Q 01/05

Who directed the animated film *The Polar Express*?

A) Ron Howard

B) Steven Spielberg

C) Chris Columbus

D) Robert Zemeckis

Answer · why

D) Robert Zemeckis

Robert Zemeckis directed The Polar Express (2004) and co-wrote its screenplay with William Broyles Jr.; he reused the performance-capture approach on ...

Q 02/05

Which actor plays the Conductor, Santa Claus and several other roles in the film?

A) Jim Carrey

B) Robin Williams

C) Tom Hanks

D) Mike Myers

Answer · why

C) Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks performed the Conductor, Santa Claus, the Hobo, Hero Boy's father and the adult Hero Boy; he had read the book to his own children before pu...

Q 03/05

What animation technique, which records live actors' movements, was used to create the film's people?

A) Stop-motion puppetry

B) Motion capture

C) Traditional cel animation

D) Claymation

Answer · why

B) Motion capture

Motion capture recorded the actors' movements with body-mounted markers; Tom Hanks performed five characters this way, and the film was the first feat...

Q 04/05

Who wrote and illustrated the original children's book *The Polar Express*?

A) Chris Van Allsburg

B) Theodor Seuss Geisel

C) Maurice Bernard Sendak

D) Eric Carle

Answer · why

A) Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg wrote and illustrated The Polar Express, drawing on his Grand Rapids, Michigan childhood; the book won the 1986 Caldecott Medal.

Q 05/05

In what year was the original *The Polar Express* book first published?

A) 1979

B) 1982

C) 1985

D) 1988

Answer · why

C) 1985

Houghton Mifflin published The Polar Express in 1985; the picture book won the Caldecott Medal the following year, 1986.