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:

Don't miss the holiday film of the season.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Jeter's last movie.

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Goofs

When the elves are helping the children out of Santa's sack the elves move as if they are getting the "know it all" out of the sack, but there is no boy between them.

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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

Featured in A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! (2011)

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Soundtracks

Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)
Written by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman
Performed by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
Courtesy of Geffen Records
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Should become a holiday classic

A simple story . . . beautifully told . . . magnificently visualized.

The IMAX experience was stunning.

I did not expect to enjoy the story as much as I did. Simple but quite heartwarming.

Although it started a bit slow, it continued to gain momentum (no train analogy intended) through its conclusion. I was not a great lover of the animation of the human characters, but the other animation, whether it be the train, the scenery, the reindeer, or the elves (are elves human?) was quite well done.

Perhaps the best review I can provide is that after I watched the Polar Express, I just felt happier.

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