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The Polar Express

The book (ISBN 0862641438) was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, a former professor at the Rhode Island School of Design.

It tells the story of a young boy who on Christmas Eve, is beginning to no longer believe in Santa Claus. Somehow, a magical train called the Polar Express pulls up in front of his house and he is invited to journey to the North Pole. As he reaches 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.

The book is now widely considered to be a classic Christmas story for young children. It was praised for its detailed illustrations and calm, relaxing storyline. In 1986 it was awarded the Caldecott Medal for children's literature. It is published in both soft and hard-copies.

The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is entirely computer animated using a novel technology called performance capture to provide natural movement and expressions for the characters. It stars actor Tom Hanks in six distinct roles, including that of the 8-year-old protagonist.

The film adds a lot of new content (as the book is very short) but still remains true. A little 8-year-old boy is sleeping on Christmas Eve, but is really listening to hear Santa Claus downstairs. All year, news of fake Santas, whether in malls or on the streets, has lessened the boy's faith. Suddenly a loud noise is heard outside as lights fill his room. He goes outside (ripping his right pocket in the process), and to his wonder, a giant train is outside. A conductor tells him it is called the "Polar Express' and it goes to the North Pole. He tells him that he is aware of his dwindling faith and the crucial year(probably the last year he believes in Santa), and tells him he should get on. The Boy is unsure at first and manages to get on in time. Inside, he meets "Hero Girl" and "Know-It-All". The Conductor comes to mark their tickets, but Hero Boy obviously doesn't have his. However, to his amazement, he reaches into his left pocket and finds the beautiful golden ticket. The Conductor takes it and marks the letter "B" on one end, and "E" on the other, The "Know-It-All" has "LE" on his. The train crosses the tracks to the poor side of town and comes to a small broken house as a little boy curiously walks out (very similar to Hero Boy earlier). "Lonely Boy" is unsure, however, and doesn't manage to reach the train on time, leaving "Hero Boy" to pull the emergency lever to let him on. "Lonely Boy" is shy and unsure and stays in the rear compartment on his own. "Hero Boy" explains what happened to the Conductor, and to all their amazement, orders a group of butlers to deliver hot chocolate to them (literally dancing and singing perfectly as they do so). The Conductor and "Hero Girl" take a cup to the "Lonely Boy in the back, but she has forgotten her ticket which hasn't been marked yet. "Hero Boy" attempts to take it to them, but it flies out of his hand, and miraculously (flying through the air, getting trampled by wolves, picked and chewed by a baby bird) makes it back to the train. The Conductor takes "Hero Girl" away when she can't find it, even after "Hero Boy" admits to losing it, but he spots it and attempts to follow, worried she'll get thrown off the train.

Making it to the top of the train, he finds a "Hobo". At first glance, he appears to be crazy, sneaking on board and 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. "Hobo" tells him 'seeing is believing'. Hero Boy asks him is this whole experience is nothing more then a dream, but he tells him that he's the one who said it, not him. Hobo asks him if he believes in ghosts, but he doesn't, he merely replies 'interesting...'. Hero Boy shoves around, trying to wake up, but he can't. Hobo comes back with skies and they literally slide down into the engine room, before reaching Flat-Top Tunnel. Hero Boy makes it inside just as Hobo magically disappears. Inside, Hero Girl is inside, and tells him that she wasn't thrown off and she's actually driving the train while the engineers are fixing the light. After a tense moment where she forgets how to slow down, the Conductor pulls on one of the engineers' long beards and his screams cause a large caribou crossing to leave.

The train speeds up but braking is jammed and Hero Boy, Hero Girl and the Conductor hold on as they fly down Glacier Gulch(the worlds steepest down-hill track) and they eventually slow down as they end up on a frozen lake. Regaining control, they manage to get back on tracks as the ice begins to break. At last, Hero Boy hands the conductor Hero Girl's ticket, and marks "LE" on it. The three prepare to join the others, passing the toy compartment, full of old misused toys. A scrooge puppet, apparently comes to life, and terrorizes Hero Boy, telling him that he is just like him, and they both think that Santa, and Christmas itself is humbug. The puppet is being moved by the "Hobo" and Hero Boy gets out. Hero Boy and Hero Girl visits "Lonely Boy" who is still by himself in the back. They sing a song about faith. The Northern Lights (a beautiful aurora) illuminate the sky, marking that the train has entered the Arctic Circle, and they have at last made it to the North Pole (with five minutes to go til Christmas to spare!). The Conductor tells them that the elves are in the center of the city and that Santa will pick one of them to choose the first gift of Christmas. They all disembark, except 'Lonely Boy'. Hero Boy and Hero Girl go to him to convince him, but he tells that Christmas doesn't work out of him. He's lived for years in a poor home and the Christmas spirit does not necessarily go very high in his family. He finally agrees as the rear car of the train (the one they are in) disengages and flies back down the tracks. They jump off and make their way through the city, passing by rooms such as the 'naughtynice' rooms which tracks all the kids that have been either. They sneak into a tube-like machine which shoots them to a conveyor-belt where they follow a gift box, and fall through a hole, into where all the presents are being gathered in Santa's big red bag. The bag, with the children inside, is lifted up by a giant balloon (Know-it-all was also a stowaway), and Lonely Boy finds a present for him (His name is Billy), but is stopped when it is marked 'do not open till Christmas'. The giant bag knocks over the star on the giant Christmas tree, but is pulled back when a group of parachuting elves return it.

Everyone 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 see him. A silver bell rolls to Hero Boy's feet, he picks it up but cannot hear it. He finally accepts everything that has been shown to him and repeats to himself "I believe", and he can hear it at last. Santa Claus comes up to him and asks him what he just did and Hero Boy boldly replies and gives him back the bell. Know-It-All rudely asks 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 of how brave she has been, confident and full of spirit, Christmas spirit and reminds her to keep up the good work. He tells Billy of how lucky he is and acknowledges how he has made friends this night, and how their is no greater gift then friendship. At last, he picks Hero Boy to pick the first present. Hero Boy picks the silver bell from before, and Santa tells him that the bell represents the spirit of Christmas as is in him and 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 the giant star lets off beautiful fireworks as Santa zooms away.

The children prepare to leave, and the Conductor is once again marking their tickets. He marks the remaining letters on their tickets, leaving the words "LEARN" on Know-It-Alls ticket, reminding him to learn from his mistakes. The words "DEPEND ON" are on Billys tickets, and as he flips it over, "RELY ON" and "COUNT ON" are on it. The Conductor asks if Billy will be more trusting and allow us to get him home safely and he agrees. The Conductor marks "LEAD" on Hero Girls ticket, acknowledging her leadership skills. Finally, The Conductor writes the remaining letters on Hero Boys ticket, "BELIEVE". Inside, Hero Boy seems to have lost his bell because of the hole in his pocket. Lonely Boy gets off the train, and thanks Hero Boy for stopping the train for him. To his astonishment, his house looks beautiful and the present he got is their already. The train reaches Hero Boy's house, and he thanks the Conductor, but he merely thanks him back and tells him that "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).

Hero Boy wakes up Christmas morning, was it a dream? He rips his pocket again as he walks out as if it was never ripped and finds all kinds of toys delivered (even a toy train). A small present is for Hero Boy, the silver bell, with a small message from Santa telling him that he found the bell in his sleigh and reminds him to fix that hole in his pocket. He rings the bell, but his parents can't hear the sound, but he and his sister can. They prepare to leave as the movie ends with a final message:

At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as the years past, it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she couldn't hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as for all who truly believe.

Other than Santa Claus, the names of the characters are not revealed. The names below are taken from the credits.

is the main 8-year-old boy who is losing his faith in Santa Claus. 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 and he eventually has his faith restored and meets Santa. He is picked to have to first gift and 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 has never failed. Voiced by Tom Hanks.

is a girl who quickly becomes friends with Hero Boy. After 'losing' her ticket (it was lost by Hero Boy), she gets to drive the train. She has exceptional leadership abilities and bravery, both acknowledged by Santa and the Conductor. Her ticket was marked "LEAD". Voiced by Nona Gaye.

is a small shy boy who grows in a poor family on the other 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 "COUNT ON', and as he flips it over, "DEPEND 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. Voiced by Peter Scolari.

is a small nerdy boy with glasses. Although he is smart, he thinks he knows everything and is very bratty and 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, which Santa replies 'Patience, and a bit of humility might do you some good'. His ticket said "LEARN' and he apologizes and promises to learn from his mistakes.

If there is one thing his knowledge has gotten him is that he noticed while in the north pole, that 'It was five minutes, four minutes ago' to which the Conductor replies 'Exactly!'. Although this strange time delay is confusing, it may explain how Santa gets to all the houses on one night. Voiced by Eddie Deezen.

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 their faith. He marks all their tickets( which they magically find their already carrying), with a few letters, and at the end of the trip, marks the remaining letters; giving off a message on what they should do. Voiced by Tom Hanks. This is the only one of Hanks' characters that physically resembles the actor.

is a strange man who lives on the top of the train. He apparently doesn't believe in Santa or Christmas, but all his negative is secretly testing Hero Boys faith. He also helped Hero Boy many times, one time grabbing him from falling off the train, another time tapping the wheel on speeding rear compartment with his cup before dissapearing(eventually Hero Boy realized the wheel slows down the train). It's also possible, that since he is a ghost and he was using a Scrooge doll, that he is one of the three spirits that visited Scrooge during Christmas Eve. Voiced by Tom Hanks, although it has been noted that the character physically resembles actor Willem Defoe.

are the drivers of the Polar Express. One of them is a bald fat man, the other having 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. They were both voiced 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.

are the official helpers of Santa. A few of them decide which kids are naughty or nice, and because it's Christmas, allow a boy named Steven to have presents that year.

Kris Kringle himself appears to all in the North Pole. When Hero Boy can finally see him because he believed in him, he picked him to have the first present of Christmas. He gave him the silver bell and rode off. Later, he returned the silver bell to Hero Boy when he noticed he dropped it. Voiced by Tom Hanks.

In addition to a 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. It was the first to open 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. Tom Hanks' 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 spirit of the original. The "Hot Chocolate" production number was derived from a single sentence and a single illustration. The "Hobo," "Lonely Boy," "Know-it-All," and "Hero Girl" characters, the scenes on rooftops and on the locomotive, and the runaway observation car sequence were all new to the film.

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 premier. In fact, by New Year's Day, 2005, the Polar Express ended up grossing over $150 million in the United States alone, silencing and shocking disbelieving critics. Fully 25% of the world gross came from just 82 IMAX 3D theaters.

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 Preservationand 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. The boy hero 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. 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.