The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

On his ninth birthday a boy receives many presents. Two of them first seem to be less important: an old cupboard from his brother and a little Indian figure made of plastic from his best ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Lynne Reid Banks (novel), Melissa Mathison (screenplay)

Stars:

Hal Scardino, Litefoot, Lindsay Crouse

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hal Scardino	...	Omri
Litefoot	...	Little Bear
Lindsay Crouse	...	Jane
Richard Jenkins	...	Victor
Rishi Bhat	...	Patrick
Steve Coogan	...	Tommy
David Keith	...	Boone
Sakina Jaffrey	...	Lucy
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Gillon
Nestor Serrano	...	Teacher
Ryan Olson	...	Adiel
Leon Tejwani	...	Baby Martin
Lucas Tejwani	...	Baby Martin
Christopher Conte	...	Purple Mohawk
Cassandra Brown	...	Emily

Storyline

On his ninth birthday a boy receives many presents. Two of them first seem to be less important: an old cupboard from his brother and a little Indian figure made of plastic from his best friend. But these two presents turn out to be much more magic than the rest...

---

Plot Keywords:

birthday | friend | best friend | boy | magic | 

---

Taglines:

Adventure comes to life

---

Genres:

Family | Adventure | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild language and brief video images of violence and sexy dancing

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Chave Mágica

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

£1,234,684 (UK) (19 January 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Kennedy/Marshall Company, The, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the DVD commentary, Frank Oz stated he was reluctant to direct this movie, as he doesn't think he's a children's director.

---

Goofs

In the scene right before Little Bear and Boone are sent back, Little Bear is sitting in front of a tiny fire, and he hands some fuel to Omri. Omri reaches over the fire for it, and we clearly see his fingers go through the flame. And yet, he doesn't flinch at all. Of course, the fire may be too small to do any damage.

---

Quotes

Boone: [crying] Everybody's so *BIG*!

---

Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Will Ferrell/Queens of the Stone Age (2005)

User Reviews

'Omri" One Of The Most Likable Kids Ever On Film

I'm a sucker for nice kids, not those snotty ones seen so often in films from the '60s to the present. In here is a wonderful neat-looking little kid, Hal Sardino, who is unusual in that this is the only movie he ever starred in. To his credit, Scardino went on to live a "normal" life after this film, eventually going to college as a regular student like you and me with no celebrity status.

The film is anything but "normal," a fantasy about a young boy who receives a cupboard that transforms little toy figurines - in this case, an Indian and then a cowboy. - into miniature real-life people. Each time he opens or closes the box with the figures in them, they change to either real or back to plastic.

Scardino, who plays Omri," is fun to watch, if for no other reason than the great expressions on his face. He has to be one of the most likable children I've ever seen on film. Meanwhile, his best friend "Patrick" is the only villain, so to speak, only because he's a bit "defiant," as his mother labels him and he almost spoils everything for "Omri."

It's a solid family film that is fun for both the parents and kids to watch at the same time. Both will get a lot of entertainment out of it. With just a bit of profanity early on and a bit of obvious political correctness, there is nothing in here which should offend viewers. Critics didn't seem to care for it, so you know it truly was a nice, wholesome film....and fun to watch.