Tom Hanks, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari and Eddie Deezen in the Robert Zemeckis movie ‘The Polar Express’

The season of holidays that mark the end of fall and the beginning of winter have begun for those of us living north of the equator. The adventure and comedy movie that marks a notion of Christmas in an endearing and animated sense is our focus in bringing you this touchpoint for the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express (2004).

(From left, Hero Boy as portrayed by Tom Hanks, Josh Hutcherson and Daryl Sabara, Hero Girl as portrayed by Nona Gaye, Chantel Valdivieso, Meagan Moore and Tinashe, and Billy the Lonely Boy as portrayed by Peter Scolari, Hayden McFarland, Jimmy Bennett and Matt Hall in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

The adventure of The Polar Express centers around the experience of finding joy in the notion of Christmas, as told primarily from the perspective of children, with three children earning the primary focus. The role of Hero Boy is filled primarily by Tom Hanks, with Josh Hutcherson and Daryl Sabara also supporting voicing and animation efforts. Hero Boy becomes a close friend with Hero Girl, portrayed by Nona Gaye, Chantel Valdivieso, Meagan Moore and Tinashe. Hero Boy and Hero Girl take special care of Billy the Lonely Boy throughout the movie, as portrayed by Peter Scolari, Hayden McFarland, Jimmy Bennett and Matt Hall.

(Know-It-All as portrayed by Eddie Deezen and Jimmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

Know-It-All offers a belief in the notion of Santa Claus and Christmas through the film, yet offers a delightfully ornery take on friendship and knowledge sharing that offers a comic relief through the film. Eddie Deezen and Jimmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak portrayed Know-It-All throughout The Polar Express. The adults offering the message of belief throughout, with this character present to foil the mood, was a welcome touch.

(Conductor was one of six characters portrayed by Tom Hanks in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

The character Conductor keeps much of the larger experience of The Polar Express together. He pulls in with the train bearing the name of the movie to the towns in Michigan, headed to the North Pole for a visit to see Santa Claus. The introduction of Hero Boy and Billy the Lonely Boy offer a charm that begins much of the enchantment that is to come.

(Hobo was another of six characters portrayed by Tom Hanks in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

The festive set of refreshments, ticket taking and admonitions to safety, wonder and enjoying the journey to the Santa Claus, Hobo presents himself to Hero Boy during his moments of doubt throughout the movie’s metaphorical belief journey. In declaring himself king of the North Pole, Hobo offers the Hero Boy and Hero Girl get a chance to drive the train. We meet Steamer and his assistant Smokey, to the delight and worry of all passengers of the train. Michael Jeter and André Sogliuzzo combined to portray Steamer and Smokey.

(Santa Claus was another of six characters portrayed by Tom Hanks in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

Passing into the arctic circle was a significant event for the journey to see Santa Claus, which was accompanied by further storytelling in the North Pole. Hero Boy, Hero Girl and Billy the Lonely Boy take a journey separate from many of the other travelers aboard the Polar Express. The coveted seeing of Santa, and the opportunity to open the first present of Christmas, are promised to our four main kids. How would this be earned? Would Santa Claus be seen by all the kids? Will the kids believe? All questions of redemption the spirit of staying connected to the innocence just a little bit longer. These questions are answered, and more, come Christmas morning where Hero Boy and we reconnect with Sister Sarah and Hero Boy’s parents. Leslie Zemeckis portrayed Sister Sarah with Isabella Peregrina and Ashly Holloway.

(From left, Sister Sarah as portrayed by Leslie Zemeckis, Isabella Peregrina and Ashly Holloway and Hero Boy as portrayed by Tom Hanks, Josh Hutcherson and Daryl Sabara in the Robert Zemeckis movie The Polar Express).

The charming interplay between character, place, and the corresponding questions of artistic vision made the computer-based animation underlying this film a respectable choice. Maintaining the artistic qualities from the 1985 Chris Van Allsburg book titled The Polar Express, and doing a computer animated approach, is a choice that I personally support. I grant The Polar Express as directed by Robert Zemeckis 4-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, November 27, 2021

Tom Hanks in the Robert Zemeckis film ‘Cast Away’

There really is never a good time to suffer the experience of the dramatic ordeal that befell Chuck Noland and Kelly Frears in the Robert Zemeckis film Cast Away (2000). To borrow from the movie title, what would you choose to cast away in order to survive? When is it appropriate to decide to move on with your life, in a sense casting away the love that means everything?

(Director Robert Zemeckis and star Tom Hanks filing a scene of the Zemeckis directed movie Cast Away).

The human experience of survival and the actions one takes to feel whole and move on are central themes of the movie Cast Away. Chuck Noland, as portrayed by Tom Hanks, is introduced to the audience as focusing on the importance of managing time in order to manage the core relationships with customers of Federal Express (or FedEx). After learning ways this is applied, we learn that Noland and love interest Kelly Frears, as portrayed by Helen Hunt, also feel quite seriously about one another and their respective careers.

(Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland with Chris Noth as Jerry Lovett and Helen Hunt as Kelly Frears pictured (literally in a picture) next to Hanks in the movie Cast Away).

It is after Frears and Noland exchange sentimental gifts at what turns into their last Christmas holiday together as a couple that Noland boards a FedEx transport plane that goes terribly wrong. Rather than making its destination, the flight experiences something catastrophic that makes Noland a castaway on a remote, uninhabited island greatly off course from the planned course of the plane. Much of the movie Cast Away deals in the specifics of Noland’s survival on an island in the Pacific Ocean, holding on to the love he has for Frears to keep him motivated to keep going.

(From left, Tom Hanks as Chuck Noland and Nick Searcy close friend Stan in the movie Cast Away).

The experience of being on a remote island and surviving this ordeal, while maintaining humanity coupled with a sense of normalcy without human relationships is real. A Wilson Sporting Goods volleyball is given a face to assist Noland in the more than four years that he faces as stranded on the island without the benefit of that human contact. Whether Noland survives, along with the relationship developed by Kelly Frears with Jerry Lovett, as portrayed by Chris Noth, develop while Noland is lost and presumed dead. Nick Searcy as as Stan also grieves the loss of his close friend.

(A Wilson Sporting Goods volleyball that through a charming accident is offered an image resembling a face in the movie Cast Away).

Cast Away closes its story a compelling manner that leaves a positive emotional outcome feeling of hope despite what is both an experience of loss, grief, survival and physical and temporal distances of separation that lasts a period of years. Writing this review during a pandemic that calls for the notion of social distancing, physical separation, and personal separation that in some respects mirrors the themes raised in Cast Away amplifies the meaningful weight this film. I rate Cast Away at 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, September 26, 2020