The Polar Express (2004) - Quotes

Taglines: Don't miss the holiday film of the season

Taglines: Journey Beyond Your Imagination

Taglines: [from trailer] What if everything you ever imagined

Taglines: [from trailer] This Holiday Season... Believe

Taglines: [from trailer] Starring Tom Hanks

Taglines: [from trailer; [w:Robert Zemeckis|Robert Zemeckis] A film by ]

Hero Girl: It's everything I dreamed it would be.

Billy: Could all this be nothing but a dream?

Hero Boy: [proudly] No. (Not at all.)

Santa: I see you've made some new friends.

Billy: Yes, sir. I sure have.

Santa: That's a lucky lad. There's no greater gift than friendship.

Elves: [singing; the reindeer are lined up; the horns are played. The elves bring the harnesses out; Everyone cheers. The elves place the harnesses on the reindeer] It's the spirit of the season / You can feel it in the air / You can hear it if you listen everywhere, so much care, like a prayer, whatever it is, you need to share it It's the spirit of the season It's the spirit of the season / You can feel it in the air

Hero Girl: Aren't those bells the most beautiful sound?

Elves: [singing] Oh, you better watch out / You better not cry / You better not pout; I'm telling you why / Santa Claus is coming... TO TOWN!!

Hero Girl: [elated] He's here! He's here!

Hero Boy: [confused] Where?!

Billy: [ecstatic] I see him! He's over there!

Hero Boy: [the Conductor takes off his hat in respect. He's unable to see Santa, due to the elves stacking themselves on top of each other, blocking his view; suddenly, a loud clatter erupts from the reindeer, who prance about excitedly. The sequence begins to slow. A bell breaks loose from the harness and is thrown into the air. The bell falls back down, bounces on the ground and rolls right to him. He picks it up, and shakes the bell next to his ear, but cannot hear it; decided; closes his eyes; whispers; shakes the bell, and to his surprise, the bell he shakes makes a wonderful sound] I can't see him! I can't see him! I can't see him! Okay. Okay! I believe. I believe. I believe.

Hero Girl: It's still 5 to! I think we're gonna make it!

Know-It-All: Of course. It's been 5 to for the last hour. We got plenty of time. We got nothing but time. We got time to kill.

Hero Boy: You know what? I don't think we're gonna make it.

Conductor: I may be just an old railroader and know nothing about lighter-than-air craft, but from my layman's perspective, you need more altitude!

Elves in crowd: MORE ALTITUDE!!

Elf over speaker: Altitude, please. A bit more altitude, please.

Zeppelin elves: [jumping off] Geronimo!

Conductor: The flying elves. They are specialists. Do not try this at home, kids. Do not try that at home.

Billy: Aah! Something's got me! It's got my leg!

Hero Girl: I can't hold him!

Hero Boy: Give me your other hand. Give me your other hand!

Billy: I can't!

Hero Boy: [they yank Billy up, but he is still stuck; sees a hand grabbing Billy's foot] On 3! 1, 2, 3! Look!

Billy: It's still got me!

Hero Boy: [they yank Billy up again, and the person grabbing onto Billy is revealed to be the Know-It-All; shocked yet sternly] On 3 again! 1, 2, 3! You!

Know-It-All: [feigning shock] You?!

Hero Girl: What are you doing here?!

Know-It-All: Same as you, I'm checking out my Christmas presents. I wanna make sure I'm getting everything on my list. All I found was one present, and all it had was a bunch of stupid underwear!

Hero Boy: [notices a present coming down] Hey, look! A present. It's going to my town. To someone named Billy!

Billy: My name is Billy!

Hero Girl: It's going to, uh... 11344 Edbrooke Avenue.

Billy: That's my address!

Conductor: [organizing the children and lining them up] Alright. Alright, ladies and gentlemen. 2 columns, please. Shorter in the front, taller in the rear. Even-numbered birthdays on the right, odd-numbered on the left. No pushing. No pushing. But let's not dilly-dally, it's 5 minutes to midnight.

Know-It-All: Hey, what gives? It was 5 minutes until midnight 4 minutes ago.

Conductor: [counts the children] Exactly! Columns of 2! 1, 2.

Hero Girl: [raises her hand] Excuse me.

Conductor: Question.

Hero Girl: [points to Billy still alone in the observation car] What about him?

Conductor: [looks at Billy inside, thinking that Billy can choose to see Santa or not; to the children] No one is required to see Santa. Ladies and gentlemen, you do not have to hold hands...

Hero Girl: [to Hero Boy; They go to the observation car to convince Billy to come.] Come on.

Conductor: [to the children] ...but please remain in your columns while we are in transit.

Hero Girl: [to Billy] Look, you have to come with us.

Hero Boy: [agreeing] She-She's right.

Billy: [feeling depressed and left out and thinking Christmas is not important to him] Christmas just doesn't work out for me. It never has.

Hero Girl: But Christmas is such a wonderful and beautiful time. It's a time for giving and being thankful, for friends and family. People hang decorations and lights. And then Santa comes and leaves presents under our Christmas trees.

Billy: [still unconvinced] Christmas just... doesn't work out for me.

Hero Boy: [sighs] Look, I don't know if Christmas is gonna work out for you or not, but this is Christmas Eve. Don't stay here by yourself.

Hero Girl: Yes, come with us. We'll go together.

Hero Boy: [assuring; They get diverted onto another track downhill.; gasps; hurries to the front of the car] We're gonna be okay. MAYBE NOOOOOOOTT!! The emergency brake. The emergency brake! There's no brake. I CAN'T FIND THE BRAKE!!

Hobo: [materializes next to the manual brake] Take a break, kid! How bout a nice, good hot cup of Joe?

Hero Boy: We're going pretty fast.

Conductor: Tell the engineer to slow down.

Hero Girl: [calls to Smokey in the cab, but no response] Slow it down! Watch the speed!

Steamer: [unintentionally breaks the cotter pin holding the throttle] Ah! Jumping jeepers, the cotter pin sheared off!

Smokey: What?

Steamer: The pin!

Smokey: Where?

Steamer: There!

Smokey and Steamer: Oh, no!

Hero Girl: They can't hear me.

Conductor: [notices that they are approaching two preposterous signs that read "Danger 179-degree grade" and "Use Low Gear", and gasps] They can't? I don't like the look of this. Quick, under the safety bar.

Hero Boy: [scared to death; The conductor pulls his robe belt off and ties it around the children to the safety bar.] Is every... Is everything alright? What should we do?!

Conductor: [Hero Girl whimpers] Well, considering the fact that we have lost communication with the engineer, we are standing totally exposed on the front of the locomotive, the train appears to be accelerating uncontrollably, and we are rapidly approaching Glacier Gulch, which just happens to be the steepest downhill grade in the world, I suggest that we all hold on...TIGHTLY!!

Smokey and Steamer: Whoa! The pin!

Conductor: Jiminy Christmas, the ice has frozen over the tracks!

Steamer: [the caribou sniffs in his face] Caribou?! Ugh.

Conductor: [sick and tired of all the delays tonight; enters the engine's cab; notices Hero Boy; Hero Boy stands up; angrily] There can be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time! Am I the only one who understands that?! You! I should have known. Young man, are you bound and determined that this train never reaches the North Pole?

Hero Girl: [points outside] But look!

Conductor: [looks outside, shocked] CARIBOU CROSSING?!

Steamer: I make that herd to be at least 100,000, maybe even 1,000,000! It's gonna be HOURS before they clear this track!

Smokey: A tough nut to crack!

Conductor: Boy, we are in some serious jelly.

Steamer: And a jam.

Smokey: Tight spot!

Steamer: Up a creek.

Smokey: Up a tree!

Steamer: Lost in the grass.

Smokey: I'll tell you what's grass! Our a--

Conductor: Problem solved. All ahead, slow.

Hobo: That skirt you're chasing must've moved on ahead. We got to hightail it to the hog, pronto!

Hero Boy: [confused] To the hog?

Hobo: The engine. The engine, you tenderfoot. We got to make the engine before we hit Flat Top Tunnel.

Hero Boy: How come?

Hobo: [exasperated; slides backward and uses his muck stick on the handle, but Hero Boy slips off him; Hero Boy does so, and he swings him back on the roof and the sled down to the engine; Flat-Top Tunnel's eyes and teeth emit an orange smoke] So many questions. There is but one inch of clearance between the roof of this rattler and the roof of Flat Top Tunnel. Savvy? It's just a run up to the hump, kid! This'll be interesting! Get back on, kid! Hurry! Grab my muck stick! There's only one trick to this, kid! When I say "jump"... ...you JUMP!!

Hero Boy: [to Hero Girl; dumbfounded] You? I thought you got thrown off and-- You're driving the train?!

Hero Girl: They put me in charge. The engineer had to check the light.

Smokey: [holding a light bulb for Steamer to install on the headlight] Here's the light! Careful. All right, now!

Steamer: I got it!

Hero Boy: How do you know how?

Hero Girl: It's easy. Come here, I'll show you. This big lever here, that's the throttle. This little one here, that's the brake. And those are the pressure gauges. And that rope is the whistle.

Hero Boy: The whistle?

Hero Girl: Mm-hmm. You wanna try it?

Hero Boy: [does so and pulls the rope, blowing the whistle; [Back to the Future Part III|I've wanted to do that my whole life!; pulls the cord again] ]

Steamer: [finally installs the light bulb in the socket, turning the engine’s light back on] Hold still! Hold still! Don't move!

Smokey: [sees something up ahead; points forward] Look!

Steamer: [looks to where his twin is pointing and becomes alarmed, let go of Smokey's beard and he gets his head stuck in the engine's bell. He then takes a further look up ahead and yells out to Hero Girl] Stop the train! Stop the train! Stop the train! STOP... THE... TRAIN!

Hero Boy: What?!

Hero Girl: They want us to stop the train.

Hobo: What exactly is... is your persuasion... on the big man? Since you brought him up.

Hero Boy: Well, I... I want to believe, but--

Hobo: [extinguishes his campfire] But... you don’t want to be bamboozled. You don't wanna be led down the primrose path! You don't wanna be conned or duped, have the wool pulled over your eyes. Hoodwinked. You don't wanna be taken for a ride, railroaded! Seeing is believing. Am I right?

Hero Boy: But what about this train?

Hobo: What about it?

Hero Boy: We're all going to the North Pole, aren't we?

Conductor: [to Hero Girl; incredulous] You mean, you have lost your ticket?

Hero Boy: [shamefully; lowly; The conductor sighs. Hero Boy offers Hero Girl his ticket,] She didn't lose her ticket. I did. I was trying to return it to you, but the wind blew it out of my hand. You can have my ticket.

Conductor: [exclaims and snatches the ticket; gives Hero Boy back his ticket] These tickets... are not... transferable. Young lady, you will just have to come along with me.

Know-It-All: [the others gasp and murmur in horror at this very thought; Hero Boy looks through the window and sees the conductor escorting Hero Girl to the very back of the train] You know what's going to happen now, don't you? He’s gonna throw her off the train. Yeah, he's gonna probably throw her right off the rear platform. It’s standard procedure. That way, she won’t get sucked down under the wheels. They may slow the train down a little, but they're never gonna stop it.

Hero Boy: [realizes] Stop it"? That's it! I have to stop the train again!

Know-It-All: [worriedly] No, please, don’t do that again!

Hero Boy: [to Billy; Billy doesn't respond.; then sees the shadows of both the conductor and the girl heading towards the engine after Billy looks up to show him. He then rushes towards the ladder of the observation car to chase after the two. The space is narrow, and he struggles to climb up, but he reaches the top and calls out to Hero Girl.; slowly struggles to move forward because of the snow and the winds. He then finds a campfire ahead and the hobo behind it. He is humming "Good King Wenceslas"] Where'd they go? What happened to them?! Please, she's in big trouble! You have to help me! Hey! HEY! I found your ticket! Wait! Hey! Wait! I have your ticket!

Hobo: [humming; notices Hero Boy] When the snow lay round bout, deep and crisp... Is there something I can do for you?

Hero Boy: I'm looking for a girl.

Hobo: [bursts out laughing] A girl-? Aren't we all?!

Hero Boy: I have her ticket.

Hobo: [takes the ticket; gives the ticket back to Hero Boy; shows his slipper; [Experience; Hero Boy places Hero Girl's ticket inside his slipper.; laughs; pours coffee and gives it to Hero Boy, who looks at it and takes a sip, but then coughs and chokes] Well, lookie. Lookie here. Oh, this is a... this is an official, authentic, genuine ticket to ride. Oh, you'd better keep this in a safe place, young man. If I was you, I keep all my valuables right here. Right here in the old size 13. ] shows this is the safest place. Not that I have much use for those. Tickets. Nah. I ride for free. Oh, yeah, yeah. I hop aboard this rattler anytime I feels like it. I own this train. Oh, yeah. It's like I'm the king of this train. Yeah. The king of the Pol Ex. In fact, I am the king OF THE NORTH POLE! Oh, where's my manners? Sit, sit. Sit. Take a... Take a load off. Hey, would you like some Joe? Nice hot refreshment. Perfect for a cold winter's night. There, bless you.

Conductor: [angrily storms in] WHO IN THE BLAZES APPLIED THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE?!

Know-It-All: [points to Hero Boy] He did!

Conductor: [sternly; approaches Hero Boy; waves his hand out the window to signal the engineer to get moving; closes the window; points to a number of the kids, and then to his own face] You! In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only! And in case you weren't aware, tonight is Christmas Eve! And in case you hadn't noticed, this train is on a very tight schedule. Now, young man, Christmas may not be important to some people, but it is very important to the rest of us!

Hero Boy: [appalled] But-But-But I...

Hero Girl: [points to the next car] He was just trying to stop the train so that kid could get on.

Conductor: [calms down; Hero Boy and Hero Girl nod; checks watch; urgently yet sternly; all the children sit down; the train starts again; grabs his microphone] Hmm. I see. Young man, is that what happened? Well... let me remind you, we are on a very tight schedule. A-And I've never been late before, and I'm certainly not going to be late tonight! Now, everybody, take your seats, please! Thank you. Your attention, please. Are there any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshment?

Kids: [raising their hands] Me! Me! Me!

Conductor: I thought so.

Know-It-All: Hey! Hey, you. Yeah, you! Do you know what kind of train this is?

Hero Boy: Huh?

Know-It-All: Train, do you know what kind of train this is? Well, do you?

Hero Boy: Uh...

Hero Girl: Of course! It's a magic train. We're going to the North Pole.

Know-It-All: Ah, I know it's a magic train. Actually, it's a Baldwin 2-8-4 S-3 class Berkshire type steam locomotive, built in 1931 at the Baldwin Locomotive Works. It weighs 456,100 pounds and has a tractive force of 83,450 pounds. Its top speed is--

Hero Boy: [overlapping] Are we really going to the North Pole?

Hero Girl: Mm-hmm.

Know-It-All: Hey, look, everybody!

Hero Girl: Isn't that wonderful?

Know-It-All: [the Polar Express went slowly past the Herpolsheimer's store outside] Herpolsheimer's! Herpolsheimer's! Wow, look at all those presents! I want ALL of em!

Hero Girl: It's so Christmassy, cozy and beautiful.

Conductor: Well? You coming?

Hero Boy: [confused] Where?

Conductor: [[North Pole] Why, to the ], of course! This is the Polar Express!

Hero Boy: [unsure] The North Pole?

Conductor: I see. Hold this, please. Thank you. Is this you?

Hero Boy: Yeah?

Conductor: [[year] Well, it says here: No photo with a department-store Santa this year, no letter to Santa. And you made your sister put out the milk and cookies. Mm-mm. Sounds to me like this is your crucial ]. If I were you... I would think about climbing onboard.

Father: He's gotta be asleep by now.

Mother: He used to stay awake all night, waiting for Santa.

Father: I think those days are just about over.

Mother: [sadly] That would be sad if that were true.

Father: [[magic] Yeah, an end of the ].

Mother: [whispering; gives him a kiss as she and her husband turn to leave] Merry Christmas, sweetheart.

Father: See, he's out like a light. An express train wouldn't wake him up now.

Hero Boy: [thinking] End of the magic"?

Conductor: [winks at Hero Boy] One thing about trains: it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding... to get on.

Conductor: GET US THE BLAZES OUT OF HERE!

Adult Hero Boy: [closing narration] At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell. But as years passed, it felt silent for all of them. Even Sarah found, one Christmas, that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me; as it does for all who truly believe.

Adult Hero Boy: [opening narration] On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear: The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh.