The Polar Nights

***The Polar Nights*** is a 2000 Canadian-American animated musical drama film produced by Lions Gate Films, Lions Gate Feature Animation and Goldarch Films and distributed by Lions Gate Distribution Company.

## Cast

* Scott Menville as Qaanaaq, a polar bear who wants to walk in something Greener.
	+ Roger Bart provided his singing voice.
	+ Nancy Cartwright provided his young voice.
* Angela Goethals as Kudlik, Qaanaaq's best friend and later wife.
	+ Elisabeth Moss provided her young voice.
* John Goodman as Anorak, Qaanaaq's father who is the leaser of the Polar Bears.
* Debra Jo Rupp as Nuuk, Qaanaaq's mother.
* Julie Kavner as Panik, Kudlik's mother.
* Joe Mantegna as Illu, Anorak's brother and the main antagonist of the film.
	+ Jim Cummings provided his singing voice, sounding like the singing voice of Scar from Disney's *The Lion King* and Rasputin from Fox's *Anastasia*.
* Angela Lansbury as Iglo, a Puffin.

## Production

On November 5, 1993, Lions Gate Feature Animation decided to make a movie similar to Disney's *Bambi*, but with Polar Bears.

## Songs

All the songs are written by Alan Menken (who worked on songs for the Disney Renaissance films) except the end credits song The Christmas Shoes.

* *Your Daddy's Love* - John Goodman
* *Me and My New Home* - Roger Bart
* *Once It hits* - Jim Cummings
* *How I become so lonely* - Roger Bart
* *The Christmas Shoes* - NewSong (End Credits)

### Instrumental Songs

All the score is composed by Alan Menken, with the exception of the Lions Gate fanfare, which is composed by Bill Johnson.

* *Lions Gate fanfare* (0:20) (never used in the film, although it was later used in the 2005 Lionsgate logo) - Bill Johnson
* *Main Title* (3:22)
* *The Ice Crack* (4:18)
* *Crystal Shining in the Night* (5:56)
* *Anorak's Death/I Will not let your tribe go* (8:28)
* *Qaanaaq runs away* (6:33)
* *At least your now in Canada* (3:23)
* *Qaanaaq returns home/the BIG fight* (11:25)
* *The new king* (5:18)
* *End Credits* (3:00)

## Release

The film was released on October 27, 2000 to critical acclaim (98%) and a box office success, earning up to $401,420,351, making it the highest grossing animated film of 2000.

### Home Media

The film was released on VHS and DVD on August 11, 2001 by Lions Gate Home Entertainment in Canada and Element One Home Entertainment (under Artisan Home Entertainment via Family Home Entertainment) in the United States. The DVD included bonus features, such as the original theatrical trailer, *The Christmas Shoes* music video (which is the only bonus feature on the VHS), and a sneak peak to The

## Trivia

* It is the first Lionsgate animated film to show the 1999 Lions Gate logo, which could be for all horror films, thriller films, and darker-toned animated films.
* It is the first Lionsgate animated film to be rated PG in the United States and Canada.
* It's plot is similar to Disney's *The Lion King* (1994) and DreamWorks' *The Prince of Egypt* (1998).
	+ From Disney's *The Lion King*.
		- Both protagonists lost their fathers in Death.
		- Both protagonists leave and later return to their native home.
		- Both the protagonist and antagonist fight.
	+ From DreamWorks' *The Prince of Egypt*.
		- Both antagonists refuses to let the tribes go.
		- Both helped the tribe get across.
* It is an inspiration for *Norm of the North* (2016). However, the latter film had an opposite than Canada.
* The end credits song later got it's name (and appeared) in Fox-Fremantle's made-for-tv film *The Christmas Shoes* (2002).