The Snowman (1982)

On Christmas Eve, a young boy builds a snowman that comes to life and takes him to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

Directors:

Dianne Jackson, Jimmy T. Murakami

Writer:

Raymond Briggs

Stars:

David Bowie, Raymond Briggs

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
David Bowie	...	Older James (Re-Released Version)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raymond Briggs	...	Older James / Narrator - (voice)

Storyline

Wordless (save for the song "Walking in the Air") animated adventure about a young English boy who makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, only for it to come to life that night and take him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

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Plot Keywords:

looking at oneself in a mirror | boy | christmas eve | santa claus | snowman | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

UK

Release Date:

26 December 1982 (UK)

Also Known As:

Snögubben

Company Credits

Production Co:

Snowman Enterprises,Channel 4 Television Corporation,TVC London

Technical Specs

Runtime:

26 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on a popular wordless book by Raymond Briggs that told the story through a series of pictures.

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Goofs

When James gets up from bed on the first night his bedside clock says 8:00 but the grandfather clock says 12:00 (approx 5 min 40). When James and the Snowman leave the kitchen to go upstairs the grandfather clock says 8:05 again (9 min 06).

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Quotes

Older James: I remember that winter because it had brought the heaviest snows I had ever seen. Snow had fallen steadily all night long and in the morning I woke in a room filled with light and silence, the world seemed to be held in a dream-like stillness. It was a magical day...
[brief pause]
Older James: ...and it was on that day I made the snowman.

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Alternate Versions

The 25th Anniversary Release includes a fully animated intro from Father Christmas, voiced by . The DVD includes an optional audio track where Father Christmas narrates the entire film.

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Connections

Featured in Nostalgia Critic: Return of the Christmas Specials (2009)

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Soundtracks

Walking in the Air
(uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Blake
Performed by Peter Auty

User Reviews

superb festive cartoon

Shown every year on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day on UK Channel 4 since the channel launched in 1982, this charming and touching Raymond Briggs cartoon is the perfect accompaniment to turkey, wine, and Christmas pud.

A cute little boy runs out to play in the snow in his back garden (this is an England where everyone has lots of land and detached houses) where he puts together a life-size snowman, complete with hat, fruit for his nose, and pieces of coal for his eyes. Come the night when he is in bed, he feels the urge to run down and see the snowman just to be sure he's real. But the Christmas magic means the snowman is alive and ready for fun.

Several scenes are full of humour - the snowman being shown around the house, including his perfect environment (a chest freezer), the race around the garden on a motorbike, and Father Christmas's party. The real icing on the cake comes with the flight through the cold night sky to the accompaniment of Peter Auty singing 'Walking in the Air'.

With beautiful, flickering animation, memorable cartoon characters, and a bit of true Christmas spirit, 'The Snowman' is as close to a perfect half-hour as you can get. Other animations from the work of Briggs haven't come quite as close - this one is special. Long may it continue to be shown and celebrated, and find a place in the heart of new generations.