Summary
- "I Was Listening For A Sound I Was Afraid I'd Never Hear. The Ringing Bells Of Santa's Sleigh." - The Polar Express beautifully captures the magic and belief of Christmas through the protagonist's longing to hear Santa's sleigh bells.
- "Whatever It Is, You Need To Share It. It's The Spirit Of The Season." - The Polar Express emphasizes the importance of sharing and spreading goodwill during the holiday season.
- "The True Spirit Of Christmas Lies In Your Heart." - The Polar Express reminds viewers that the true meaning of Christmas is not found in material gifts, but in the love and joy that resides within each individual.
The best quotes from The Polar Express show why the 2004 CGI Tom Hanks Christmas movie has become a beloved holiday season classic despite its lukewarm response when first released. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, The Polar Express takes place during the 1950s on Christmas Eve and focuses on an unnamed protagonist known as "Hero Boy". Hero Boy's belief in Santa Claus has waned — prompting the magical Polar Express to stop outside his house.
From there, Hero Boy goes on an epic journey to learn the meaning of Christmas, chaperoned by the Conductor of the fantastical train, played by none other than Tom Hanks. The Polar Express received mixed reviews on release, with many critics at the time unable to look past some of the visual elements of the early 00s CGI. However, the movie has gone on to be considered a Christmas classic by many who were younger when it was released and saw it in theaters with a child's eyes, and a key reason is the many heartwarming The Polar Express quotes.
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20 "I Was Listening For A Sound I Was Afraid I'd Never Hear. The Ringing Bells Of Santa's Sleigh."
The Narrator
Right at the beginning of The Polar Express, Tom Hanks introduces the audience to the story through the first of his numerous roles as he voices the older Hero Boy, who narrate the tale. This quote from the opening not only introduces the audience to Hero Boy and his state of mind, but also sets up a crucial plot point which fully emerges toward the end when Hero Boy picks up a loose bell from Santa's sleigh and has to rekindle his belief to hear it ringing. The way that the bells bookend the story is a great detail in The Polar Express that viewers may have missed.
19 "'Cause That's The Way Things Happen On The Polar Express."
The Kids Singing "The Polar Express"
Once aboard the Polar Express, the Hero Boy hears the first song of the movie, sung by the other child passengers on the train. It helps set up the train in The Polar Express as a magical place where the normal rules don't apply and establishes the movie's festive atmosphere too. The Polar Express is a place where things don't always make perfect sense, and they don't need to. Both Hero Boy and the audience have to give in to its charm. It's impossible not to.
18 "Whatever It Is, You Need To Share It. It's The Spirit Of The Season."
Santa's Elves Singing "Spirit Of The Season"
Once the children reach the North Pole, they quickly see that it's populated mostly by elves who work with Santa Claus, and they have their own Christmas song to sing. There are many great quotes throughout The Polar Express, but this sentiment about sharing ties most directly into the spirit of both the season and the movie. It's one of several moments in the movie that, while clearly Christmassy in its visuals, also delivers a heartfelt and seasonal message of goodwill.