Quotes

Dialogue

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: Yeah, an end of the magic. Mother: [whispering] Merry Christmas, sweetheart. [gives him a kiss as she and her husband turn to leave] Father: See, he's out like a light. An express train wouldn't wake him up now. Hero Boy: [thinking] "End of the magic"?

Dialogue

Conductor: Well? You coming? Hero Boy: [confused] Where? Conductor: Why, to the North Pole, 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: 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 year. If I were you... I would think about climbing onboard.

Dialogue

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: Herpolsheimer's! Herpolsheimer's! [the Polar Express went slowly past the Herpolsheimer's store outside] Wow, look at all those presents! I want ALL of 'em! Hero Girl: It's so Christmassy, cozy and beautiful.

Dialogue

Conductor: [angrily storms in] WHO IN THE BLAZES APPLIED THAT EMERGENCY BRAKE?! Know-It-All: [points to Hero Boy] He did! Conductor: [sternly] You! [approaches Hero Boy] In case you didn't know, that cord is for emergency purposes only! And in case you weren't aware, tonight [waves his hand out the window to signal the engineer to get moving] is Christmas Eve! [closes the window] 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 [points to a number of the kids, and then to his own face] 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] Hmm. I see. Young man, is that what happened? [Hero Boy and Hero Girl nod] Well... let me remind you, we are on a very tight schedule. [checks watch; urgently yet sternly] A-And I've never been late before, and I'm cer

Dialogue

Conductor: [to Hero Girl; incredulous] You mean, you have lost your ticket? Hero Boy: [shamefully] She didn't lose her ticket. I did. I was trying to return it to you, [lowly] but the wind blew it out of my hand. [The conductor sighs. Hero Boy offers Hero Girl his ticket,] You can have my ticket. Conductor: [exclaims and snatches the ticket] These tickets... are not... transferable. [gives Hero Boy back his ticket] Young lady, you will just have to come along with me. Know-It-All: You know what's going to happen now, don't you? He’s gonna throw her off the train. [the others gasp and murmur in horror at this very thought] Yeah, he's gonna probably throw her right off the rear platform. It’s standard procedure. [Hero Boy looks through the window and sees the conductor escorting Hero Girl to the very back of the train] 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: "Stop it"? [realizes] That's it! I

Dialogue

Hobo: KID! KID! Kid, get your head out of the clouds! Wake up, kid! There's no sleepwalking on the Polar Express! We gotta jump them knuckles! Come on, kid! Flip my shoulders! Grab my Lily! [Hero Boy hops on his back] 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: [still confused] How come? Hobo: [exasperated] 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! [slides backward and uses his muck stick on the handle, but Hero Boy slips off him] Get back on, kid! Hurry! Grab my muck stick! [Hero Boy does so, and he swings him back on the roof and the sled down to the engine] There's only one trick to this, kid! When I say "jump"... [Flat-Top Tunnel's eyes and teeth e

Dialogue

Steamer: Caribou?! [the caribou sniffs in his face] Ugh. Conductor: [sick and tired of all the delays tonight] There can be no Christmas without the Polar Express arriving on time! Am I the only one who understands that?! [enters the engine's cab; notices Hero Boy] You! [Hero Boy stands up; angrily] 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.

Dialogue

Hero Boy: We're going pretty fast. Conductor: Tell the engineer to slow down. Hero Girl: [calls to Steamer 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: They can't? [notices that they are approaching two preposterous signs that read "Danger 179-degree grade" and "Use Low Gear", and gasps] I don't like the look of this. Quick, under the safety bar. Hero Boy: [scared to death] Is every... Is everything alright? [The conductor pulls his robe belt off and ties it around the children to the safety bar.] What should we do?! Conductor: 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

Dialogue

Conductor: Watch your step! Tricky walking up here! It's mighty slick. Mighty slick I tell you. Conductor: Oh! Whoa! There you go! What did I tell you? What did I tell ya? Years ago, on my first Christmas Eve run, I was up on the roof making my rounds when I slipped on the ice myself. I reached out for a hand iron, but it broke off. I slid and fell. And yet, I did not fall off this train. Hero Girl: Someone saved you? Conductor: Or some "thing." Hero Girl: An angel! Conductor: Maybe. Hero Boy: Wait! Wait! What did he look like? Did you see him? Conductor: No, sir. But sometimes, seeing is believing! And sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see.

Dialogue

Conductor: Ah, the forsaken and the abandoned. Mind your step now. These... These poor toys have suffered enough. Being left to rust and decay in the back alleys and vacant lots of the world. Hero Boy: What are they doing here? Conductor: It's a new concept the boss came up with. Instead of being thrown away, they're collected, refurbished. He calls it... re-by-cycling, or something like that. Hero Girl: Makes me wanna cry seeing toys that were treated this way. Conductor: These hopelessly entangled string puppets and marionettes pose a particular problem. We found that the nimble fingers of our workforce here at the North Pole are best suited for working out these knots and tangles, don't you think? Oh, thank you. Uh-oh. Double-locked here. Hobo: [As Ebenezer Scrooge] You are just like me, my friend. A SCROOGE! Hobo:: Ebenezer Scrooge! North Pole, Santa Claus, this train-- It's all a bunch of humbug! Hobo: [Continued as Scrooge] A bout of indigestion! Oh, yeah, I know what you are! YO

Dialogue

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: Exactly! Columns of 2! [counts the children] 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] No one is required to see Santa. [to the children] Ladies and gentlemen, you do not have to hold hands... Hero Girl: [to Hero Boy] Come on. [They go to the observation car to convince Billy to come.] Conductor: [to the children] ...but please remain in your columns while we are in transit. Hero Girl: [to Billy] Look, you have to co

Dialogue

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!

Dialogue

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: On 3! 1, 2, 3! [they yank Billy up, but he is still stuck] Look! [sees a hand grabbing Billy's foot] Billy: It's still got me! Hero Boy: On 3 again! 1, 2, 3! [they yank Billy up again, and the person grabbing onto Billy is revealed to be the Know-It-All; shocked yet sternly] 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!

Dialogue

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.

Dialogue

Elves: [singing] 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 [the reindeer are lined up] It's the spirit of the season [the horns are played. The elves bring the harnesses out] It's the spirit of the season / You can feel it in the air [Everyone cheers. The elves place the harnesses on the reindeer] 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: I can't see him! [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] I can't see him! I can't see him! [suddenly, a loud clatter erupts from the reinde

Dialogue

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.

Dialogue

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.)