Beautiful and incredible

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2006)

Many people seem to have missed so much in this movie.
I took my two grandchildren, ages 6 and 3, and they were rapt throughout. Neither was afraid, both wanted to see it again. So we went again with their parents. I have it on DVD. I suspect that, as is so often the case, kids are scared because they pick up from their parents or adults with them who "think" kids will be scared. But then, my grandchildren have sat through the "Lord of the Rings" and "Star Wars", and we're off next week to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
The movie wasn't intended to be "real" - so scenes with trains flying down roller-coasters, caribou on tracks, a wild ride on a frozen lake, all are believable in the overall story. This is a story from a child's point of view, where anything is possible. Never once were those children in real danger - it wasn't intended that way. It *was* intended to be a spiritual journey.
Note to those who say Tom Hanks "changed" things and added to the story - Chris van Allsburg, the book's author, also was part of the team which wrote and created this. The sound of the train was really the sound of the real train upon which it was modeled and which still runs in Michigan. The homes were modeled after Robert Zemeckis' childhood homes.The whole look of the movie, and its use of light and warmth was amazing, not to mention the performance-capture technique. Look closely - eyelids move, eyebrows move, faces frown or smile. There is an African-American child, but there are also Asian children on the train - and the recreation of life in those days (I remember it well) was pretty accurate, which makes sense given that it was modeled on Zemeckis' own childhood.
The scenes with the elves are a hoot - the main elf obviously comes from New Jersey, and caricatures of real people abound in a light and humorous way. The town at the North Pole was reminiscent of some of the old buildings in Helsinki and Tampere, in Finland.
For me, the best part of the movie was Santa. He combines the aura (he glows) of a not-human, probably angelic being, but somewhat Nordic looking. Tales of Santa and elves abound in Finland, and I'm betting the creators drew on that history and look - even to some of the detailing in his costume. He isn't the jolly fat old elf (although a few ho-ho's are 'de rigueur'), but is tall and imposing, sturdy and strong, capable of being firm without anger, wise, compassionate, and with a sense of humour.
This is not a movie about reality - it's a movie about faith and belief in the unseen. As a theologian, I've recommended this movie to my congregation as way of indulging in a little childhood fantasy, and grappling with issues of faith and disbelief in the things we can't see. Tom Hanks, Chris van Allsburg, and Robert Zemeckis, and the whole team in this movie have done a wonderful job of creating a beautiful movie with a message not only for children but for adults as well.