If you ever ask me what my favorite holiday is, I will immediately respond, Christmas. Since I was a kid, one of our family traditions, every year, my family and I go and see “Polar Express” at the South Bend theater and as of this year, the world-famous Christmas movie is celebrating 20 years of release. The different themes presented in the movie alongside the different music variations appeal to all ages around the world.
Released in 2004, this family comedy stars Tom Hank as the narrator and the train conductor who takes the audience through the magical phenomenon of the famous train known as “The Polar Express.” The movie follows Hero Boy (played by Daryl Sabara and Josh Hutcherson) as he hops on the train to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus (Tom Hanks).
One of my favorite parts of the movie is the musical variations. The film's wide array of sounds and genres (notably, musical theatre-themed songs, jazz, slow piano-based music and of course, classic Christmas songs) heighten the film and engages listeners as they follow the story. The first song is the titular “The Polar Express,” which starts with the fading in of train bells as well as the sounds of the train on the tracks. The singing begins as the conductor asks young Hero if he is going to join the rest of the kids on the train. Listeners should pay extra attention here as the song becomes a roadmap to understanding the film as a whole, even offering sneak peeks into its inner workings. As the movie progresses, one of my favorite songs that appears is the song “Believe,” which is sung by Josh Groban. This whimsical piano song gives a special meaning to the movie as it shows how Hero is starting to, as it suggests, believe in Santa. The song also displays bells in the background. The suite at the end of the movie is truly something special as it combines all of the music into one long song. The transitions from each song was fantastic as it went from the instrumental pop song to a soft flute song and then back to a heavy percussion song.
As a college student, one of the things that I am not afraid to admit is that I prefer to go to some of my classes in a more relaxed style of fashion (sweatpants, sweatshirt and Crocs). With this in mind, the film still remains visually relatable to college students, all of the characters in the movie are wearing pajamas as they travel on the train and wander the North Pole admiring its unique perspectives. I also enjoy this perspective because it gives a more relaxed and welcoming vibe to the movie while showing all fun North Pole activities that the characters are experiencing.
As Christmas approaches, I highly recommend taking a few hours to watch “The Polar Express” because it is truly something magical and gives meaning to its popular phrase “seeing is believing.”
