The "Polar Express"

My thoughts on the "Polar Express"

We showed this at Lighthouse last night and I sort of took notes the whole way through.  Just thought I would share them on the blog.  Let me know if this movie struck you in any sort of way.

It Begins....

Everyone is asleep, the night before Christmas.  When the “boy” is awaken by the sound of the Polar Express.  I love this; already the train has come to give the biggest skeptic in the movie with an invitation to the North Pole.  Notice the train comes for him.

He doesn’t even get on at first…….it is after the train takes off that he decides to jump on at the last minute when nobody is watching him.  Somewhat independent and stubborn he is?

His first impression on board the train is of happy singing children.  Second impression is the geeky, annoying kid that knows everything.  I guess there is one of those in every group, a “know it all”.

Then the boy, for a moment turns into my friend, Andrew.  He pulls the emergency cord to stop the train for “los lonely boy” to get on board.  I find it interesting that the “boy” is in a state of disbelief himself, but is concerned about helping others get on board.

Train in progress…….headed to the North Pole, on the journey.

As the train is in progress, “Hero Girl” loses her ticket to ride.  The “boy” chases after her to return her ticket. He runs into the intoxicated “Hobo”, who claims to be the “King of the train”, and “King of the North Pole”.  A conversation about the North Pole transpires, doubt enters the picture and the “Hobo” recognizes the “Boy” doesn’t want to be “bamboozled”. 

Our “Hobo” suggests “Seeing is Believing.”  The “boy” wonders if he is dreaming or if this is real, if there really is a North Pole and a Santa.

There comes a point just after this conversation where the “Hobo” rescues the “boy” from the roof of the train on skis.  The “boy” ends up tumbling down the train’s coal car and into the engine room.  When he pokes his head out, he has found the “Hero Girl” with the missing ticket.

Does it seem obvious here that in attempting to do something for someone else (return the ticket and prevent the “hero girl” from being kicked off the train), he is led further in his journey by the “Hobo”(whom the “boy” follows by faith).  The “Hobo” helps lead him to the girl with the missing ticket and gives him permission to explore, ask questions, and have doubt.  Then just before the “Hobo” leaves the train top on his skis, he tells the “boy” to jump, and instantly he does.  The boy takes a leap, a jump and trusts the instruction of the “Hobo”.

At the North Pole……

“Los Lonely Boy” is still on the train, afraid to get off because Christmas has never worked out for him.  What has been promised or communicated to him about Christmas so far has failed him.  Now he has arrived at the real thing but is afraid to trust it because of all of the things that failed him in the past.

The girl with the missing ticket, or “Hero Girl” and the skeptic, or the “Boy” are both willing to help “Los Lonely Boy” off the train.  They are willing to trust in Christmas together, as community. During this attempt, the train car is derailed and takes the three on a different journey from the main group to a different part of the North Pole.

On the journey of the North Pole…..

The “Hero Girl” begins to lead them by following the sleigh bells.  She can hear them but the skeptic, “Boy” cannot.  Look at these three, the “Hero Girl” (confident, joyful, unafraid, trusting, hears the bells ringing), the skeptic “Boy” (untrusting, confident, doesn’t buy into it), then there is “Los Lonely Boy” (lonely, doubtful, afraid, doesn’t want to get burned again.

These three kids, because of the attempt to come along side the “Los Lonely Boy”, have been taken down a different road than all the rest.  They are afraid, uncertain, and not sure if they are making the right decisions.  They fear they will miss out on the real deal and all of the excitement that everyone else will get. However, their journey or path leads them right into Santa’s gift bag.

Out of Santa’s bag and at the Celebration of Christmas…….

All of the elves and the kids gather round to experience Christmas…..everyone is happy and joyful, they can all hear the Sleigh bells ringing.  The sleigh bells are known to be the most beautiful sound; they are singing Santa Claus is coming to town, thousands of them. 

The “boy” is the only one who cannot hear the bells and he becomes immensely frustrate.  Finally, he gives in to what has been tugging on him this entire journey.  Belief has been pounding on his door the entire ride.  He experiences the communal enjoyment of Christmas that is happening all around him and he wants to fully experience it too.  He wants to hear the sound of the sleigh bells.  At the very moment he utters the words, “I believe”, he begins to hear the bells ring.

Back at Home…..

The Conductor leaves this: 
“One thing about trains, it doesn’t matter where you are going. What matters is deciding to get on!”

“At one time most of my friends could hear the bell……..the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.”

Final thoughts:

Santa refers to himself as a symbol of the spirit of Christmas, and suggests the true spirit of Christmas lies in our heart.

When the boy is asked if all of this was just a dream, he answers, “No!”

The tickets they all received upon leaving the North Pole:

“Know it All”  L-E-A-R-N
“Los Lonely Boy” Rely on/Count on
“Hero Girl”  Lead – the way
“Boy”   Believe