The Snowman (1982)

A young boy's handmade snowman magically comes to life on Christmas Eve, leading to a magical journey across the world.

The story

In a rural area of Brighton and Hove, a young boy named James builds a large snowman after a heavy snowfall on Christmas Eve. At midnight, the snowman magically comes to life, and the two explore the house together, playing with toys and appliances while remaining quiet to avoid waking James's parents. They eventually find a motorcycle in the garden and go for a ride through the woods. However, the engine's heat begins to melt the snowman, forcing him to cool off in the garage freezer.

First release year

1982

Runtime (minutes)

26

Production countries

United Kingdom

Original languages

English

Directors

Dianne Jackson

Writers

Raymond Briggs · source material author

Cast and characters

Raymond Briggs · narrator (original introduction); David Bowie · narrator (alternative introduction); Peter Auty · chorister

Genres

Christmas; Animated

Themes

fleeting nature of life; friendship; magic

Tone and mood

innocent; beautiful; festive

Premise and plot tags

Animated; Christmas; Fantasy; Adventure

Source material / true-story basis

Raymond Briggs's 1978 picture book The Snowman

Franchise connections

The Snowman

Reception

The film was an immediate success and has become an annual festive event in the UK and Ireland. It is highly regarded for its visuals and themes, ranking as a notable Christmas moment and a significant piece of British television culture.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards · Best Animated Short Film · 1983 · Nominated; BAFTA TV Award · best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) · 1983 · Won; Tampere Film Festival · Grand Prix · 1984 · Won

Production trivia

The film has no dialogue except for the song 'Walking in the Air'.; The boy's name, James, was added by animator Joanna Harrison as the name of her boyfriend.; The film was produced using traditional animation techniques like pastels and crayons.

Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.

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