Name: Balto
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family
Released: 1995-12-22
Duration: 78 min
Rating: 7.3
Cast: Kevin Bacon, Bob Hoskins, Bridget Fonda, Jim Cummings, Phil Collins

Balto

Struggling with Identity and Self-Perception

Boris Not a dog. Not a wolf. All he knows is what he's not. If only he could see what he is.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Encouragement to Learn a New Skill

Balto You two guys oughta learn how to swim someday. You'd be very good at it.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Finding Beauty in Unexpected Places

Balto Gloomy? You kiddin'? It's the most beautiful spot in the world. Dogs travel for years just to be right here.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Trail Marking and Clever Strategies

Boris Good work, Balto. You took on the biggest, meanest tree in whole forest, and you won.

[watching Balto scratch a tree]

Balto I'm marking the trail.

Muk He's marking our trail. That's very clever.

[to Luk]

Boris And here I was leaving bread crumbs.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

A Wolf's Journey: Unity in Adversity

Boris Let me tell you something, Balto. A dog can not make this journey alone, but maybe a wolf can.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Leading the Way Home

Balto Muk, you and Luk carry Jenna back to town on this.

[picks up a branch]

Boris And this time, don't take time out for a swim!

[sternly; laughs]

Balto You can make sure of that, Boris. You're gonna lead them home. Just follow my marks.

[to Boris]

Jenna You're going alone?

Balto Won't be the first time.

Jenna Here. Afraid it won't keep you very warm.

[removes her bandanna and puts it on Balto's neck]

Balto Yeah, it will.

Muk Well, of course Balto will come back. He's Balto, isn't he?

Balto Hey! I'm coming back with the medicine. I promise, Jenna. Go ahead, guys. Take her home.

[to Muk and Luk; turns to continue walking]

Boris Balto, I do not like leaving you out here alone. Who's going to tell you how cold you are?

[stops Balto]

Balto Boris. They need you even more than I do.

[sternly; shoves Boris to look at the others]

Boris Let me tell you something, Balto. A dog cannot make this journey alone. But... maybe a wolf can. You two balls of fluff! Let's move! Hey! Two, three, four!

[pauses, then drops his voice to a whisper; Balto grimaces. Boris turns to Muk and Luk; leads them back]

Telegraph operator Nome. Stop. Cannot ship more antitoxin. Stop. Weather too severe. Stop. Lost sled team only hope. Stop. Our prayers are with them. Anchorage. Stop.

[translating a message; Morris sadly listens to the message from under the table]

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Confrontation Between Steele and Wolfdog

Steele Get outta here, Wolfdog! You better get back to your pack!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Assessment of Injuries After the Incident

Balto Is anyone hurt?

Steele Everyone. Is. Fine.

[angrily enunciating]

Star Yeah, but our musher hit his head! And he didn't get up.

Sled dog And he's not movin'.

Balto Alright, follow me. I can lead you home.

[picks up the sled harness]

Steele We don't need your help!

[stops him, hostilely]

Star M-maybe we should listen to him.

[nervously; Steele growls at him and he ducks for cover in fear]

Nikki How would youse get us home?

Balto Well, I...I marked a trail, like this.

[cautiously; scratches bark off a tree to show them]

Steele I'll get us back. I'm the lead dog! I'm in charge!

[knocks the tree down and confronts him]

Balto But... Then, let me take back the medicine. They're getting sicker.

Steele Touch that box, and I'll tear you apart.

[jumps between Balto and the sled]

Nikki Two bones says Steele takes him.

[betting with Kaltag]

Kaltag Ha! You're on.

Balto Steele, I'm not leaving without that medicine.

[firmly]

Steele Who do you think you are?

[angrily pushes him away]

Nikki Hey, this is gonna be good.

[chuckles]

Balto Since...since when do you need a pedigree to help someone? Steele, let me help you.

[trying to reason with Steele; moves toward the sled, but Steele blocks his way again]

Nikki Look at his eyes!

[off-camera]

Kaltag Oh, he'll feel that tomorrow.

Nikki I think he's feeling it now!

Kaltag Ouch!

Balto I don't want to fight.

[goes for the sled a fourth time, but Steele stops him again, this time biting him and brutally throwing him aside. Nikki and Kaltag are now shocked]

Kaltag Whoa, that can't be legal!

Nikki Yeah!

Nikki Hey! That stuff is fragile, there!

Star What's with Steele? All Balto wants to do is help.

Star Ah, look!

Musher Good boy.

[groaning and not waking up]

Balto Mush!

Steele Go ahead, wolf-dog! You'll never get home! I'll make sure of that. I'll show em. Why not this way? How about over here? Oops! Wrong way!

[marks every tree in the forest; gives off a sinister cackle]

Balto Oh, no.

Star Which way, Balto? Which way? Which way?

Balto Uh... this way. No, it can't be!

[looks around desperately; continues to lead the team through the forest, but sees Steele's fake markings on every tree; stops, and the other dogs pile behind him]

Kaltag Why are you taking us in circles?

Balto I'm not! I mean, I don't know. It's Steele.

[gesturing to the marked trees]

Nikki Maybe we was better off with him there.

[referring to Steele; beginning to have doubts]

Balto No! Come on! Mush!

[panicking; frantically begins running too fast]

Star Whooooa! Balto, slow down! Please!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

Celebrating Balto's Endurance and Loyalty

Balto Jenna!

[runs over to play with Jenna. They chase each other around, and then touch noses. After nuzzling, they smile lovingly at each other, then turn and look out upon the crowd of cheering humans, Boris, Muk, Luk, and dogs]

Star Way to go, Balto!

Kaltag He has the most endurance, the most fidelity, the most intelligence-

Star They should build a statue of him!

Kaltag You said it!

[immediately elbows Star as if to hit him again. Star cringes]

Star I did?

[looks up, surprised; Kaltag smiles at him, and so does Nikki]

Rosy's granddaughter This is it, Grandma! Blaze found it.

Grandma Rosy What does it say?

Rosy's granddaughter Dedicated to the... indomable?

Grandma Rosy Indomitable.

Rosy's granddaughter Indomitable spirit of the sled dogs.

Grandma Rosy That relayed antitoxin 600 miles from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome... in the winter of 1925.

Rosy's granddaughter Endurance, fidelity, intelligence." Balto really did do all that, didn't he, Grandma?

Grandma Rosy Oh, yes, sweetheart. He really did. And today, they run the Iditarod Dog Race over the very path he and the others took.

[places a musher's hat on her granddaughter's head]

Rosy's granddaughter Can Blaze do that too, Grandma?

[Blaze briefly looks up, before dropping his head again]

Grandma Rosy Maybe. With practice. A lot of practice.

[Blaze proceeds to bark; laughs]

Rosy's granddaughter Come on, Blaze. Come on! Mush!

[walks Blaze away]

Grandma Rosy Thank you, Balto. I would've been lost without you.

Rosy's granddaughter Grandma Rosy! Grandma Rosy, come on let's go!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Balto

A Playful Preference for Cooked Meat

Jenna (seductive laugh) Gee, Steele, I have to admit, your offer is... very tempting... But these days I prefer my meat... cooked.

Balto

A Warning Against Reckless Actions

Boris Balto, please! Don’t go crazy on me now! This is foolishness! You will die like a dog! Oh, uuh, no offense.

[falls through the snow. Balto keeps walking, not taking his eyes off in front of him. Boris climbs onto a vent pipe.]

Boris You will be frozen stiff by morning! When you are big, frozen, stiff statue named “Balto”, don’t come running to me! WHOA!

[Muk and Luk slide on the ice and crash into Boris]

Muk He says--

Boris Where is he going? He's going into freezing coldness to find the dog he doesn't like and bring medicine back to a town that doesn't like him! OH NO! I'm beginning to understand the bear!

Boris No brains at all! Might as well be talking to hu...mans...

Boris So, let’s go get the medicine.

[leaves]

Balto Wait a minute. Now you’re coming?

Boris Spending days in bitter cold, facing wild animals, risking death from exposure! It’s like holiday in old country.

[chuckles]

Muk Great, we’re goin’ on ’oliday.

Balto

Teamwork Over Ego in a Crisis

Steele Okay. Nikki, Kaltag, Star, get moving. We’re strapping up.

Balto Hey, now, just a second here, Steele. I was the fastest dog.

Steele You were the fastest... what? Do you honestly think any musher would ever put you on his team? You’re even more mixed up than I thought!

[twitches his eye in anger; Balto stares angrily at him]

Jenna Steele! It doesn’t matter who’s on the team! So long as the medicine gets through, stop being such a Gloryhound!

[defending Balto]

Steele You’re... a hundred percent right, Jenna. I wasn’t thinking about those children. The important thing here is to get the medicine through, and that’s just what I’m gonna do. And when I get back, I’m gonna fold you five ways... and leave you for a cat toy!

[semi-apologetically; to Balto]

Balto

Steele's Attempt to Justify Himself

Steele Of course, as you know, I swam and I swam. It was freezing cold. And finally, I said "Steele, you just have to gnaw your way to the surface," so I- What?

[hears Balto howling outside]

Doc It's Balto with the medicine!

[looks out the window; runs outside]

Dixie Oh, Steele, you are positively disposable!

[gets enraged and slaps Steele across the face]

Steele Okay, okay, I can explain. You guys weren't there, so... Wait a minute, guys. Wait just a second, please...?

[humiliated; also last words before his defeat]

Town dog Get lost!

[angrily]

Balto

Steele's Determination to Deliver the Medicine

Steele You’re... a hundred percent right, Jenna. I wasn’t thinking about those children. The important thing here is to get the medicine through, and that’s just what I’m gonna do. And when I get back, I’m gonna fold you five ways... and leave you for a cat toy!

[to Balto]

Balto

Steele's Challenge to the Wolf-Dog

Steele Go ahead, wolf-dog! You'll never get home! I'll make sure of that.

Balto

Understanding Sacrifice in Adversity

Boris He's going into freezing coldness to find the dog he doesn't like and bring medicine back to a town that doesn't like him! OH NO! I'm beginning to understand the bear!

Balto

Steele's Vanity and Lack of Awareness

Jenna I’m afraid the only way Steele notices anyone is if they're wearing a mirror.

Balto

A Legendary Adventure to Remember

Taglines His story became a legend. His adventure is one you'll never forget.

Balto

Understanding the Tide's Influence

Boris He has point, bears. You are not drowning because; if you had thought for a moment you will observe, perhaps: TIDE IS OUT!

Balto Quotes