Movies

Fantastic Voyage

Catch the Polar Express for the trip of a lifetime

Photographs courtesy of Warner (Thailand)

Did You Know : At the North Pole, the sea is 4 kilometres deep, although the 3-metre-thick ice makes it possible to walk on the �top of the world.�

A young boy lies awake in his room one snowy Christmas Eve, excited and alert. He�s listening for a sound he�s afraid that he might never hear � the ringing bells of Santa�s sleigh.

The time is five minutes to midnight.

Suddenly, the boy is startled by a thunderous roar and it�s certainly not Santa�s bells.

Clearing the mist from his window, he sees the most amazing sight � a gleaming black train rumbles to a stop right in front of his house, the steam from its powerful engine hissing through the night sky and the softly falling snowflakes.

The boy rushes outside, clad only in his pyjamas and slippers and is met by the train�s conductor, who seems to be waiting just for him. �Well, are you coming?� the conductor asks.

�Where?� says the boy.

�Why, to the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar Express!�

TREASURED TRADITION

For nearly 20 years, families around the world have made Chris Van Allsburg�s enchanting story The Polar Express part of their Christmas celebrations, as much a part of the season as hanging stockings by the fire, exchanging warm wishes and coming together with friends and family.

�It became an annual tradition to read the story to my son while he was growing up and it never failed to fascinate him,� says filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, a fan of the book. �I used it as an outline for the movie. The intention was simply to expand it rather than try to reinvent it.�

For example, using an original illustration of the other children aboard the train, Zemeckis selected three faces and imagined a story for each of them, thus introducing the characters known as Girl, Lonely Boy and Know-It-All-Boy.

MISSING PARTS

It is these characters � as well as dancing, singing cocoa-bearing waiters � that the main character, the unnamed Boy, meets on his journey. Each child must find what�s missing in their lives and in themselves to make themselves complete. The Girl has the talent, spirit and intelligence to be a good leader, but she lacks confidence; Know-It-All-Boy lacks humility, while Lonely Boy grew up in a loveless environment. These themes run throughout the movie, set against the spectacle of the outer journey as the train speeds towards the North Pole.

Will you be catching a ride on the Polar Express this year? Better don your snow gear and head to theatres this December when The Polar Express comes roaring into Thailand.

Vocabulary

sleigh (n): a vehicle that slides over snow, especially one pulled by horses or reindeer
startled (adj): to be surprised suddenly in a way that is slightly shocking or frightening
thunderous (adj): very loud like thunder
gleaming (adj): shining with a pale, clear light
pyjamas (n): a loose jacket and trousers/pants worn in bed (US spelling: pajamas)
conductor (n): in this use, a person who is in charge of a train and travels with it, but does not drive it
enchanting (adj): attracting somebody strongly and making them feel very interested, excited, etc.
annual (adj): happening or done once every year
reinvent (v): to present something in a new form or with a new image
humility (n): the quality of not thinking that you are better than other people; the quality of being humble
spectacle (n): a sight or view that is very impressive to look at
don (v): to put clothes, etc. on