‘The Polar Express’

By Hope Sloop

I don’t care if everyone else thinks The Polar Express is weird or if it makes them uncomfy, it’s nostalgic for me and that is why I keep coming back to it. Let’s be honest, the animation in the movie is a little odd, sure, but has Tom Hanks ever given us more versions of Tom Hanks than in this Christmas classic? I think not. Yeah, it’s one of the most creative forms of gaslighting when it comes to believing in Santa Claus, but it’s about the magic of the holiday season and believing in something, even in the face of deniers. For that, I call it a fave.

Photo: Everett Collection, Shutter Stock ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps