Un Milagro en Navidad (1999)

By
Godspeede

First of all, I really really like this movie. Now that is out of the way let me deviate a bit to explain why. Not unreasonably, many of my friends, family, and acquaintances do not fully understand my strong interest in Tatiana. After all why should a forty-something gringo with an academic bent become so interested in a Latina children's star that sings in a foreign language? Well it is not just because she is extremely beautiful (though that helps), nor that she is very sexy (well, maybe a little), or that she is a gifted and effective vocalist who has successfully tackled in her varied career any number of styles. Instead, it is founded not in the parts but in the intangible sum of the whole, or in other words her overwhelming charisma.

The closest analogy that I can draw is with Elvis. Here was essentially an extremely talented person who was at heart a simple soul, yet his personality expressed it all in such powerful ways that he became almost indefinable; he seemed to be whatever you chose, e.g. a country boy who loved his mom, a rocker who held orgies and did drugs etc. At the heart of things was the "X" factor, that amorphous but powerful force that drew people to him with fanatical devotion. For those of you who have not fallen under the spell, it may seem like a stretch to make comparisons between Elvis and Tatiana, but that is precisely what I am saying. Like Elvis, Tatiana has an "X" factor that at once fascinates and somehow lends itself to giving a little extra meaning, joy, and purpose to life. At the heart of this is her unconscious ability to personify convincingly one the most positive elements of the human experience, nurturing femininity. There is a reason why kids respond to her so easily. Moreover, given the evidence of her popularity among adults, it is obvious that her appeal is not confined to children. This video is the best single vehicle for Tatiana's charisma I have as yet seen or heard.

One part music video, one part drama, and one part quasi- documentary, Un Milagro en Navidad (A Miracle of Christmas) was produced in an intimate style on video tape by Tatiana's mother, the also gifted and beautiful, Diana Perla Chapa (in the words of the wise and worldly Don Jose Palacios, "Like mother like daughter!") who drew upon her considerable television experience to create a show complete with breaks for commercials. In all there are seven songs scattered throughout the 45 minute program: Campanas Anas Navidenas, Navidad Rock, Jesus En La Terra, Oracion, Las Posadas, Mamacita Donde Esta Santa Claus, and Feliz Navidad. These reflect the Christmas theme, and most are filmed as music videos that often feature Tatiana on ice skates with her dancers. By far my favorite is her rendition of "Oracion" (from her 2000 album, Vamos a Jugar), featuring her with angel wings (sounds cloyingly sweet but she pulls it off), which is just simply lovely.

The dramatic part is predictable: Two children get to meet Tatiana at her rehearsals thanks to the intervention of her brother, the ever avuncular Juan Ramon Chapa Palacios, and a sick child is visited by Tatiana bearing gifts with most of her family accompanying her (this apparently is the miracle). These scenes work not only because they are not over played, but also because one can easily imagine Tatiana doing something as taking the time to cheer up an ill niño.

Indeed, it is the documentary element that makes this program so successful. Some of the most interesting moments are subtle as when Tatiana and company are taped walking down a hospital hallway towards the sick child's room. Along the way are hospital workers who genuinely smile at their recognition of her. Best of all is the montage of shots of the family's Christmas gathering. No actors are present, just Tatiana's nearest and dearest, and while some of the shots are clearly posed, many are not, and they all convey a festive and loving atmosphere. There is one brief and touching shot where Tatiana looks just like a little girl in her grandmother's arms. The real little girl in many of these scenes, Tatiana's daughter Cassandra, is living evidence that beauty and talent are indeed often hereditary, and that this family clearly has more than its share of both!

As Christmas programs go, this one is about as successful as any I have seen. As a portal into the world according to Tatiana and the power of her personality it is unsurpassed. It is also a strong piece of entertainment that makes irrelevant the fact that it is in Spanish. For kids or adults. Buy it!

 

This page was first created 05 Mar 2001, and last modified 16 Jun 2002.
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