The Polar Express (film)

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The Polar Express
Directed by	Robert Zemeckis
Written by	Chris Van Allsburg Robert Zemeckis William Broyles, Jr.
Starring	Tom Hanks Leslie Harter Zemeckis Eddie Deezen Nona Gaye Jimmy Bennett
Music by	Alan Silvestri
Cinematography	Don Burgess
Distributed by	Warner Brothers
Release date(s)	November 10, 2004 (USA)
Running time	1 hr. 39 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$150,000,000
IMDb profile

The Polar Express is a 2004 feature film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is entirely computer animated using performance capture technology, which incorporates the movements of live actors into animated characters. It stars actor Tom Hanks in six distinct roles, including that of the 8-year-old protagonist.

Contents 1 The story 1.1 Story to film 1.2 Summary 1.3 Detailed plot 2 Characters 3 The IMAX 3D version 4 Reaction 5 Trivia 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] The story

[edit] Story to film

The film expands a story that can be read in under three minutes into a ninety-nine-minute movie, while remaining true to the visual style of the original. The "Hot Chocolate" production number was derived from a single sentence and a single illustration. The "Hobo," "Lonely Boy," and "Know-it-All" characters, the scenes on rooftops and on the locomotive, and the runaway observation car sequence were all new to the film.

[edit] Summary

The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve who is hoping for belief in the true spirit of Christmas. After falling asleep, a magical train called the Polar Express pulls up in front of his house and he is invited to journey to the North Pole. After reaching the North Pole, the boy is handpicked by Santa Claus to receive the first present of Christmas. He chooses a bright silver bell from Santa's sleigh which makes a beautiful sound. As the years go by, people around him notice that they can no longer hear the beautiful sound, even his parents and sister. But there are those who still can, those who still truly believe.

[edit] Detailed plot

While he is is supposed to be sleeping on Christmas Eve, an eight year-old boy is still awake, waiting and listening to hear Santa Claus downstairs. All year, scientific fact (Santa would have to move at the speed of light, the North Pole is barren, etc.) and news of fake Santas has been reported, whether in malls or on the streets, and the boy is beginning to wonder whether his faith in Santa is worthwhile. Suddenly he hears a loud noise outside as a bright light floods his room. He goes outside (ripping his right pocket in the process), and to his astonishment sees a giant train. A conductor tells him it is the "Polar Express" and its destination is the North Pole. According to the Conductor Santa is aware of the boy's dwindling faith and this is his "crucial year," as it may be the last year he believes in Santa. The Boy is hesitant at first, but eventually boards the train at the last moment.

Inside, he meets two other characters, identified in the credits as "Hero Girl" and "Know-It-All". The Conductor comes to mark their tickets, but "Hero Boy" realizes that he was never given one. However, to his amazement, he reaches into his left pocket and finds a beautiful golden ticket. The Conductor takes it and punches the letter "B" on one end, and "E" on the other; "Know-It-All" has "LE" on his ticket. The train continues on and crosses the tracks to the poor side of town, stopping in front of a small broken house as a little boy curiously walks out (very similar to "Hero Boy" earlier). "Lonely Boy" is unsure as well, and his indecision nearly costs him his chance to board the "Polar Express". Like "Hero Boy", he attempt to board after the train starts to pull away, with "Hero Boy" shouting that he can do it. Just as "Lonely Boy" reaches out to grab hold of a rail, he trips in the snow. Thinking quickly, "Hero Boy" swiftly pulls the emergency brake lever, bringing the train to a screaching halt. "Lonely Boy" warily gets on, but shy and insecure, he stays alone in the rear compartment.

"Hero Boy" explains what happened to the Conductor, who reminds him that they are on a tight schedule. After the young passengers have found their seats again, the Conductor asks if anyone needs refreshments. All the children raise their hands and to the amazement of the passengers, a group of dancing and singing waiters appear with mugs of hot chocolate. (The first few taps of the number bear a marked resemblance to Riverdance-style taps.) The Conductor and "Hero Girl" take a cup to the "Lonely Boy" in the back, but the girl left her ticket, which has not yet been punched, on her seat. "Hero Boy" attempts to take it to her, but in between cars it flies out of his hand and takes a miraculous journey (flying through the air, getting trampled by wolves, and picked and chewed by a baby bird) back to the train. Even after "Hero Boy" admits to losing the ticket, the Conductor takes "Hero Girl" away when she can't produce it. When "Hero Boy" suddenly spots her ticket, he attempts to follow them, worried that she will get thrown off the train.

Making it to the top of the train, he engages a hobo figure. At first glance "Hobo" appears to be crazy, claiming to be "King of the North Pole". "Hero boy" asks if Santa is the king, but "Hobo" shoves it off and asks him what he thinks of Santa. "Hero Boy" merely says that he wants to believe but isn't sure and doesn't want to be tricked. "Hobo" tells him 'seeing is believing'. "Hero Boy" asks him if this whole experience is nothing more than a dream, but "Hobo" tells him that "Hero Boy" is the one who said it, not he. "Hobo" asks him if he believes in ghosts, but "Hero Boy" answers that he doesn't, to which "Hobo" merely replies 'interesting...' "Hobo" disappears as a flurry of snowflakes, and "Hero Boy", convinced he must be dreaming, attempts to wake himself, but to no avail. "Hobo" comes back with skis and they literally slide atop the cars to the engine room, before reaching Flat-Top Tunnel. (There is only one inch of clearance between the roof of the train and the roof of the tunnel). "Hero Boy" makes it inside right before they reach the entrance, but "Hobo" seems to dissolve magically into snow again.

Inside the engine room is "Hero Girl". Rather than being thrown off, she is actually driving the train while the engineers are fixing the light at the front of the locomotive. The Engineer sees something on the tracks and yells to "Hero Girl" to stop the train. There is a tense moment where "Hero Boy" pulls what "Hero Girl" thinks is the brake lever, stopping the train just in time to avoid hitting a large group of caribou that are blocking the track. It looks like they will be there for hours. However, the Conductor uses a highly amusing and unorthodox method of mimicking the call of the caribou, which promptly clear the track.

As the Polar Express continues it journey and begins to speed up, a cotter pin sheers off of the throttle, causing the train to accelerate out of control. "Hero Boy", "Hero Girl", and the Conductor hold on as they fly down Glacier Gulch, the world's steepest downhill track. They eventually slow as they end up on a frozen lake. The cotter pin is knocked out of the engineer's mouth (he had swallowed it) and flies onto the ice. The ice begins to crack and the train races to escape, managing to get back on the tracks just as the ice breaks. At last "Hero Boy" hands the conductor "Hero Girl"'s ticket, and it too is stamped with "LE". On their way back, the Conductor reveals that on his first Christmas run, he nearly fell off the train but was saved by an unknown figure. ("Hero Boy" assumes he is referring to "Hobo"). "Hero Boy" asks what he looks like and the Conductor tells him that sometimes "seeing is believing" and other times "the most real things in this world are the things we can't see." The three prepare to join the others, passing the toy compartment, full of old misused toys, being delivered back to Santa to be repaired and given new homes. A Scrooge marionette apparently comes to life and terrorizes "Hero Boy", telling him that they are similar, as they both think that Santa, and by default Christmas, are nothing but humbug. The puppet is actually being worked by "Hobo".

"Hero Boy" then rejoins "Hero Girl", and they visit "Lonely Boy", who is still by himself in the back of the train. "Hero Girl" and "Lonely Boy" then sing a song about faith. The Northern Lights (aurora borealis) illuminate the sky, and the Conductor informs them that the train has entered the Arctic Circle, and they have at last made it to the North Pole (with five minutes until Christmas to spare!). The Conductor tells them that the elves are in the center of the city and that Santa will pick one of the children to choose the first gift of Christmas. They all get off except "Lonely Boy". "Hero Boy" and "Hero Girl" return to convince him to disembark, but he states that Christmas has never worked out for him. He's lived for years in a poor home and the Christmas spirit does not necessarily reach very high in his family. Alas "Hero Boy" accidentally stepped on the disengagement lever when he boarded the train. When "Lonely Boy" finally agrees to join them, the rear car of the train, containing the three children, disengages and flies back down the tracks. The three jump off and make their way through the city, passing by rooms such as the 'naughty/nice' room, which monitors all the children by their respective behavior.

They sneak into a tube-like machine called the pnuematic which shoots them to a conveyor-belt. There, the three see one final package come down the belt. Reading the tag on the package, they find it is addressed to "Lonely Boy", whose name is revealed to be Billy. Not wanting to lose what might be his only Christmas present ever, Billy grabs hold of it as it is taken through an opening in the wall. "Hero Boy" and "Hero Girl" follow him and end up sliding down a long winding chute, eventually landing in a gigantic funnel, falling through the hole in the middle, and end up atop a gigantic pile of presents being gathered in Santa's enormous red sack. The bag, with the children inside, is lifted up by a giant balloon. Billy is tempted to open his present until he notices it is marked 'do not open till Christmas'. "Hero Boy" confirms that that is the rule. Billy is then grabbed by something inside the pile. "Hero Boy" and "Hero Girl" pull Billy back, discovering that "Know-It-All" has stowed away in the bag as well. "Know-It-All" tried to verify that he was getting all of the presents that he had requested, but so far has only found one present for him, and it contained "stupid underwear". The giant sack, being air-lifted by a blimp, comes in too low, even after losing weight by means of skydiving elves. The bag knocks over the star on the giant Christmas tree, which it is saved by a group of bungee jumping elves.

By now it is time for Santa to appear. The entire crowd cheers as the reindeer are being pulled together, and the bells ring, but "Hero Boy" cannot hear them. Santa himself finally comes, but "Hero Boy" cannot get a good look at him, as the excited crowd of other children and elves block his view. A silver bell from the sleigh rolls to "Hero Boy"'s feet, and he picks it up but it makes no sound. He realizes that only those who truly believe can hear the bells. Finally accepting everything that has been shown to him, he whispers, "I believe", whereup he is able to hear the bells. Suddenly he see in the bell the reflection of Santa Claus, and realizes that Santa is towering above him. Santa asks him what he just said, and "Hero Boy" replies, "I believe ... that this is yours", handing the bell to Santa. "Know-It-All" interrupts, asking Santa to pick him to receive the first present of Christmas, but Santa tells him to be patient and that some humility might do him some good. He tells "Hero Girl" how brave she has been, confident and full of spirit (including Christmas spirit), and encourages her to continue thusly. He tells Billy how lucky he is and acknowledges how he has made friends this night, and that there is no greater gift than friendship. At last, he gives "Hero Boy" the honor of choosing the first present. "Hero Boy" picks the silver bell, and Santa tells him that the bell represents the spirit of Christmas within him, and that the real spirit of Christmas lies in his heart. With a whip of light, all the bells ring and the sleigh rides into the air and Santa's icy contrail emits beautiful fireworks as he zooms away.

The children prepare to leave, and the Conductor is once again marking their tickets. He marks the remaining letters on their tickets, stamping the words "LEARN" on "Know-It-All"'s ticket, reminding him to learn from his mistakes. The words "DEPEND ON" are on Billy's ticket. Surprisingly, as he flips it over, the words change to "RELY ON" and then "COUNT ON". The Conductor asks if Billy will "count on" them to get him home safely, to which he agrees. The Conductor marks "LEAD" on "Hero Girl"'s ticket, acknowledging her leadership skills. Finally, the Conductor writes the remaining letters on "Hero Boy"'s ticket: "BELIEVE". Inside, "Hero Boy" discover to his dismay that the bell from Santa fell through the hole in his pocket and is lost. When the train reaches "Lonely Boy"'s house, he gets off and thanks "Hero Boy" for having stopped the train earlier. To his astonishment, his house looks beautiful and the present for him is already there. The train reaches "Hero Boy"'s house, and he says goodbye to "Know-It-All" and embraces "Hero Girl". Disembarking, he thanks the Conductor, who merely returns the thanks and tells him, "The thing about trains - it doesn't matter where you're going; what matters is deciding to get on," finishing with a wink. With a final Merry Christmas (the children and "Hobo" wave goodbye), "Hero Boy" returns to his bed and drifts off to sleep (he notices that Santa has not yet been to his house).

Waking up Christmas morning, "Hero Boy" is perplexed as to whether the nighttime events were a dream or reality. As he walks out he rips the same pocket that was torn earlier, as though it had been mended, and finds an assortment of toys delivered, including a toy train. A small present is addressed to "Hero Boy"; opening it he finds the silver bell. With it is a small message from Santa, indicating that St Nick had found the bell in his sleigh, and reminding "Hero Boy" to fix that hole in his pocket. He rings the bell, but although his younger sister and he can hear the sound, his parents cannot. As the movie ends, the narrator offers a final message:

At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.

[edit] Characters

Other than Santa Claus, Sarah and the Lonely Boy (Billy), the names of the characters are not revealed. The names below are taken from the credits.

Hero Boy is the protagonist, an eight-year-old boy who is searching for the true meaning of Christmas. He gets a trip on the Polar Express, avoiding danger and all the while having his faith tested, whether by the Hobo or one of the children. He quickly makes friends with Hero Girl and Lonely Boy. Eventually his faith is restored when he meets Santa, who selects him to receive the first gift -- he picks the silver bell. His ticket has the word 'BELIEVE" on it, and since that trip, his faith in Santa and the true spirit of Christmas never fails. Acted (through motion capture) by Tom Hanks, but voiced by Daryl Sabara.

Hero Girl is a girl who quickly becomes friends with Hero Boy. After her ticket is misplaced, she gets to drive the train. She has exceptional leadership abilities and bravery, acknowledged by both Santa and the Conductor. Her ticket was marked "LEAD". Voiced by Nona Gaye. Her singing voice is done by Meagan Moore.

Lonely Boy (Billy) is a small shy boy who grows up on the poor side of the town. Because of his shyness and his lack of trust, he stays in the rear compartment of the train by himself. However, Hero Boy and Hero Girl make friends with him and they travel to the North Pole together. Santa tells him how lucky he is, and that friendship is the greatest gift someone could ask for. His ticket said "DEPEND ON", and as he flips it over, "COUNT ON" and "RELY ON". As he returns home, his house is beautiful and he receives his gift which was the thing he always wanted (this is unknown). It is revealed that his real name is Billy. Acted by Peter Scolari and voiced by Jimmy Bennett. His singing voice is done by Matthew Hall.

Know-it-all is a small nerdy boy with glasses. Although he is smart, he lets his intelligence get the better of him and is very impatient. He stows away on Santa's big red bag in hope of getting all the presents himself. He rudely asks Santa if he can get the first present, to which Santa replies 'Patience, and a bit of humility might do you some good'. When his ticket receives the final markings, he snatches it out of the conductor's hand to read it. He accidentally holds the ticket in a way that blocks a letter, taking the word to be "LEAN". The conductor corrects him, saying he punched five letters, but the Know-it-all, still thinking that he is right, takes the ticket back, replying, "Hey, do you think I don't know how to read...oh, it says LEARN, my mistake." He is finally dealt "a smidgen of humility" and apologizes, promising to behave better. If there is one thing his knowledge has gotten him, it is that he noticed something important while in the north pole: 'It was five minutes to midnight four minutes ago' to which the Conductor replies 'Exactly!'. Later he says "Don't worry, It's been five minutes to midnight for the last hour!". In fact, for most of the movie it's been that time: An early segment shows the ticking of a clock slowly stopping. Although this strange time delay is confusing, it may explain how Santa gets to all the houses on one night and also gives birth to the theory that most of the movie was a dream (as Hero Boy rips his pocket twice). Voiced by Eddie Deezen.

The Conductor is the conductor of the Polar Express, the magical train that takes all the not-so-faithful children to the North Pole. He takes his job very seriously and, like the Hobo, subtly tests the children's faith. He marks all their tickets ( which they magically find they're already carrying), with a few letters, and at the end of the trip, marks the remaining letters; giving them a message regarding what they should do. He is also strict and does not take it kindly when there is a delay, especially when someone applies the emergency brake. His greatest fear is arriving late at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. Voiced by Tom Hanks. This is the only one of Hanks' characters that physically resembles the actor.

The Hobo is a strange man who calls himself the "King of the North Pole" and appears to live on the top of the train. He apparently doesn't believe in Santa or Christmas, but all his negativity is secretly testing Hero Boy's faith. He actually isn't human, as he manages to appear and disappear into snow. He also helps Hero Boy many times, one time grabbing him from falling off the train, another time tapping the manual brake wheel on the speeding runaway observation car with his cup before disappearing. (Eventually Hero Boy realizes the wheel slows down the car). Voiced by Tom Hanks, although it has been noted that the character physically resembles actor Willem Dafoe, Christopher Meloni and the host of the stop-motion animated cartoon Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Perhaps most intriguingly, the Hobo also directly resembles Christopher Lloyd of Back to the Future fame (also directed by Zemeckis - see Trivia below). At one point, Hobo asks Hero Boy if he "believes in ghosts." When Hero Boy's replies "no," all Hobo says is "interesting." As a result (and from the way he mysteriously vanishes and suddenly appears), it is reasonable to assume that Hobo may be a "ghost." Consequently, this may also be an indirect allusion to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol": the "ghost of Christmas present," perhaps. (There is also one reference to "Scrooge" in the movie.) The Conductor also notes that on his first ride of the Polar Express, he was saved from falling off the train by someone. Most likely, the "someone" is the hobo. Popular speculation of this figure is that he's a ghost or an angel.

The Engineers are the drivers of the Polar Express. One of them is a bald fat man, the other has ridiculously long red hair, which the Conductor pulls to send away the Caribou blocking the way. They later sing at a party after Santa leaves. The special features section of the DVD reveals their names as Steamer and Smokey, but does not distinguish who is whom (the movie storybook names them Steamer the Engineer and Smokey the Fireman). They were both acted by Michael Jeter who died soon after production; a musical number featuring the Engineers was cut from the film before release but is included as a special feature on the DVD. Voiced by André Sogliuzzo, who also provides the voice of Tony Montana in Vivendi's Scarface: The World is Yours game.

The Elves are the official helpers of Santa. A few of them decide which kids are naughty and which are nice, and because it's Christmas, allow a boy named Steven to have presents that year. They are roughly half the size of most of the children.

Santa Claus Kris Kringle himself appears to all at the North Pole. When Hero Boy can finally see him face to face, Santa picks him to have the first present of Christmas. Santa gives him the silver bell and rides off. Later, Santa returns the silver bell to Hero Boy when he notices he dropped it. Voiced by Tom Hanks.

Scrooge makes a brief appearance in the train car of abandoned toys.

[edit] The IMAX 3D version

In addition to standard theatrical 35mm format, a 3D version for IMAX was also released, generated from the same 3D digital models used for the standard version. It was the first animated feature not specially made for IMAX to be presented in this format, and the first to open in IMAX 3D at the same time as main flat release. The financial results were stunning. The 3D version out-performed the 2D version by about 14 to 1. The 3D IMAX version was released again for the 2005 Holiday season in 66 IMAX theaters and amazingly made another $7.5 million prior to Christmas. Due to its financial success, the IMAX version was re-released in 2006 and is expected to become an annual Christmas movie.

[edit] Reaction

The decision to model the characters so realistically was met with criticism from some reviewers, who felt that the appearances of the characters were "creepy" or "eerie" [1] [2]. This is related to the concept of the Uncanny Valley, which holds that the closer something appears to human, the more its dissimilarities may stand out and create a negative reaction in viewers.

Initially, the movie seemed headed towards a box office failure after its opening week, but it was one of the few films to actually improve its gross in the weeks after its premiere. In fact, by New Year's Day, 2005, the Polar Express ended up grossing over $150 million in the United States alone, shocking disbelieving critics. Fully 25% of the world gross came from just 82 IMAX 3D theaters.

[edit] Trivia

• This film was among several recent Warner Bros. films that have bypassed pay-cable release and went directly to broadcast television. However, in this rare instance, it is simultaneously still in theatrical release in its original IMAX 3-D version.
• The locomotive sounds and image for the movie are from a preserved Pere Marquette Railroad engine, a 2-8-4. The locomotive number, 1225, fits with the theme of the movie, as Christmas falls on December 25. The locomotive was photographed and its sound recorded as it moved in order to provide a realistic feel to the movie. This locomotive is owned by the Michigan State Trust for Railway Preservation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Pere Marquette 1225 was to have traveled to Grand Rapids, MI for the Polar Express premiere to be used as a fund raiser for the Children's Pediatric Hospice. Just days before the event, CSX Railway withdrew permission for the train to use its lines, citing interference with existing rail traffic.
• The movie contains references to author Van Allsburg's former hometown. Hero Boy identifies Grand Rapids, Michigan as the city he lives in, and the train passes Herpolsheimer's department store (a former city landmark) on its way out of town. The film premiered in Grand Rapids.
• There are many differences from the book to the movie. In the book, Hero Boy climbed aboard when the conductor asks him if he is coming while in the movie, Hero Boy at first decides not to get on but as the train begins to pull forward without him, he hurries and jumps on. In the book, Hero Boy doesn't make any friends aboard the train, while in the movie, he makes three friends. In the book, Hero Boy goes with the other passengers to the square while in the movie, Hero Boy and Hero Girl try to talk Lonely Boy into seeing Santa but then Hero Boy accidentally uncouples the last train car, causing another series of adventures. In the book, the train makes it peacefully to the North Pole while in the movie, the train climbs a bunch of steep hills and squiggles across a frozen lake. In the book, the hobo and the engineers are not seen. The type of locomotive pulling the train is not mentioned in the book.
• A video game also titled The Polar Express was released for the Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Game Boy Advance. The game is based on the plot of the film. It was developed by Australian software company Blue Tongue Entertainment.
• The film's tagline is "This Holiday Season...Believe.".
• It was released in theaters in 2004 and came out on DVD one year later.
• When the train is preparing to leave, the elves begin to sing "Rockin' On Top of the World". The lead singer is an elf who bears a striking resemblance to Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, who actually sings the song. There is also a scarf tied onto the microphone stand, which is now synonymous with Tyler. Tom Hanks and Aerosmith appeared together in a episode of Saturday Night Live where Tom Hanks played a roadie for Aerosmith in a Wayne's World skit.
• During the same sequence, the elves are playing Fender Stratocaster guitars. The so called 'spaghetti logo' is also visible upon very close inspection.
• Other familiar artists playing over the North Pole's loudspeakers include Bing Crosby ("White Christmas"); Kate Smith ("Silver Bells"); The Andrews Sisters ("Winter Wonderland"); Frank Sinatra ("Santa Claus is Coming to Town"); and Perry Como ("It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas"). Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters also sing "Here Comes Santa Claus" together over the loudspeakers.
• The Grand Canyon Railway and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad "become" The Polar Express during the Christmas season.
• This is the second film starring Tom Hanks to be produced by Castle Rock Entertainment, the first being The Green Mile.
• In the "Santa" skit on the Daft Enterprises website, the film is spoofed. The Polar Express appears at two in the morning, waking a young boy, and his parents, who both have work in the morning. The Conductor relentlessly tries to persuade the boy to get on the train, but the boy is uninterested, and his parents are irritated. Eventually the boy is abducted by the Conductor, as the shocked parents scramble to call the Police.
• In the final scene, the toy train resembles the Polar Express. Also, it appears that the "Hero Boy" is playing with one of the refurbished dolls from the train.
• The film contains multiple references to the Back to the Future series of films, also directed by Zemeckis:
  • According to the film's Junior Novel "Trip to the North Pole" by Ellen Weiss the year the film is set in is 1955, the same year that Robert Zemeckis' character Marty McFly travels back in time to in Back to the Future
  • When Santa leaves to go about his normal route, the sleigh moves about similar to the time-traveling train and warps out of sight in a similar fashion to the ending in the Back to the Future movies.
  • Hero Boy, after blowing the Polar Express' whistle, says "I've wanted to do that my whole life!" Doc Brown quotes a similar line after blowing a train whistle in Back to the Future Part III.
  • While Smokey and Steamer are floating in the engine cabin while trying to capture the cotter pin, the Flux Capacitor from Back to the Future can be seen flickering to the left. This was deliberately added as an in-joke between the two Zemeckis films.
  • There are two ground shots of the train slowly approaching, similar to one from Back to the Future III.
• A compass was inscribed under the Christmas Tree in the North Pole, and all four directions point South.
• Santas elves witness a young boy, from Maplewood, New Jersey being mean to his sister, and almost decide to give him coal for Christmas.
  • The conductor announces the address "11344 Edbrooke," which is the real address of Robert Zemeckis' childhood home, located in the south Chicago neighborhood of Roseland.

[edit] See also

• Polar Express (soundtrack)

[edit] External links

• Official US site
• Official UK site
• The Polar Express at the Internet Movie Database
• Tom Hanks interview for The Polar Express