The Snowman (1982)

Director:

Dianne Jackson

Writer:

Raymond Briggs (books)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

Wordless (save for the song "Walking in the Air") animated adventure about a young English boy who makes a snowman one Christmas Eve...

Plot Keywords:

Santa Claus | Snowman | Christmas Eve | North Pole | Christmas

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Peter Auty	...	Singer of 'Walking In The Air' (1982 Version)
David Bowie	...	Narrator (Re-Released Version)
Raymond Briggs	...	Older James / narrator

Runtime:

26 min

Country:

UK

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G

Company:

Snowman Enterprises

Trivia:

The little Boy's name is James.

Goofs:

Continuity: All the clocks in the house show different times.

Quotes:

Older James: I remember that winter because it had brought the heaviest snows I had ever seen. Snow had fallen steadily all night long and in the morning I woke in a room filled with light and silence, the world seemed to be held in a dream-like stillness. It was a magical day
[brief pause]
Older James: and it was on that day I made the snowman.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Bear (1999/I)

Soundtrack:

Walking in the Air

superb festive cartoon

Shown every year on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day on UK Channel 4 since the channel launched in 1982, this charming and touching Raymond Briggs cartoon is the perfect accompaniment to turkey, wine, and Christmas pud.

A cute little boy runs out to play in the snow in his back garden (this is an England where everyone has lots of land and detached houses) where he puts together a life-size snowman, complete with hat, fruit for his nose, and pieces of coal for his eyes. Come the night when he is in bed, he feels the urge to run down and see the snowman just to be sure he's real. But the Christmas magic means the snowman is alive and ready for fun.

Several scenes are full of humour - the snowman being shown around the house, including his perfect environment (a chest freezer), the race around the garden on a motorbike, and Father Christmas's party. The real icing on the cake comes with the flight through the cold night sky to the accompaniment of Peter Auty singing 'Walking in the Air'.

With beautiful, flickering animation, memorable cartoon characters, and a bit of true Christmas spirit, 'The Snowman' is as close to a perfect half-hour as you can get. Other animations from the work of Briggs haven't come quite as close - this one is special. Long may it continue to be shown and celebrated, and find a place in the heart of new generations.