Prancer (film)

Last updated

Prancer
Prancer film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hancock
Written by Greg Taylor
Produced by Raffaella De Laurentiis
Starring
Cinematography Misha Suslov
Edited by
  • Dennis M. O'Connor
  • John Rosenberg
Music by Maurice Jarre
Production
companies
Distributed by Orion Pictures
Release date
  • November 17, 1989 (1989-11-17)
Running time
103 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million [1]
Box office$18.6 million

Prancer is a 1989 Christmas fantasy drama film directed by John Hancock, written by Greg Taylor, and starring Rebecca Harrell, Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, Michael Constantine, Rutanya Alda, John Joseph Duda, and Ariana Richards. [2] It is set in Three Oaks, Michigan, where town exteriors were filmed. Filming also occurred at the Old Republic House in New Carlisle, Indiana, La Porte, Indiana, and at Starved Rock State Park in Utica, Illinois. [3]

Contents

The film was followed by a direct-to-video sequel called Prancer Returns , released by USA Home Entertainment in 2001. In 2022, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released a remake called Prancer: A Christmas Tale.

Plot

Eight-year-old Jessica Riggs and her older brother, Steve, are being raised by their widowed father, grieving and cantankerous John. Their apple farm has fallen on hard times, with John temporarily being helped by his sister-in-law, Sarah.

While walking home after a school Christmas pageant, Jessica and her ex-best friend, Carol, witness a plastic reindeer fall from a Christmas decoration hung above the main street in town. She concludes it was Prancer from the order given in the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (a.k.a. The Night Before Christmas).

Afraid he will be unable to provide for Jessica, John discusses a plan for Sarah to take her in to raise temporarily. She overhears this, but initially does not know the full details. She and Carol go sledding and knock down some flowers at a house owned by a reclusive widow named Mrs. McFarland. While walking home, Jessica encounters a live reindeer in the woods. He runs away, disappearing into the darkness. Later, while walking home from school, she finds his tracks and follows them into the woods once more. She hears a gunshot, and continues to walk. John eventually finds her and brings her into his truck, but almost hits the reindeer who is now standing in the road. Noticing he's wounded, he grabs his rifle, intending to shoot him. As Jessica pleads for him not to do so, he disappears.

Later while dreaming of Prancer, Jessica is startled awake by the scene of the plastic reindeer falling from earlier. She hears a noise and sees that the window to the barn is open. Investigating, she finds the reindeer is now inside among the other animals. Afraid John will find him, she moves him to a shed. Certain that he is the "real" Prancer, she takes it upon herself to nurse him back to health. She calls a veterinarian named Dr. Orel Benton who initially refuses, but comes over to tend to him.

Jessica later tells a mall Santa that she has Prancer, and gives him a Polaroid picture and letter to give to the real Santa before Christmas Eve. He takes them to the editor of the local newspaper. Jessica shows Prancer to Carol, and Steve walks in the barn as well. Jessica makes them promise not to tell anyone about him. Eventually, she apologizes to Mrs. McFarland for knocking down her flowers, and asks her if she can have a job to help raise money to buy a bag of oats for Prancer. Mrs. McFarland agrees to pay her to clean a room in her house, and they become friends. The newspaper editor, inspired by Jessica's faith, writes an article which is then read by the local pastor in the middle of his sermon. Jessica, who's attending with Steve, finds out she has been outed to the entire town. She becomes mad at Carol, who she thinks squealed. She later finds the article in the newspaper.

Meanwhile, John is reading the newspaper. Before he finds the article, he discovers Prancer has escaped from the barn and let all the other animals out too. While he tries to round them up, Prancer goes inside the house and wreaks havoc. Townspeople begin to converge on the farm, wanting to see him. John grabs his rifle, threatening to shoot him when a local butcher stops him, offering to buy Prancer. The butcher keeps him as a sales tool for his Christmas tree lot. Jessica, afraid he will kill him, runs away in the snowy night determined to rescue him. Steve runs after her, telling her he loves her even though he doesn't understand her sometimes. Hearing how she feels, he decides to help her free Prancer. He tries to break the lock open, while she gets the idea to climb to the top of Prancer's cage and let him fly out. Steve is worried for her safety and yells at her to come down. She attempts to open the cage but falls, injuring her head in the process.

Jessica stays in her bedroom, becoming despondent. John goes to her and she asks him to read a passage from "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". He tells her that times may continue to be hard for a long time but while he could bear losing the farm, it would absolutely kill him to lose her. He changes his mind about sending her away to Sarah. He suggests they take Prancer to Antler Ridge, which would be the perfect place for Santa to pick him up. The townspeople gather outside her bedroom window and begin singing to cheer her up. Prancer is taken to Antler Ridge where he runs out of sight. Following his tracks, John and Jessica notice that they vanish at the edge of a cliff. The faint sound of sleigh bells can be heard, and a streak of light is seen rising to meet Santa's sleigh and Prancer reunites with the other reindeer and Santa. Jessica bids Prancer farewell, and to always remember her. The sleigh flies across the full moon and over the town toward the Riggs farm—its very first stop.

Cast

Release

Critical reception

The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. It holds a 67% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The critical consensus reads, "Prancer's good-natured holiday cheer -- and a terrific performance from its young star -- are enough to make this yuletide adventure a moderately rewarding watch." [4]

The film's young lead actress, Rebecca Harrell, garnered a nomination for a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture for her performance, but lost to 17-year-old Winona Ryder for her role in Great Balls of Fire! . Movie critic Roger Ebert highlighted Harrell's performance, saying:

And what really redeems the movie, taking it out of the category of kiddie picture and giving it a heart and gumption, is the performance by a young actress named Rebecca Harrell, as Jessica. She's something. She has a troublemaker's look in her eye, and a round, pixie face that's filled with mischief. And she's smart -- a plucky schemer who figures out things for herself and isn't afraid to act on her convictions. [5]

Home media

The film was released on DVD by MGM Home Video with several re-packagings in 2003 and 2004, and a newer release on October 7, 2014.

Reindeer

The reindeer used for the film was a pregnant reindeer named Boo. Pregnant reindeer keep their antlers for longer, and she was needed so she wouldn't shed hers before filming was over in late winter. [6] She was selected for her rapport with Rebecca Harrell. She was at the premiere of the film on November 17, 1989. [7]

Songs

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Olive, the Other Reindeer</i> American 3D computer-animated Christmas film

Olive, the Other Reindeer is a 1999 American animated Christmas comedy musical film written by Steve Young, based on the 1997 children's book by Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold, and directed by Academy Award-nominated animator Steve Moore. The feature was produced by Matt Groening's The Curiosity Company and animated by DNA Productions. Drew Barrymore voices the title character, and she is credited as an executive producer on the special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Claus</span> Wife of Santa Claus

Mrs. Claus is the mythical wife of Santa Claus, the Christmas gift-bringer in Western Christmas tradition.

Robbie the Reindeer is a trilogy of three Christmas-themed animated comedy television specials that have been produced by BBC Bristol, Absolute Digital Pictures and Comic Relief. The three television specials have also been premiered on BBC One between 1999 and 2007. The three television specials have also been distributed by BBC Studios and have also been sold to more than 30 countries. The three television specials follow the title reindeer character who travels to the North Pole to follow in his father's footsteps and join Santa Claus's reindeer sleigh team. The first television special and the second television special were animated in stop motion by the BBC Bristol animation unit and originally Aardman Animations, while the third television special was animated in computer animation by Absolute Digital Pictures. Loosely based on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May, Robbie the Reindeer was created by Richard Curtis.

<i>The Year Without a Santa Claus</i> 1974 stop-motion television special

The Year Without a Santa Claus is a 1974 stop motion animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name. It is narrated by Shirley Booth and starring the voices of Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, and George S. Irving. It was originally broadcast on December 10, 1974, on ABC.

<i>Franklins Magic Christmas</i> 2001 film by John van Bruggen

Franklin's Magic Christmas is a 2001 Canadian animated Christmas film. It is the second Franklin film and was released direct-to-video and DVD. It is somewhat shorter than Franklin and the Green Knight and Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure. It has since aired on the Nick Jr. Channel In the United States, Canada's Family Channel and on Comcast Video on Demand. This movie was loosely based on the book Franklin and Harriet.

<i>Mrs. Santa Claus</i> 1996 American TV series or program

Mrs. Santa Claus is a 1996 American made-for-television musical fantasy comedy film directed by Terry Hughes, with a score by Jerry Herman, starring Angela Lansbury in the title role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Claus's reindeer</span> Legendary sleigh-pulling flying reindeer

In traditional festive legend and popular culture, Santa Claus's reindeer are said to pull a sleigh through the night sky to help Santa Claus deliver gifts to children on Christmas Eve.

<i>Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer</i> (film) 2000 film by Phil Roman

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is a 2000 animated Christmas television special directed by Phil Roman. The special was first released on home video in October, and then aired on The WB network on December 21, 2001. The title and story are based on the 1979 novelty song of the same name.

"Hooves of Fire" is one of three animated BBC Christmas comedy television specials, filmed using stop motion techniques, and presented in 1999 in aid of Comic Relief.

<i>Pinocchios Christmas</i> 1980 Christmas TV special

Pinocchio's Christmas is a 1980 Christmas stop motion television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions that is a holiday adaptation of the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. The special was originally aired on ABC on December 3, 1980. It aired annually during the Christmas season on Freeform and as of 2018 airs on AMC.

<i>A Miser Brothers Christmas</i> 2008 multi-national TV series or program

A Miser Brothers’ Christmas is a 2008 Christmas stop motion spin-off special, based on the characters from the 1974 Rankin-Bass special The Year Without a Santa Claus. Distributed by Warner Bros. Animation under their Warner Premiere label and Toronto-based Cuppa Coffee Studios, the one-hour special premiered on ABC Family on Saturday, December 13, 2008, during the network's annual The 25 Days of Christmas programming.

<i>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie</i> 1998 animated film by William R. Kowalchuk

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie is a 1998 American Christmas animated adventure musical film about the character of the same name, who first appeared in a 1939 story by Robert L. May. The film was the first theatrical feature from GoodTimes Entertainment, long known as a home video company. It stars Kathleen Barr as the voice of the titular Rudolph, and also features celebrity talents including John Goodman, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Simmons and Bob Newhart. The film disappointed at the box-office, recouping only $113,484 of its $10 million budget from its theatrical release.

<i>Arthur Christmas</i> 2011 British-American Christmas comedy film

Arthur Christmas is a 2011 animated Christmas comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Aardman Animations, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is Aardman's second mostly computer-animated feature film after 2006's Flushed Away. It was directed by Sarah Smith, co-directed by Barry Cook, and written by Smith and Peter Baynham. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, and Ashley Jensen, the film centres on Arthur Claus, the younger son of Santa Claus, who discovers that his father's high-tech ship has failed to deliver one girl's present. Accompanied only by his grandfather, a Christmas elf and a team of reindeer, he embarks on a mission to deliver the girl's present personally in the early morning hours of Christmas Day before sunrise.

"For Whom the Sleigh Bell Tolls" is the eighth episode of the seventh season of American Dad!. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. The episode follows the events caused by Stan Smith, as he gives his son Steve a rifle for Christmas, even though his wife Francine forbade him to. When Steve is practicing shooting, he accidentally kills a mall Santa. The family decides to bury the body in the woods, but it then turns out that it was the real Santa, who wants revenge by killing the Smiths.

<i>The Flight Before Christmas</i> (2008 film) 2008 Finnish animated film by Michael HegnerKari Juusonen

The Flight Before Christmas is a 2008 animated Christmas film directed by Michael Hegner and Kari Juusonen. It revolves around a young reindeer named Niko who must overcome his fear of flying by heading to Santa Claus' fell to save him and his fleet of flying reindeer from a pack of wolves. The film was a Finnish production with co-producers in Denmark, Germany and Ireland. It was produced by Anima Vitae, Cinemaker Oy, A. Film A/S, Ulysses Films, and Magma Films. The animation was produced in Finland, Germany and Denmark, with post-production carried out in Ireland. A 45-minute television edit in American English, was produced in the United States for CBS under the title The Flight Before Christmas. A sequel, Little Brother, Big Trouble: A Christmas Adventure was released in October 2012 in Finland. It is one of the most expensive Finnish films.

<i>Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas</i> 2011 animated TV special

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas is a 2011 animated television special and part of the Ice Age franchise, produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Karen Disher. It premiered on November 24, 2011 on Fox in the United States and in the United Kingdom at Christmas on Channel 4 and E4 and it was released 2 days later to DVD and Blu-ray. This Christmas special takes place between Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Ice Age: Continental Drift.

<i>Get Santa</i> 2014 British Christmas comedy film

Get Santa is a 2014 British Christmas comedy film directed by Christopher Smith, and produced by Liza Marshall. The film stars Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Warwick Davis, Stephen Graham, Jodie Whittaker, and Kit Connor in his first theatrical film debut.

<i>Noelle</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Marc Lawrence

Noelle is a 2019 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Anna Kendrick as Noelle Kringle, the daughter of Kris Kringle. It also stars Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty, and Shirley MacLaine. In the film, when Noelle's brother Nick is stressed from all the pressure of taking over for their father, he leaves and does not return. She must find her brother and bring him back in time for Christmas. It was filmed from October 2017 to January 2018 in British Columbia and Woodstock, Georgia.

<i>The Christmas Chronicles</i> 2018 American Christmas comedy film

The Christmas Chronicles is a 2018 American Christmas comedy film directed by Clay Kaytis from a screenplay by Matt Lieberman. The film stars Kurt Russell, Judah Lewis, Darby Camp, Lamorne Morris, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Oliver Hudson. It is the first installment in The Christmas Chronicles film series. The film was produced by 1492 Pictures and Wonder Worldwide and was released on November 22, 2018, on Netflix.

<i>Alien Xmas</i> 2020 American stop-motion animated film

Alien Xmas is a 2020 American stop-motion animated Christmas science fiction fantasy adventure comedy television special directed by Stephen Chiodo. Based on the 2006 book of the same name by Chiodo and Jim Strain, the special features the voices of Keythe Farley, Dee Bradley Baker, Kaliayh Rhambo, Michelle Deco and Barbara Goodson. The plot for Alien Xmas centers on X, an extraterrestrial belonging to a race of thieving aliens known as Klepts, who is sent to the North Pole on a mission to eliminate Earth's gravity. Alien Xmas was executive produced by Jon Favreau and was released on Netflix on November 20, 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "AFI|Catalog".
  2. ↑ Caryn James (1989). "A Girl, a Reindeer and the Christmas Spirit". The New York Times .
  3. ↑ Hancock, John D. (November 17, 1989), Prancer , retrieved January 17, 2016
  4. ↑ "Prancer". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Prancer". November 17, 1989. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ 'Prancer' Star Kept the Ruby Earrings Sam Elliott Gifted Her for Decades, December 25, 2022, retrieved February 21, 2023
  7. ↑ Kazek, Kelly (December 12, 2019). "The Alabama reindeer who starred in 1989's 'Prancer'". al. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.