The Polar Express

2004 Fantasy

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on children's author Chris Van Allsburg's modern holiday classic of the same name, The Polar Express revolves around Billy (Hayden McFarland), who longs to believe in Santa Claus but finds it quite difficult to do so, what with his family's dogged insistence that all of it, from the North Pole, to the elves, to the man himself, is all just a myth. This all changes, however, on Christmas Eve, when a mysterious train visits Billy in the middle of the night, promising to take him and a group of other lucky children to the North Pole for a visit with Santa. The train's conductor (Tom Hanks) along with the other passengers help turn Billy's crisis in faith into a journey of self-discovery. A long-time fan of Van Allsburg's book, Hanks also helped produce the film.

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Reviews

  • A movie for more than one season; it will become a perennial, shared by the generations. It has a haunting, magical quality because it has imagined its world freshly and played true to it,

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 April 2013

  • An enchanting, beautiful and brilliantly imagined film.

    Mick LaSalle - The San Francisco Chronicle

    27 April 2013

  • A story that soars with breakneck pace but slows in all the tender moments. Visually, this train ride is both majestic and edge-of-your-seat.

    - The Hollywood Reporter

    27 April 2013

  • It's hard not to wish this film were more of a piece and less like loud music at the wrong party.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    27 April 2013

  • Simple and evocative, yet teeming with intriguing visual effects.

    Claudia Puig - USA Today

    27 April 2013

Awards

  • Top Box Office Films

    ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2005)

  • Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

    Academy Awards (2005)

     
  • Best Animated Film

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2005)

     
  • Animated Effects

    Annie Awards (2005)

     
  • Best Feature Film

    BAFTA Awards (2005)