The Polar Express (2004)
Tom Hanks: Hero Boy, Father, Conductor, Hobo, Scrooge, Santa Claus
Photos
Quotes
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The Conductor : Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.
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The Boy : Thank you.
The Conductor : No, thank YOU. One thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on.
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[last lines]
Hero Boy : At one time most of my friends could hear the bell, but as years passed it fell silent for all of them. Even Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe.
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Hobo : What exactly is... is your persuasion on the Big Man, since you brought him up?
The Boy : Well, I... I want to believe... but...
Hobo : But you don't want to be bamboozled. You don't want to be led down the primrose path! You don't want to be conned or duped. Have the wool pulled over your eyes. Hoodwinked! You don't want to be taken for a ride. Railroaded!
[Hobo puts out fire with the joe]
Hobo : Seeing is believing. Am I right?
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The Conductor : Well, ya comin'?
The Boy : Where?
The Conductor : Why, to the North Pole, of course! This is the Polar Express!
The Boy : North Pole?
The Conductor : I see. Hold this, please.
[Hands Hero Boy his lantern]
The Conductor : Thank you.
[Picks up a clipboard and holds it out to Hero Boy]
The Conductor : Is this you?
[Hero Boy nods]
The Boy : Yeah.
The Conductor : Well, it says here... no photo with a department store Santa this year. No *letter* to Santa. And you made your sister put out the milk and cookies by herself.
[clicks tongue disapprovingly]
The Conductor : Sounds to me like this is your crucial year.
[Leans closer to Hero Boy]
The Conductor : If I were you, I would think about climbing onboard.
[Hero Boy hesitates]
The Conductor : Come on, come on. I've got a schedule to keep.
[Conductor checks his watch and quickly groans; Hero Boy steps away]
The Conductor : Suit yourself.
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Santa Claus : This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas - as am I. Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.
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Santa Claus : There's no greater gift than friendship.
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The Boy : Is everything all right? What do we do?
The Conductor : Well, considering that we have lost communication with the engineer, and are standing totally exposed on the front of the locomotive, and the train seems to be accelerating, uncontrollably, not to mention that we are headed to Glacier Gulch, which just happens to be the steepest downhill grade in the world, I suggest we all hold on... TIGHTLY!
[the train plunges down the VERY steep downhill tracks and accelerates rapidly]
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The Conductor : ...It's five minutes to midnight.
Know-It-All : Hey, what gives? It was five minutes to midnight four minutes ago!
The Conductor : Exactly!
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The Conductor : There would be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time! Am I the only one who understands that?
[He sees the Hero Boy]
The Conductor : You! I should have known. Young man, are you bound and determined that this train never reaches the North Pole?
Hero Girl : But, look!
[the Conductor sees that all of Caribous]
The Conductor : Caribou Crossing?
Smokey : I make this herd to be at least a 100,000, maybe even a million. It's going to be hours before they clear this track!
Steamer : A tough nut to crack!
The Conductor : We are in some serious jelly!
Smokey : And a jam!
Steamer : Tight spot!
Smokey : Up a creek!
Steamer : Up a tree!
Smokey : Lost In the grass!
Steamer : I'll tell you what's grass: our a...
[the Boy pulling his beard, screaming and Caribou whines]
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The Conductor : What in the name of Mike?
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Santa Claus : [voiceover, as the Hero Boy opens his package to reveal the lost sleigh bell] Found this on the seat of my sleigh. Better fix that hole in your pocket. Mr. C.
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The Conductor : [singing] Here we only got one rule / Never, ever let it cool / Keep it cooking in the pot / Soon we got hot chocolate!
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[first lines]
Hero Boy : On Christmas Eve many years ago I laid quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets, I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear: the sound of Santa's sleigh bells.
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The Conductor : All aboard!
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Hobo : That skirt you're chasing must've moved on ahead. We got to high tail it to the hog, pronto!
Hero Boy : The hog?
Hobo : The engine. The engine, you tenderfoot. We've got to make it before we hit Flat-Top Tunnel.
Hero Boy : Why?
Hobo : [sighs] So many questions. There's but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler and the top of Flat-Top Tunnel. Savvy?
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[repeated line]
The Conductor : That's more like it.
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Santa Claus : [holding up the silver sleigh bell] The first gift of Chrstmas!
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The Conductor : Show your tickets. Have your tickets ready. Remember to eat the five basic food groups.
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Hero Girl : [seeing the word that the conductor has punched in her ticket] It says "lead", like a lead balloon.
The Conductor : I believe that also spells "lead", as in "leader," "leadership. " "Lead the way."
[salutes the child solemnly]
The Conductor : Follow you anywhere, ma'am.
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[after he pulling the emergency brake, Lonely Boy gets on the train, Hero Girl shook her head to him and Mr. Conductor opens the door]
The Conductor : Who in the blazes applied that emergency brake?
Know-It-All : [gets up, points to the Hero Boy] He did!
The Conductor : You!
[He comes to the Hero Boy]
The Conductor : In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only!
[He comes to the window, train whistle blows and closes the window]
The Conductor : And in case you weren't aware, tonight is Christmas Eve and in case you hadn't noticed: This train is on a very tight schedule! Now, young man, Christmas may not be important to some people. But, it is very important to the rest of US!
The Boy : But, but...
Hero Girl : He was just trying to stop the train, so that kid could get on!
[Conductor sees that Lonely Boy sitting alone in the next car]
The Conductor : I see.
[to Hero Boy]
The Conductor : Young man, is that what happened?
[He nods]
The Conductor : Well... Let me remind you: we are on a very tight schedule.
[he checks his watch]
The Conductor : And I've never been late before and I am certainly not going to be late tonight! Now, everybody, take your seats! Please!
[Everyone sits down]
The Conductor : Thank you.
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[Before re-boarding the train back home, Know-It-All gets his ticket back from the Conductor. It reads "Lean", but Know-It-All has his hand covering up a part of the ticket]
Know-It-All : "Lean"? Whatever that means.
The Conductor : "Lean" is spelled with four letters. I believe I punched five.
Know-It-All : Hey, are you saying I don't know how to...?
[Know-It-All looks again and sees the ticket does indeed have five letters - now reading "Learn"]
Know-It-All : [more polite] I'm sorry. It says "learn. " My mistake.
[He boards the train]
The Conductor : Lesson learned.
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[Hero Boy has gotten lost in the abandoned toys train car. He bumps into a marionette of Scrooge]
Hobo : [as Ebenezer Scrooge] You are just like me, my friend. A SCROOGE! Ebenezer Scrooge. North Pole, Santa Claus, this train -- it's all a bunch of humbug!
[Hero Boy looks up to see the Hobo puppeteering Scrooge]
Hobo : [continued as Scrooge] A bout of indigestion! Oh, yeah, I know what you are! You're a DOUBTER! A doubter! You don't believe! A doubter! You don't believe!
[Hero Boy escapes the train car]
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[onboard the out-of-control caboose car, Hero Boy hears a tinkling from outside; it's the Hobo, hitting the brake on the outside of the car with his coffee mug]
Hobo : Take a break, kid! How's about a nice cup of Joe?
[Hobo pours himself a cup just before hitting the edge of the tunnel]
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Santa Claus : [to the Know-it-All Kid as he demands the first gift of Christmas] Young man... patience. And a smidgen of humility might also serve you well.
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[the Conductor joins the three main children at the back of the train]
The Conductor : Hey, you three. We just crossed it. Latitude 66°30'. The Arctic Circle.
[From the back of the train, a strange place appears from out of the distance]
The Conductor : And do you see? Those lights in the distance. They look like the lights of a strange ocean liner sailing on a frozen sea. There... is the North Pole!
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The Conductor : These tickets... are not... transferable.
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[Repeated line]
The Conductor : Why? To the North Pole, of course. This is the Polar Express!
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Father : [whispering] He's gotta be asleep by now.
Mother : [whispering] He used to stay awake all night waiting for Santa.
Father : [whispering] I think those days are just about over.
Mother : [whispering] Oh, that would be sad if that were true.
Father : [whispering] Yeah, an end of the magic.
Mother : [whispering] Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Father : [whispering] See, he's out like a light. An express train wouldn't wake him up now.
