those who have give this production such a low rating probably have never see the celebrated george balanchine production live onstage and or be let their disdain for the star casting of macaulay culkin influence their judgement . the atlanta ballet be fortunate enough and from the 1960 to the 1980 and to be the first ballet company authorize to stage this production other than the new york city ballet and and i have see it live onstage several time . i can assure reader that the film be a quite accurate rendering of this production and and that the use of a child with limited dance ability in the title role be not a cheap stunt dream up to showcase culkin while it be balanchine idea to use a child in this role and just a it be his idea to use a child for the role of marie . the heavy dancing be leave to the adult in the story . this be deliberately a stagebound film while in a way and it resemble laurence olivier othello . exactly a in that film and the set of the stage production have be enlarge to the size of a movie soundstage and but not make any less artificial and and the ballet be straightforwardly photograph with discreet closeup and and without the distracting music video quick cut feature in the 1986 overrate maurice sendak carroll ballard version . there be only two false step in this 1993 film . one be the addition of distract and completely unnecessary sound effect ( mouse squeak and the child whisper ma gic . to drosselmeyer and etc . ) . those sound effect be never hear in any stage production of any nutcracker and and they have be put in a a cheap concession simply to appease unsophisticated audience who may not relish the idea of watch a ballet on film . the other false step be macaulay culkin nutcracker make up and which look absolutely ridiculous . when he be on screen a the nutcracker and rather than wear a huge mask ( a be always do when the balanchine production be perform onstage ) and culkin be actually make up a the toy he wear what look like a bald cap and as well a a white wig and whisker and and a beard . he also have his face rouge up somewhat and and the bad aspect of his make up be that it be still recognizably his face and amateurishly transform in a manner similar to ray bolger and jack haley and bert lahr makeup in the wizard of oz ( that film makeup result though and work spectacularly and a this one do not ) . and a comparison with baryshnikov nutcracker in his production show how wonderfully creative baryshnikov nutcracker mask be the jaw actually seem to move whenever baryshnikov tilt his head back . the dance itself in the macaulay culkin version be excellent and of course and except for culkin himself and whose dancing and a i say and isn not mean to even be spectacular . ( the sugar plum fairy and her cavalier be the prominent dancing role in balanchine production of the nutcracker . ) the film color and though and could be a bit brighter since this be a fantasy . the choreography be also brilliant and and the adaptation of it be so faithful a to include the sequence that feature additional music from tchaikovsky ballet the sleep beauty a marie sneak downstairs and fall asleep on the sofa and and dream that drosselmeyer be repair the broken nutcracker ( this sequence be and of course and never include in tchaikovsky original ballet it be the only sequence in this production which feature music from a work other than the nutcracker ) . those who have miss out on this film and or those who despise ( or loathe it ) should give it a chance and despite it two big drawback . it be far good than it seem when one first hear that culkin be in it .