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 (voice)
Leslie Zemeckis	...	Sister Sarah / Mother (voice)
Eddie Deezen	...	Know-It-All (voice)
Nona Gaye	...	Hero Girl (voice)
Peter Scolari	...	Billy - Lonely Boy (voice)
Brendan King	...	Pastry Chef (voice)
Andy Pellick	...	Pastry Chef (voice)
Josh Eli	...	Waiter (voice)
Mark Mendonca	...	Waiter (voice)
Rolondas Hendricks	...	Waiter (voice) (as Rolandas Hendricks)
Mark Goodman	...	Waiter (voice)
Jon Scott	...	Waiter (voice)
Gregory Gast	...	Waiter (voice)
Sean Scott	...	Waiter (voice)
Gordon Hart	...	Waiter (voice)

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:

Journey Beyond Your Imagination

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Hero Boy falls asleep, the clock in his bedroom reads 10:20, the same time as the clock in Scrooge's bedroom when Marley's ghost appears in the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol (1951).

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Goofs

After the Christmas star falls, several elves bungee jump and eventually catch up with the star. Under a free fall, the elves would have never been able to catch up with the star.

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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

I'll Be Home For Christmas
Written by Walter Kent, Kim Gannon, and Buck Ram

User Reviews

A Christmas Classic

This is really an amazing movie, taking place on christmas eve. Those people who are like "its not realistic" it's a christmas movie for gosh sake. Enjoy it. It gives me flashbacks of how I always used to have christmas. It's very amazing. We watch it every year!

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