The Nutcracker (1993)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Emile Ardolino

Writer (WGA):

Susan Cooper (narration)

Release Date:

24 November 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Music

Tagline:

The joy of the New York City Ballet in an exciting family holiday motion picture.

Plot:

On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie (Cohen) falls asleep after a party at her home and dreams...

Plot Keywords:

Lifting Person In Air | Classical Music | Ballet | Independent Film | Character Name In Title

Cast

Darci Kistler	...	The Sugarplum Fairy
Damian Woetzel	...	The Sugarplum Fairy's Cavalier
Bart Robinson Cook	...	Drosselmeier
Kyra Nichols	...	Dewdrop (in "Waltz of the Flowers")
Jessica Lynn Cohen	...	Marie
Macaulay Culkin	...	The Nutcracker / The Prince / Drosselmeier's Nephew
Wendy Whelan	...	Coffee (in "Arabian Dance")
Margaret Tracey	...	Marzipan (in "Dance of the Reed Flutes")
Gen Horiuchi	...	Tea (in "Chinese Dance")
Tom Gold	...	Candy Cane - in 'Trepak'
Lourdes López	...	Hot Chocolate (in "Spanish Dance")
Nilas Martins	...	Hot Chocolate (in "Spanish Dance")
William Otto	...	Mother Ginger (in "Dance of the Clowns")
Peter Reznick	...	Fritz
Karin von Aroldingen	...	Grandparent

Also Known As:

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Krasnow Productions

Trivia:

Narration recorded by 'Kevin Kline (I)' was a last-minute addition that was heavily protested by Macaulay Culkin's father, Kit Culkin, who vowed that his son would do no publicity for the movie until the narration was dropped. Reluctantly, producer Arnon Milchan dropped the narration to appease the Culkins. Kit Culkin then returned with a list of other demands which so incensed Milchan that he reinstated Kline's narration, losing the use of the Culkins' publicity.

Movie Connections:

References "Playhouse 90: The Nutcracker (#3.12)" (1958)

Soundtrack:

Entr'acte

About the music

As far as I can recall, Balanchine's alterations to Tchaikovsky's score are as follows:

1) The final section of the Grossvatertanz (a traditional tune played at the end of a party) is repeated several times to give the children a last dance before their scene is over.

2) A violin solo, written for but eliminated from Tchaikovsky's score for The Sleeping Beauty, is interpolated between the end of the party scene and the beginning of the transformation scene. Balanchine chose this music because of its melodic relationship to the music for the growing Christmas tree that occurs shortly thereafter.

3) The solo for the Sugar Plum Fairy's cavalier is eliminated.

It seems to me the accusation that Balanchine has somehow desecrated Tchaikovsky's great score is misplaced.