The Polar Express
Movie • 2004 • Adventure
ReportWhen a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
This movie contains 7 potentially triggering events.
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Your Triggers
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Unanswered Triggers
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Is there decapitation?
34 supporters
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jdpamv
At least one of the marionettes/string puppets is decapitated.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there sudden loud noises?
32 supporters
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WeGotAllTheWays
Many times. The train makes many noises because it’s a train. You do get a heads up before the main child blows the horn, though. The caribou scene and the ice crossing scene have many instances. The kids on the train occasionally yell, sing loudly, and do other kid sounds. The hot chocolate scene has quite a few but they are part of the fun of the song for most people. The part where the three main kids are in the North Pole walking around has a few in an otherwise quiet scene, which may startle more sensitive viewers. Also the adults on the train yell quite a bit.
1 comment | Add comment
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Abandonment
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Abuse
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9
Is there domestic violence?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
75 supporters
Add comment
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9
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3
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
29 supporters
Add comment
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3
Is someone gaslighted?
38 supporters
Yes
2
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faithsmithjw
There is no gaslighting, however the main character is misled about aspects of Christmas by some characters, however in the context of wanting him to search and discover the real answer for himself.
1 comment | Add comment
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3
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Addiction
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9
Does someone abuse alcohol?
17 supporters
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jdpamv
No, but I used to think that Hero Boy was given alcohol before I learned that “Joe” meant coffee lol.
1 comment | Add comment
Animal
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4
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12
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13
Are animals abused?
176 supporters
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4
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7
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shroomoss
Flying Reindeer are handled roughly by the elves and then Santa uses a magic whip on them to steer them forward.
1 comment | Add comment
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Assault
Does a woman get slapped?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
17 supporters
Add comment
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3
Yes
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3
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Is someone restrained?
23 supporters
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faithsmithjw
Characters are often held back by the arm to prevent them from going towards danger.
1 comment | Add comment
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Bodily Harm
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8
Does someone asphyxiate?
26 supporters
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5
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faithsmithjw
A man swallows a small metal item, and afterwards coughs and chokes. This is very downplayed and it is very obvious within the context of the scene that this character is fine. After a big impact the character coughs it back up.
1 comment | Add comment
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Children
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Creepy Crawly
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3
Death
Does someone sacrifice themselves?
12 supporters
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faithsmithjw
A character tries to get his friends to leave him behind because he's slower than them, but they don't allow him to do so.
1 comment | Add comment
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Disability
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7
Drugs/Alcohol
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Family
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Is a child's toy destroyed?
29 supporters
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Nebulacat
One scene has toys that are broken, but instead of getting destroyed, the broken toys are taken to be fixed.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
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Yes
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Fear
Are there ghosts?
9 supporters
Yes
17
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thespianscreed
The ghost of a middle-aged man is a side character throughout the movie, but he is benevolent.
3 comments | Add comment
Are there jump scares?
55 supporters
Yes
16
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3
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Anonymous
There's a jumpscare in the broken toys-scene if I remember correctly
2 comments | Add comment
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12
Are there natural bodies of water?
2 supporters
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0
They drive over a frozen lake so kind of?
1 comment | Add comment
Are there clowns?
11 supporters
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Anonymous
There are clowns in the train cart full of toys
2 comments | Add comment
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11
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4
Are there mannequins?
5 supporters
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jdpamv
More of puppets/marionettes but they’re mannequin-like.
2 comments | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
93 supporters
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1
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17
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slayallday123456788
a character spits out the drink the guy on the roof of the train gives him but it wasn't triggering for me personally
1 comment | Add comment
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Does someone spit?
9 supporters
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shroomoss
The protag spits out his "joe" that the "hobo" gave to him after tasting it.
2 comments | Add comment
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10
Large-scale Violence
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Law Enforcement
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LGBTQ+
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Yes
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Medical
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Yes
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11
Yes
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Mental Health
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4
Yes
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10
Is autism misrepresented?
29 supporters
Yes
1
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5
2
jdpamv
The nerd character could be seen as misrepresenting autism. He’s not a bad person but he is shown annoying other characters and he’s portrayed as smug.
3 comments | Add comment
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9
Yes
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9
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
74 supporters
Add comment
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6
Yes
2
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6
Are there anxiety attacks?
22 supporters
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1
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9
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shroomoss
Potentially the beginning of one when the protag couldn't hear the sleigh bells at the north pole during Santa's reveal. But he recovers.
2 comments | Add comment
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5
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
30 supporters
Add comment
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8
Yes
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3
Yes
0
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11
Is there a claustrophobic scene?
1 supporters
Yes
11
No
1
1
YourLocalINTJ
They’re in a tight-space shuttle at one point
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
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12
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
78 supporters
Add comment
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12
Yes
0
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8
Noxious
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9
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9
Yes
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6
Are there flashing lights or images?
1 supporters
Yes
4
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7
1
shroomoss
In a dark tunnel scene the train brakes causing light sparks in the darkness that flash.
1 comment | Add comment
Paranoia
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5
Pregnancy
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7
Yes
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11
Are there babies or unborn children?
14 supporters
Yes
1
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7
1
acidic_mint
The mother of the main character is visibly pregnant and is shown briefly in the first scene of the movie.
2 comments | Add comment
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9
Yes
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9
Yes
0
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9
Prejudice
Yes
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7
Is there ableist language or behavior?
39 supporters
Yes
0
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8
1
ChanticleerxGoldie
The "annoying kid" seems to be a stereotype of autism (especially when infodumping about "what kind of train this is"), but nothing is confirmed
1 comment | Add comment
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7
Yes
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8
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jdpamv
A few of the scary toys have oversized noses. Especially weird that the Scrooge puppet has one.
1 comment | Add comment
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Race
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Relationships
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Sex
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6
Yes
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Yes
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3
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6
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
81 supporters
Add comment
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9
Yes
0
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11
Yes
0
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3
Sexism
Is a male character ridiculed for crying?
20 supporters
Yes
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No
6
1
faithsmithjw
This movie has a majority male cast, all of whom support eachother throughout the movie in various ways.
1 comment | Add comment
Sickness
Yes
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3
Yes
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5
Yes
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5
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5
Social
Are there fat suits?
30 supporters
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4
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jdpamv
No, but there's a similar concept; Michael Jeter (who wasn't fat) does the voice and motion-capture of a photorealistic CGI character who is fat.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone homeless?
6 supporters
Yes
6
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0
1
faithsmithjw
There is a middle aged man (who is implied to be a ghost) who is homeless and sleeps on top of a train. He has tattered clothes and drinks a suspicious coffee which he also cleaned his socks in.
It is also implied that he loves being homeless and feels free being so.
It is also implied that he loves being homeless and feels free being so.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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4
Spoiler
Is Santa (et al) spoiled?
5 supporters
Yes
4
No
9
7
thespianscreed
The main character does not believe in Santa at the beginning of the movie, and articles about mall Santa strikes" and the "barren North Pole" are shown and read. Dialogue about his doubt is present throughout the movie. However, by the end of the movie, the boy meets and believes in Santa. End-of-movie narration reveals that although his family and friends stopped believing as the got older, he did not.
3 comments | Add comment
Does it have a sad ending?
53 supporters
Yes
0
No
12
0
faithsmithjw
After a big adventure and becoming very close, the main characters all go their separate ways and it is unknown if they ever see eachother again. This is not made to be a sad scene in the movie as they are all excited to go home and enjoy Christmas.
1 comment | Add comment
Vehicular
Does a car honk or tires screech?
13 supporters
Yes
0
No
5
1
rockhasnoclue
There isn’t ties screeching but the wheel of the train scraping across the ice could be read or be triggering in a similar way
1 comment | Add comment
Does a car crash?
20 supporters
Yes
0
No
10
4
thespianscreed
No automobiles in the movie, but a train and its cars are frequently shown in peril and sometimes crashing, including being in peril of falling through thin ice and off steep cliffs. No one is harmed.
1 comment | Add comment
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8
Yes
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8
Violence
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10
Yes
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10
Yes
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10
Yes
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7