The Polar Express (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Polar Express |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Robert Zemeckis |
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| Music by | Alan Silvestri |
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| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 7, 2004 (Chicago International Film Festival) November 10, 2004 (United States) |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $165 million |
| Money made | $314.1 million |
The Polar Express is a computer-animated Christmas adventure film from 2004. It was co-written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. The movie is based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. He also helped produce the film.
The film uses a special animation technique called motion capture. This means actors' movements are recorded and then used to create the animated characters. The story is about a young boy on Christmas Eve. He sees a mysterious train heading to the North Pole stop outside his house. The train's conductor invites him aboard. The boy joins other children on an amazing journey to visit Santa Claus.
Tom Hanks stars in the film, playing many different characters. He was also one of the movie's producers. Other actors like Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen play important roles.
Several companies worked together to make the film. These include Castle Rock Entertainment, Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean Productions. Warner Bros. Pictures released the movie. The special effects and motion capture were done by Sony Pictures Imageworks. The film cost $165 million to make. This was a very large budget for an animated movie at that time.
The Polar Express was released in regular movie theaters and IMAX 3D on November 10, 2004. It earned $286 million worldwide at first. With later re-releases, it made $314 million. In 2006, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the first movie made entirely with digital motion capture. The film is also special because it was the last acting role for Michael Jeter. He passed away before the movie came out, and the film is dedicated to him.
Contents
The Story of The Polar Express
The movie begins with a flashback to Christmas Eve in 1955. A young boy starts to doubt if Santa Claus is real. He struggles to sleep. Suddenly, he sees a steam train arrive outside his house. He goes out to look at it, accidentally tearing his dressing gown pocket.
Boarding the Magical Train
The conductor introduces the train as the Polar Express. It is on its way to the North Pole. The boy is not sure at first, but he jumps aboard as the train starts to leave. Inside a passenger car, he meets a lively girl and a boy who knows everything.
The train then picks up another boy named Billy. Billy is also hesitant to get on. The first boy pulls the emergency brake to let Billy board. This makes the conductor a bit annoyed. Billy sits alone in the train's back car.
Lost Tickets and Rooftop Adventures
Hot chocolate is served in the passenger car. The girl saves a cup for Billy. As she and the conductor go to the dining car, the boy sees she left her unpunched ticket. He tries to return it but loses it between the cars. The ticket blows away into the wilderness. Animals play with it for a bit.
Eventually, the ticket blows back into the passenger car. But the conductor notices it's missing. He takes the girl to the back of the train. The know-it-all boy says the conductor will throw the girl off. The boy finds the ticket and rushes to the dining car to find the conductor. He climbs onto the roof of the train.
On the roof, he meets a hobo who is camping there. The hobo offers him coffee. They talk about Santa Claus and ghosts. The hobo then skis with the boy along the tops of the cars. They head towards the front of the train. The hobo disappears right at Flat Top Tunnel.
Train Troubles and North Pole Arrival
In the train's engine, the boy finds the girl. She is supervising the train while the crew, Steamer and Smokey, fix the headlight. The boy applies the brakes, and the train stops. A herd of caribou is blocking the tracks. The conductor pulls Smokey's beard, making him make animal noises. This makes the caribou move off the tracks.
The train continues at a very high speed. A small pin in the throttle breaks. This makes the train speed up out of control. It races to Glacier Gulch and down a steep slope. Then it slides onto a frozen lake. Smokey uses his hairpin to fix the throttle. The train drifts across the ice. It gets back onto the tracks just before the ice breaks.
The boy gives the girl's ticket back to the conductor to punch. As they return to the passenger car, the Hobo uses a puppet. He teases the boy, calling him a "doubter."
The First Gift of Christmas
The train finally arrives at the North Pole. The conductor announces that one passenger will receive the first gift of Christmas from Santa. The girl and boy find Billy still alone in the back car. They convince him to come along. But the boy accidentally uncouples their car. It rolls backward, through a tunnel, and onto a railway turntable in Santa's workshop.
The children make their way through an elf control center. They also go through a gift sorting office. Then they slide down a huge slide. This leads them into a giant sack of presents. They discover the know-it-all boy has sneaked in too. Elves escort them out before Santa and his reindeer arrive.
A small bell falls from the galloping reindeer's reins. At first, the boy cannot hear it ring. But then he finds belief within himself. He shows the bell to Santa. Santa chooses him to receive the first gift of Christmas. Santa lets him keep the bell. The boy puts it in his robe pocket.
The Magic Lingers On
The back car is returned to the train. The children board to go home. But the boy discovers he lost the bell through the hole in his pocket. He returns home and wakes up on Christmas morning. He finds a present containing his lost bell. He and his younger sister Sarah happily ring the bell. Their parents, who don't believe in Santa, cannot hear the bell. They say it is broken.
The boy thinks about his friends and sister. Over the years, they grew deaf to the bell as their belief faded. However, even when he is old, the bell still rings for him. It rings "for all who truly believe."
Meet the Cast
Many talented actors helped bring The Polar Express to life.
- Tom Hanks played many roles: the Hero Boy (motion-capture), Hero Boy's father, the Conductor, the Hobo, a Scrooge puppet, Santa Claus, and the Narrator.
- Daryl Sabara was the voice of the Hero Boy.
- Josh Hutcherson did extra motion-capture for the Hero Boy.
- Leslie Zemeckis played Sister Sarah (motion-capture) and Hero Boy's mother.
- Isabella Peregrina was the voice of Sister Sarah.
- Ashly Holloway did extra motion-capture for Sister Sarah.
- Eddie Deezen played the Know-It-All boy.
- Jimmy Pinchak did extra motion-capture for the Know-It-All.
- Nona Gaye played the Hero Girl.
- Chantel Valdivieso did extra motion-capture for the Hero Girl.
- Meagan Moore was the Hero Girl's singing voice.
- Tinashe was the motion-capture model for the Hero Girl.
- Peter Scolari played Billy the Lonely Boy (motion-capture).
- Hayden McFarland did extra motion-capture for Billy.
- Jimmy Bennett was the voice of Billy the Lonely Boy.
- Matthew Hall was Billy's singing voice.
- Dylan Cash was the voice of a Boy on the Train.
- Brendan King and Andy Pellick played Pastry Chefs.
- Josh Eli, Rolandas Hendricks, Jon Scott, Sean Scott, Mark Mendonca, Mark Goodman, Gregory Gast, and Gordon Hart played Waiters.
- Michael Jeter played Smokey and Steamer.
- André Sogliuzzo did extra voice work for Smokey and Steamer.
- Chris Coppola played Gus the Toothless Boy and an Elf.
- Connor Matheus did extra motion-capture for the Toothless Boy.
- Julene Renee played the Red Head Girl and an Elf.
- Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mark Povinelli, and Ed Gale played Elves.
- Charles Fleischer played the Elf General.
- Steven Tyler played the Elf Lieutenant and an Elf Singer.
Film Music
The official soundtrack for The Polar Express was released on November 2, 2004. It was put out by Warner Sunset Records.
Real-Life Polar Express Train Rides
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The movie has inspired real-life holiday train trips. These trips are based on the train journey in the film. You can find them all over the United States, Canada, and even the United Kingdom. Rail Events Inc. licenses these special train rides.
Some famous ones include the Polar Express train ride at the Grand Canyon Railway. There's also one at the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. The Texas State Railroad and Aspen Crossing also host them. The actual Pere Marquette 1225 train, which inspired the movie, pulls a similar Christmas train. It is called the North Pole Express.
The UK's first Polar Express train rides were on the Dartmoor Railway and the Weardale Railway. These trains used diesel engines. However, in 2016, Telford Steam Railway became the first UK line to run the Polar Express with a steam engine. Other steam-powered Polar Express rides in the UK include those by Vintage Trains. They use a special steam engine renamed Polar Star. PNP Events also runs Polar Express Train Rides in the Yorkshire Dales and South Devon. The Mid-Norfolk Railway, Wensleydale Railway, and South Devon Railway also offer these rides. The Seaton Tramway even has a "Polar Express Tram Ride" using trams.
The Polar Express Experience at Theme Parks
In November 2007, SeaWorld Orlando launched the Polar Express Experience. This was a motion simulator ride based on the film. It temporarily replaced the Wild Arctic attraction. The building was decorated to look like a train station. The ride vehicles looked like Polar Express passenger cars.
The ride's story was about a trip to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Guests felt the train's motion. They also felt the train swinging on ice and the ice breaking beneath them. This attraction was open every Christmas season until January 1, 2008. 2015 was the last year it operated. Wild Arctic has been open year-round since then.
A special 4D movie version of The Polar Express has been shown at other amusement parks. These include the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Stone Mountain, and Dollywood. It was also shown at the Vancouver Aquarium and Warner Bros. Movie World.
Video Game Adventure
A video game based on the film was released on November 2, 2004. It was available for GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, and Windows. Blue Tongue Entertainment developed the game, and THQ published it.
The game's story is a bit different from the movie. In the game, the Ebenezer Scrooge puppet is the main bad guy. He tries to stop the children from believing in Santa Claus. He does this by stealing their tickets. He also tries to prevent them from reaching the North Pole.
Toy Trains
Model railroad company Lionel still makes Polar Express train sets and equipment. This includes toy locomotives, train cars, and buildings for model train layouts.
Images for kids
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Theatrical release poster
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The film marks the final performance of actor Michael Jeter. He passed away the year before the film's release.
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A Grand Canyon Railway passenger car decorated like the Polar Express.
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The Polar Express train on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, UK, in 2019.
See also
In Spanish: The Polar Express para niños
