City.  Virginia’s mother and father give us the ruled by reason (father) and ruled by her heart (mother) personalities that keep Virginia always thinking.  Charlotte the snooty rich kid is older than Virginia and Ollie and looks down on them for wanting to believe in Santa.  It is interesting because this special really does not have a villian character but rather Charlotte and Francis Church playing the rolls of non-believers which works well.  Francis Church is the editor of the New York Sun and initially dismisses Virginia’s letter.  That is before Scraggly Santa, who was once a reporter for the Sun and now raises money for the poor, gets to Francis.  He is really the star of the show, teaching us (and the characters) what Christmas is really all about.  Let us not forget Miriam, the head librarian at the New York City Library, who lends us an informative and fun scene in the library on how each country has its own version of Santa Claus.

Scraggly Santa is the embodiment of Christmas, thinking only of the poor and how he can help people.  A very touching scene is made when Virginia goes out of her way to buy him a new coat after he has given his to someone less fortunate than himself.  The story itself has a nice flow, and I even did not mind the “believe meter” being thrown in to viewing audience to gauge where Virginia is at with her emotions.  Every character in the story has a purpose, and the way that it all comes together is like a jigsaw puzzle, the overall picture being that of Christmas spirit.  The ending is also done perfect with just a glimpse of what we should believe to be Santa, but no words are necessary.  The fact that this was all based on a true story makes it even more enjoyable.

The only thing for me, and it will seem silly, that was a concern is making sure your kids do not fall asleep before the ending.  The reason is that we have a a lot of talk about Santa not being real in the beginning leading up to the wonderful ending.  I would have hated for my kids to only hear the beginning and not see how it all worked out in the end.  Silly?  Probably, but just my thought.  Also the little things, like the pop up book, are icing on the cookies.  I also liked how Charlotte had a change of heart at the end as well,  I enjoyed her roll during the show, they did not overdo it.  For me, Yes, Virginia is a classic, and I look forward to watching it next year.

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About Damon Cap

Have three kids all under 7, two boys and a new baby girl. I had a grandfather that watched cartoons and read the Sunday funnies until he passed. I feel the same way and continue to watch the Disney channel in my 30s. One of the owners at BSCReview.com