The Polar Express (2004)

On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Chris Van Allsburg (book), Robert Zemeckis (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hanks	...	Hero Boy / Father / Conductor / Hobo / Scrooge / Santa Claus
Leslie Zemeckis	...	Sister Sarah / Mother
Eddie Deezen	...	Know-It-All
Nona Gaye	...	Hero Girl (voice)
Peter Scolari	...	Billy - Lonely Boy
Brendan King	...	Pastry Chef
Andy Pellick	...	Pastry Chef
Josh Eli	...	Waiter
Mark Mendonca	...	Waiter
Rolondas Hendricks	...	Waiter (as Rolandas Hendricks)
Mark Goodman	...	Waiter
Jon Scott	...	Waiter
Gregory Gast	...	Waiter
Sean Scott	...	Waiter
Gordon Hart	...	Waiter

Storyline

This is the story of a young hero boy on Christmas Eve who boards on a powerful magical train that's headed to the North Pole and Santa Claus's home. What unfolds is an adventure which follows a doubting boy, who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole; during this ride, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

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Plot Keywords:

santa claus character | christmas movie | male protagonist | based on children's book | train engineer | 

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Taglines:

All Aboard In IMAX 3D this holiday

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

A musical theme heard throughout the movie is identical to that heard in "Elf" when Santa's sleigh finally gets airborne heading south over Fifth Avenue.

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Goofs

When the PE is pulling away from Billy (poor boy), the train is moving -- but the window light patterns spilling onto the snow around Billy are not. Next scene the train gathers speed and the window light patterns are moving (and have jumped to not reaching his feet).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Hero Boy: On Christmas Eve many years ago I laid quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets, I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear: the sound of Santa's sleigh bells.

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Crazy Credits

The production company credits are covered with snow and ice.

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Alternate Versions

On some ABC Family/Freeform airings, the first hobo scene was cut entirely. That results in Hero Boy finding the light from beyond that abruptly disappears for his reaction. The scene where the Conductor explains the first gift of Christmas was cut as well, skipping to the scene where the elves appear.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: Body Odor Penalty (2019)

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Soundtracks

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town
Written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie
Performed by Frank Sinatra
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

This is one of the best animation features ever!

The Polar Express delivered me all the way back to childhood and my own faith in Santa Claus at the age of five. I could not only hear the bells, I could see his sleigh in the night sky. Chris Van Allsburg is to be commended for writing an excellent fantasy and Tom Hanks for conducting the wonder tour to beat them all. The special effects are just outstanding, the story line credible and heartwarming. The characters are believable and utterly charming. The children depicted are our own. I would recommend this film to any and all who love Christmas and remember what it is to believe. The experience of watching makes you a participant, breathless to see what comes next. I can hardly wait to view it on IMAX and am taking my entire family, including seven grandchildren to the Tulsa Cinemark this season. Let's hope we see more of this quality venue in months and years to come.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook The Polar Express Wikia

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 November 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Polar Express: An IMAX 3D Experience

Filming Locations:

Arctic Ocean

Box Office

Budget:

$165,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,323,463, 14 November 2004

Gross USA:

$187,935,490

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$314,215,454

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castle Rock Entertainment, Shangri-La Entertainment, Playtone

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS IMAX 6-Track 12-Track Digital Sound

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1