Prancer (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prancer |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Hancock |
| Produced by | Raffaella De Laurentiis |
| Written by | Greg Taylor |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Maurice Jarre |
| Cinematography | Misha Suslov |
| Editing by |
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| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 17, 1989 |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
| Money made | $18.6 million |
Prancer is a heartwarming fantasy drama film from 1989. It was made in both America and Canada. The movie was directed by John Hancock and written by Greg Taylor. It stars actors like Rebecca Harrell, Sam Elliott, and Cloris Leachman.
The story takes place in a small town called Three Oaks, Michigan. Some parts of the movie were also filmed in Indiana and Illinois. A sequel to the film, called Prancer Returns, was released in 2001. You could watch it at home on video.
Contents
The Story of Prancer
The movie is about an eight-year-old girl named Jessica Riggs. She lives with her older brother, Steve, and her father, John. Their apple farm is having a tough time. John's sister-in-law, Sarah, is helping them out for a while.
Jessica Meets Prancer
One day, after a Christmas play at school, Jessica sees a plastic reindeer fall. It fell from a Christmas decoration hanging over the main street. Jessica believes it was Prancer, one of Santa's actual reindeer. She remembers the reindeer's name from the famous poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas".
Jessica overhears her father talking about sending her to live with her aunt Sarah. This makes her very sad. Later, while sledding with her friend Carol, they accidentally damage some flowers. These flowers belong to Mrs. McFarland, a woman who lives alone.
On her way home, Jessica sees a real reindeer in the woods. It runs away quickly. The next day, she finds reindeer tracks and follows them. Her father finds her, and they almost hit the reindeer with their car. John sees the reindeer is hurt and wants to shoot it. Jessica begs him not to, and the reindeer disappears.
A Secret Friend
That night, Jessica wakes up and sees the barn window open. She goes to check and finds the reindeer inside with their other animals. To keep it safe from her father, she moves it to a shed. Jessica is sure this is the real Prancer. She decides to take care of him and help him get better. She even calls a veterinarian to help.
Jessica later tells a mall Santa that she has Prancer. She gives him a Polaroid picture and a letter for the real Santa. The mall Santa takes these to the local newspaper editor.
Town News and New Friends
Jessica apologizes to Mrs. McFarland for the damaged flowers. She asks if she can work for Mrs. McFarland to earn money for oats for the reindeer. Mrs. McFarland agrees, and they become friends.
The newspaper editor is touched by Jessica's strong belief. He writes an article about her and Prancer. The local pastor even reads the article during his sermon. This makes Jessica's secret known to the whole town. She gets upset with Carol, thinking Carol told everyone. Jessica then ends their friendship.
Trouble and Hope
Meanwhile, John is reading the newspaper. Before he sees the article about Prancer, he finds that Prancer has let all the other animals out of the barn. While John tries to get the animals back, Prancer goes into the house and makes a mess.
Soon, many townspeople come to the farm wanting to see Prancer. A local butcher offers to buy Prancer. John is about to shoot the reindeer, but the butcher stops him. Jessica is afraid the butcher will hurt Prancer, so she runs away at night to rescue him. Her brother Steve follows her, telling her he loves her. Jessica tries to open Prancer's cage but falls and hurts her head. The butcher keeps Prancer to attract customers to his Christmas tree lot.
A Christmas Miracle
Jessica stays in her room, feeling very sad. Her father, John, comes to her. She asks him to read from a famous story called "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". John tells her that even though times might be hard, he would rather lose the farm than lose her. He changes his mind about sending her away.
John suggests they take Prancer to Antler Ridge. He thinks it would be the perfect place for Santa to pick him up. The townspeople gather outside Jessica's window and sing to cheer her up.
Prancer is taken to Antler Ridge and runs out of sight. John and Jessica follow his tracks, but they vanish at the edge of a cliff. Then, they hear faint sleigh bells and see a streak of light. It rises to meet Santa's sleigh in the sky. Jessica says goodbye to Prancer, asking him to always remember her. The sleigh flies across the full moon and over the Riggs farm, making it its very first stop.
Meet the Cast
- Rebecca Harrell as Jessica Riggs
- Sam Elliott as John Riggs
- Cloris Leachman as Mrs. McFarland
- Abe Vigoda as Dr. Orel Benton
- Michael Constantine as Mr. Stewart/Mall Santa
- Rutanya Alda as Sarah
- Ariana Richards as Carol Wetherby
- John Joseph Duda as Steve Riggs
- Johnny Galecki as Billy Quinn
- Mark Rolston as Herb Drier
- Walter Charles as Minister
- Michael Luciano as Bert
- Jesse Bradford as Boy #1
- Sandra Olson as Town woman
- Dan Atherton as Town man
- Boo as Prancer
Images for kids
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Theatrical release poster for Prancer
