Prancer
By Kat Halstead,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Charming Christmas movie has unsafe behavior, gender roles.
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Prancer
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What's the Story?
In PRANCER, young Jessica Riggs (Rebecca Harrell Tickell) spots an injured reindeer and believes it to belong to the real Santa. She sets in motion a plan to nurse the animal back to health, but can she keep him hidden for long enough to get him back to Santa before Christmas Eve?
Is It Any Good?
This is a simple, charming tale that ends up being as much about bringing a grieving family back together as it is about Christmas itself. Sam Elliott adds a touch of gruff gunslinger to the role of struggling father in Prancer, his cold loner John Riggs only really starting to warm to wide-eyed Jessica toward the end of the film. His tone is reflected in the wider movie, which might be full of snow but is lacking much in the way of festive cheer. There are positive lessons to learn, but they sure are learned the hard way.
Scenes with Prancer himself are more realistic than might be expected of a relatively low-budget 1980s film, and a touching relationship develops between the reindeer and young Jessica. Other characters show kindness as well -- particularly in a subplot involving Cloris Leachman as isolated widow Mrs. McFarland, who thaws slightly with Jessica's warmth, and is also helped to feel included by another child in church. It's little touches like these that bring the warm fuzzy festive feels as much as the visits to a store Santa and the Christmas decorations in the street. Prancer isn't a classic as such, but it's a traditional, easy watch for the family, even if it might not offer the faster pace or impressive visuals of more modern holiday films.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Jessica's behavior in Prancer. She often breaks rules and puts herself in danger in order to help Prancer. Discuss the idea of taking risks for others. Are there some situations where it makes more sense than others? Are there ways she could have approached helping that were safer for her?
Discuss how Jessica's relationship with both her father and brother changed during the film. How was it different toward the end, and what did you think the characters learned?
The movie was remade in 2022 as Prancer: A Christmas Tale. If you've seen the new version, how did it compare? Discuss the nature of remakes and the pros and cons. Can you think of remakes that worked well, and ones that didn't? What was changed and how did it effect the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 17, 1989
- On DVD or streaming: October 2, 2001
- Cast: Sam Elliott , Rebecca Harrell Tickell , Cloris Leachman
- Director: John D. Hancock
- Studio: Orion Pictures
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Holidays , Wild Animals
- Character Strengths: Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
- Run time: 103 minutes
- MPAA rating: G
- Last updated: June 19, 2023
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