The Nutcracker (1993)

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her ... See full summary »

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer:

Susan Cooper (narration)

Stars:

Darci Kistler, Damian Woetzel, Kyra Nichols

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Darci Kistler	...	The Sugarplum Fairy
Damian Woetzel	...	The Sugarplum Fairy's Cavalier
Kyra Nichols	...	Dewdrop
Wendy Whelan	...	Coffee
Margaret Tracey	...	Marzipan
Gen Horiuchi	...	Tea
Tom Gold	...	Candy Cane
Lourdes López	...	Hot Chocolate
Nilas Martins	...	Hot Chocolate
William Otto	...	Mother Ginger
Peter Reznick	...	Fritz
Karin von Aroldingen	...	Grandparent
Edward Bigelow	...	Grandparent
Heather Watts	...	Frau Stahlbaum
Robert LaFosse	...	Dr. Stahlbaum

Storyline

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams herself (or does she?) into a fantastic world where toys become larger than life. Her beloved Nutcracker (Culkin) comes to life and defends her from the Mouse King, then is turned into a Prince after Marie saves his life.

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Plot Keywords:

christmas movie | christmas | little girl | lifting male in air | lifting female in air | 

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Taglines:

The joy of the New York City Ballet in an exciting family holiday motion picture.

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Genres:

Family | Fantasy | Music

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,119,994

Company Credits

Production Co:

Krasnow Productions, Arnon Milchan Productions, Elektra Entertainment Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Narration recorded by Kevin Kline was a last-minute addition that was heavily protested by Macaulay Culkin's father, Kit Culkin, who vowed that his son would do no publicity for the movie until the narration was dropped. Reluctantly, producer Arnon Milchan dropped the narration to appease the Culkins. Kit Culkin then returned with a list of other demands which so incensed Milchan that he reinstated Kline's narration, losing the use of the Culkins' publicity.

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Crazy Credits

In the opening credits, Macaulay Culkin is listed as playing Drosselmeier's nephew, but he is not listed as playing either The Nutcracker or The Prince.

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Connections

Version of The Nutcracker: A Christmas Story (1992)

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Soundtracks

The Nutcracker: Candy Canes
(uncredited)
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The New York City Ballet Orchestra (with chorus) conducted by David Zinman

User Reviews

A Huge Disappointment

BEWARE OF BOGUS REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 400 Christmas MOVIES. I HAVE NO AGENDA. I AM FARE.

The director of "Dirty Dancing" could have done a better job in filming this production. The is not the first feature film to showcase the world's most beloved ballet.

This is a huge chore to watch this interpretation of the holiday classic ballet! The Nutcracker tells the story of a young girl whose love for a toy turns it into the handsome prince Macaulay Culkin ("Richie Rich," "Home Alone"), and together they are brought to the Land of Sweets, where an enchanting spectacle awaits them. Directed by Academy Award-winner Emile Ardolino ("Sister Act," "Dirty Dancing") and narrated by Academy Award-winner Kevin Kline ("Dave," "A Fish Called Wanda").

The lack of closeups and static shots hinder the viewer from fulling embracing it. The 1986 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture is a better viewing experience!