[vikingchick]

Can anybody give me a Reader's Digest version of the plot of this movie? Thanks.

[Shortwave]

Boy is beginning to question the existence of Santa.
Train picks up boy and others.
Train head to the North Pole.
Each kids has a lesson to learn and each does on the train.
Kids got to North Pole.
Meet Santa.
Go home.

There. I'm tell you, the movie is a masterpiece. I have never seen a theater of children in such awe and I see just about every animated movie at the theater since Lion King.

There are not politics and there is nothing less PC that Christmas. So I don't get the point of the article in NewsMax. Frankly, I find it a little scary.

[P H Lewis]

My personal "BS alarm" goes off anytime the TV ad for a movie contains the phrase "an instant classic", or something similar.

Why don't we let time and the viewer decide that. Keep in mind that when "It's a Wonderful Life" was released (and it was in the summer, I believe, not marketed at all for the "holiday season" in the year in which it was first offered to the public), it was greeted with yawns by critics and audiences alike, more or less, as I recall. Nowadays, it's hard to think of that movie as being anything less than "classic".

[I Drive Too Fast]

For a quick analysis of films and tv check out internetmoviedatabase. This is where I got the plot summary for this movie. I have not seen the movie so I can't go into more detail.

Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy (voice of Daryl Sabara and Tom Hanks), an astonishing event occurs. Late on Christmas Eve night, he lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa's sleigh. When to his surprise, a steam engine's roar and whistle can be heard outside his window. The conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pajama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience. Summary written by Lael Kazikiewicz