Genre:
Children's/Family
Theatrical Release: 11/10/2004(USA),
Release Date: 01/01/2001
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time:
Flags: Excellent For Children, Children in Peril
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
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. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
;)
