The Indian in the Cupboard (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Indian in the Cupboard |
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North American theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Frank Oz |
| Screenplay by | Melissa Mathison |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Randy Edelman |
| Cinematography | Russell Carpenter |
| Editing by | Ian Crafford |
| Distributed by |
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| Release date(s) | July 14, 1995 |
| Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $45 million |
| Money made | $35.7 million |
The Indian in the Cupboard is a 1995 American family fantasy drama film. It was directed by Frank Oz and written by Melissa Mathison. The movie is based on the 1980 children's book of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks.
The story is about a boy named Omri. For his ninth birthday, he gets a special cupboard. He soon finds out that if he puts toy figures inside the cupboard and locks it, the toys magically come to life! The film stars Hal Scardino as Omri and Litefoot as Little Bear. Other actors include Lindsay Crouse, Richard Jenkins, Rishi Bhat as Omri's friend Patrick, Steve Coogan, and David Keith.
The Magical Story
On his ninth birthday, Omri gets an old cupboard from his brother. His best friend Patrick gives him a toy Native American figure. Omri finds a special key and locks the toy inside the cupboard.
The next morning, Omri hears a small tapping sound from the cupboard. He opens it and finds that the toy has come to life! The tiny man is scared by Omri's huge size. He pulls out a small dagger. Omri quickly closes the cupboard and decides to keep this amazing secret.
The next day, the living toy talks to Omri. He says his name is Little Bear (Litefoot). He is an 18th-century Iroquois man from the Onondaga tribe. Little Bear was fighting in a war alongside the British. As Little Bear stays with Omri, Omri learns many things about the Iroquois people. They become good friends. Omri also learns that Little Bear's wife has passed away.
One day, Omri brings another Native American toy to life. This toy looks like a Mohawk chieftain. Omri wants Little Bear to have the chieftain's longbow. But the chieftain gets a heart attack from fear when he sees Omri. Omri's shocked reaction makes Little Bear realize that Omri is just a child, not a scary spirit.
Eventually, Omri tells his secret to Patrick. Patrick immediately wants to bring his own toy to life. He chooses a cowboy toy from 1879 named "Boohoo" Boone. Boone and Little Bear do not like each other at first. But Omri and Patrick make them behave when they take them to school.
That night, Omri and Patrick, along with Little Bear and Boone, watch TV. They see a show about a battle where cowboys are fighting Native Americans. Boone is excited to see his "boys" winning. Little Bear watches in horror as his people are shown being defeated. When Boone fires his toy gun in delight, Little Bear gets confused. He shoots an arrow into Boone's chest.
The special key to the cupboard gets lost. Little Bear bravely goes under the floor to find it. He almost gets hurt by a pet rat. With the key back, Omri brings a toy medic from World War I to life. The medic helps treat Boone's wound. Omri then realizes it is time to send Little Bear and Boone back to their own times.
Later that night, Omri thinks about bringing a female Native American toy to life. He doesn't want Little Bear to be alone when he goes back. But Little Bear stops him. He explains that the woman probably has her own family and people. Omri agrees not to bring her to life.
The next morning, Omri and Patrick say goodbye to their tiny friends. They lock Little Bear and Boone back in the cupboard. Just before they go, Omri has a vision. A life-sized Little Bear tells him that he accepts Omri as his nephew.
Main Characters
- Hal Scardino as Omri
- Litefoot as Little Bear
- David Keith as Boohoo Boone
- Lindsay Crouse as Jane
- Richard Jenkins as Victor
- Rishi Bhat as Patrick
- Lucas Tejwani and Leon Tejwani as Baby Martin
- Steve Coogan as Tommy Atkins
- Sakina Jaffrey as Lucy
- Vincent Kartheiser as Gillon
- Nestor Serrano as Teacher
- Ryan Olson as Adiel
- Michael Papajohn as Cardassian
- Frank Welker as Special Vocal Effects
See also
In Spanish: La llave mágica para niños
