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77-460: The plot follows two children, Kate and Teddy, who notice Santa Claus in their home and jump into his sleigh with his reindeer ; however, they accidentally cause the sleigh to crash, and the presents are lost. As Christmas morning approaches, it is up to the children and Santa to save Christmas by correctly delivering all of the presents. The Christmas Chronicles received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, titled The Christmas Chronicles 2 ,

154-545: A "classic" to watch during the holiday season. In 1991, Columbus wrote and directed the romantic comedy-drama Only the Lonely (1991), with John Hughes serving as co-producer. Starring John Candy , Maureen O'Hara , Ally Sheedy , and Anthony Quinn , the film depicts a Chicago policeman who must balance his loyalty between his mother and a shy funeral home employee, a loose adaptation of Marty . The film managed to garner some favourable reviews despite performing tepidly at

231-519: A Motion Picture . In 2013, Columbus co-authored the House of Secrets book series with Ned Vizzini . Shortly, Columbus returned to the Percy Jackson series, as an executive producer for the sequel titled Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters . Directed by Thor Freudenthal , and starring much of the cast from the previous installment, the film grossed $ 200.9 million worldwide. However, it received

308-635: A changing, sometimes intimidating society". In 1993, Columbus said: "I can understand the validity of showing people the ugliness of the world, but I also think there is a place for movies to leave people with a sense of hope. If your film isn't going to do that, I just don't think it's worth making". Culture website The Take opined that Columbus excels in creating heartwarming family films with untrained child actors, but found box office success without an "incredibly distinct cinematic style" to his work. Columbus married choreographer Monica Devereux in 1983. The couple have four children. His daughter Eleanor had

385-632: A closer look. Santa rides off with the kids in tow, but he and the reindeer are startled when Kate makes her presence known. In the commotion, he loses control of the sleigh, causing it to teleport and crash in Chicago, Illinois . After coming to in Chicago, Santa introduces himself and tells the kids he has to locate his reindeer, hat, and bag of presents, which were lost in the crash, in order to resume deliveries and prevent Christmas spirit from declining. They offer to help him to avoid being permanently on

462-901: A divided critical reaction. Columbus next produced Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb , the final installment in the Night at the Museum series. Released in December 2014, the film was a financial success, grossing $ 363.2 million at the box office. It was also Robin Williams' final film appearance before his death. In 2014, Columbus cofounded production company Maiden Voyage Pictures with his daughter, Eleanor. He also co-founded an animation studio called ZAG Animation Studios with Saban Capital Group and ZAG Entertainment. Columbus directed

539-399: A family film directed by Clay Kaytis . In 2018, Columbus was announced as director of a Five Nights at Freddy's film adaptation , but he backed out of the project by September 2021. In 2019, Columbus joined the producers of The Lighthouse , a film directed by Robert Eggers and starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse keepers who lose their sanity. In 2018 it

616-656: A father who applies for a job at the American Museum of Natural History and subsequently discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. Next, he served as an executive producer for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007), a sequel to the first film which was also a commercial success. In 2009, he produced Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian , the second installment of

693-502: A non-speaking role as Susan Bones in the first two Harry Potter films. The family resides in San Francisco . Columbus endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election . He is also a partner at Ocean Blue Entertainment, a creative content company focused on film production. He is of no relation to Christopher Columbus . Producer only Executive producer only Below are

770-519: A personality clash with actor Chevy Chase , who Columbus said treated him "like dirt". Columbus particularly enjoyed the Christmas theme of the Home Alone script and quickly accepted the offer. Subsequently, Columbus hired Macaulay Culkin , Joe Pesci , Daniel Stern , John Heard , and Catherine O'Hara as the principal cast. Filming took four months between February and May 1990 and the film

847-624: A phone call from Steven Spielberg , who expressed an interest buying the script. Upon release, the film was a critical success. Columbus then moved to Los Angeles to work for Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment , writing more scripts including The Goonies and Young Sherlock Holmes (both 1985). After staying in Los Angeles for two years, he said, "There's an unreality to the place, a lack of connection with real people." He decided to move back to New York City. He wrote episodes for

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924-472: A producer for three films: supernatural horror The Witch , Italian drama Mediterranea , and a comedy titled It Had to Be You . During 2016, Columbus produced small-scale and independent features. First, The Young Messiah , a fictional story of a seven-year-old Jesus who tries to discover the truth about his life when he returns to Nazareth from Egypt . Second, Tallulah , a comedy drama starring Elliot Page , Allison Janney , and Tammy Blanchard ;

1001-557: A script for Gremlins 3 . On April 18, 2024, it was announced Columbus would direct a film adaptation of the Richard Osman novel The Thursday Murder Club for Amblin Partners . Columbus's films are often grounded in stories about unconventional and dysfunctional families, and explore characters who lose their loved ones. He is regarded as a "sentimental" filmmaker due to his exploration of contemporary domesticity. "One of

1078-494: A small-town family. The film was a commercial failure at the box office and it also received mixed-to-negative reviews. In the late 1980s, fellow filmmaker John Hughes approached Columbus to direct Home Alone (1990), a comedy film written by Hughes, where eight-year-old Kevin McCallister must defend his home from two burglars. Columbus had left National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation before shooting started, because of

1155-507: A smile. Development for what would become The Christmas Chronicles began in June 2013, when it was announced Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures had acquired a Found Footage spec script titled 12/24 written by Matt Lieberman and based on a story by Lieberman and David Guggenheim wherein two brothers set out to prove that Santa Claus is real, using their home video camera and inadvertently cause Santa’s sleigh to crash after stowing away with

1232-576: A specific sport: Chris Columbus (filmmaker) Chris Joseph Columbus (born September 10, 1958) is an American filmmaker. Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania , Columbus studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. After writing screenplays for several teen comedies in the mid-1980s, including Gremlins , The Goonies , and Young Sherlock Holmes , he made his directorial debut with

1309-472: A strong desire to direct the film adaptation. In 2000, he convinced Warner Bros. to select him as director for it. The film is the first installment of the Harry Potter film series and was written by Steve Kloves and produced by David Heyman . The story follows Harry Potter 's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and his self-discovery as a famous wizard. Columbus relocated to

1386-554: A surface, usually of ice or snow . It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners similar in principle to skis . This reduces the amount of friction , which helps to carry heavy loads. Some designs are used to transport passengers or cargo across relatively level ground. Others are designed to go downhill for recreation, particularly by children, or competition (compare cross-country skiing with its downhill cousin ). Shades of meaning differentiating

1463-602: A teen adventure, Adventures in Babysitting (1987). Columbus gained recognition soon after with the highly successful Christmas comedy Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). The comedy Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), starring Robin Williams , was another box office success for Columbus. He went on to direct several other films throughout the 1990s, which were mostly met with lukewarm reception. However, he found commercial success again for directing

1540-404: A young audience" but thought the film lacked Harry Potter charm. As early as 2009, Variety magazine reported that Columbus, Michael Barnathan , and Mark Radcliffe were working on a film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett 's novel The Help . Released in 2011, the film of the same name was directed by Tate Taylor with Columbus serving as producer. The film and novel recount the story of

1617-561: A young white aspiring journalist, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids, Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson, during the Civil Rights Movement . The film received critical and commercial success, earning $ 216.6 million worldwide. Roger Ebert described it as "involving and wonderfully acted", and Amy Biancolli of the San Francisco Chronicle called it "a film that makes us root for

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1694-455: A yuletide stream." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Melanie McFarland of Salon said: "The film's no great shakes, but Russell's star power in 'The Christmas Chronicles' is a gift anyone should be happy to claim." Charles Bramesco of The A.V. Club wrote: "The film doesn't know how to get out of its own way and foreground what's working, namely

1771-466: Is called in to work, leaving Teddy in charge. While watching old family Christmas videos, Kate notices an arm appear out of the fireplace, and deduces that it was Santa. Teddy agrees to help her prove it, on condition that she gives him the video she recorded of him stealing a car earlier that day. They set up a tripwire and hidden camera, and fall asleep in the living room. After Kate awakens and sees Santa, she and Teddy follow him on to his sleigh to get

1848-468: Is limited snow, sleigh and sledge are given equal preference in local parlance. The word sled comes from Middle English sledde , which itself has the origins in Middle Dutch word slēde , meaning 'sliding' or 'slider'. The same word shares common ancestry with both sleigh and sledge . The word sleigh , on the other hand, is an anglicized form of the modern Dutch word slee and

1925-480: Is pregnant and has to change his lifestyle. Although the film was criticized for being "mismanaged", it was a commercial success, grossing $ 138.5 million at the box office. Columbus followed up on this effort with Stepmom (1998), a comedy-drama starring Julia Roberts , Susan Sarandon , and Ed Harris . Writing for the Los Angeles Times , Kenneth Turan praises Roberts and Harris' performances despite

2002-490: Is teleported to the North Pole , where she encounters Santa's elves, who agree to help after discovering that she comes from a "long line of true believers." Meanwhile, a gang of thugs grab Teddy and the bag, taking them to their hideout. There, he is saved by Kate and the elves, who are then made aware of the situation. At the police station, Santa explains his situation to Officer Poveda. When he reveals his knowledge of

2079-483: The 3D action comedy Pixels (2015). Columbus is the co-founder of 1492 Pictures , a film production company that has produced some of his films since 1995. More recently, he co-founded another production firm with his daughter in 2014, called Maiden Voyage Pictures. In 2017, he launched ZAG Animation Studios, alongside Michael Barnathan , Haim Saban , and Jeremy Zag. Columbus is also known for his collaboration with composer John Williams , with whom he had worked on

2156-652: The Philippines , a traditional carabao -drawn sled is known as the kangga . It is still used in place of wheeled carts over rough or muddy terrain, while also having the advantage of traveling over rice paddy dikes without destroying them. Some of these originally used draft animals but are now more likely to be pulled by an engine (snowmobile or tractor). Some use human power. Today some people use kites to tow exploration sleds. There are several types of recreational sleds designed for sliding down snowy hills ( sledding ): A few types of sleds are used only for

2233-484: The Tisch School of the Arts , where he was a schoolmate of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and Alec Baldwin . Although he received a scholarship, he forgot to renew it and was forced to take a factory job to pay for schooling. While on shifts, he secretly worked on a 20-page screenplay, which one of his teachers would later use to help him get an agent. Columbus now states that the experience "saved my life" and he

2310-497: The Chamber of Secrets shared similar critical acclaim to the first film, and grossed $ 879 million worldwide. A. O. Scott of The New York Times observed that the film was long but praised it for the special effects and "thrilling" sequences. At the 2003 BAFTA Awards , the film garnered nominations for Best Production Design , Best Sound , and Best Special Visual Effects . In 2004, Columbus wrote and produced Christmas with

2387-660: The Kranks , a Christmas comedy based on the 2001 novel Skipping Christmas by John Grisham ; the film was a box office success but received mostly negative reviews. In the same year, Columbus returned for the third installment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban . Physically exhausted from the first two films, he decided not to direct but serve as producer alongside Heyman and director Alfonso Cuarón . The film premiered on May 31, 2004, in

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2464-569: The United Kingdom to strong critical praise and earned $ 796.9 million worldwide. After returning to the United States in 2005, Columbus intended to produce a superhero film, Fantastic Four , but due to disagreements with director Tim Story , he was fired. Next, he directed 2005's Rent , a musical drama adapted from the 1996 Broadway musical of the same name . The film, starring six of the original Broadway cast members, depicts

2541-566: The United Kingdom with his family to focus on directing. Columbus said the casting process was "very intense", but Daniel Radcliffe , Rupert Grint , and Emma Watson were eventually picked for the lead roles. Filming began on September 29, 2000, and lasted for 180 days. The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on November 4, 2001, to critical and commercial success, grossing $ 975.1 million worldwide. The film

2618-560: The actors", adding it is "super bad". Despite this setback, Columbus was hired by 20th Century Fox to direct Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), which he also produced. The film is the first installment in the Percy Jackson series and is based on fantasy Greek mythology : the 2005 novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan . Starring an ensemble led by Logan Lerman ,

2695-539: The animated series Galaxy High (1986) and received screenwriting credit for Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989). Columbus then started his directing career with the teen comedy Adventures in Babysitting (1987). The film received mixed reviews from critics and was regarded as a "mediocre debut". Next, he wrote and directed Heartbreak Hotel (1988) which is a story about Elvis Presley being kidnapped and finding himself offering counsel and help to

2772-446: The box office. In 1992, Columbus returned to direct the sequel to the first film, titled Home Alone 2: Lost in New York . Featuring the same principal cast of its predecessor, the plot takes place one year after the events of the first film. The film follows Kevin McCallister as he accidentally boards the wrong flight to New York City and finds himself confronted by the two same burglars in the first film. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

2849-587: The brothers trying to work together to save Christmas. In December 2017, it was reported that Kurt Russell would star as Santa Claus in the film for Netflix, later given the title The Christmas Chronicles . Principal photography began in January 2018 in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The film was set in Lowell, Massachusetts , and Chicago, Illinois. The film was released on November 22, 2018. Netflix reported

2926-509: The construction of their public works, in particular for the transportation of heavy obelisks over sand. Sleds and sledges were found in the Oseberg "Viking" ship excavation. The sledge was also highly prized, because – unlike wheeled vehicles – it was exempt from tolls. Until the late 19th century, a closed winter sled, or vozok , provided a high-speed means of transport through the snow-covered plains of European Russia and Siberia. It

3003-436: The dynamo of screen presence placed more prominently in the advertising than the feature itself." Writing for Vox Magazine , Jenna Allen said: "Above all, it’s clear that Netflix has subverted the holiday movie blueprint – Hallmark, I'm looking at you – by giving us novelty, thrill and humor." Derek Smith of Slant Magazine wrote: "In the end, the film succumbs to the tropes and emotional contrivances of

3080-474: The early 1980s, as a writer for the screenplay of Reckless (1984). Columbus later said, "it wasn't my best work. I intended it to be semi-biographical ... and the film was based on my attempts to break free. But the director turned it into a clumsy teen sex drama and the experience was so degrading." Dissatisfied, Columbus conceived a new screenplay whilst living in an apartment loft, a comedy-horror titled Gremlins (1984). In late 1981, he eventually received

3157-554: The family melodrama at its core, ending up as a serviceable yet mostly forgettable addition to the already overstuffed genre of holiday-themed films." The film features a cover of Elvis Presley 's Santa Claus Is Back in Town , performed by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul , with actor Kurt Russell on lead vocals. The lineup includes Stevie Van Zandt (of Springsteen 's E Street Band ) and Marc Ribler on guitar. The band recorded

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3234-670: The film Home Alone and the film series Harry Potter . Columbus was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania , and raised in Youngstown, Ohio , the only child born to Mary Irene (née Puskar), a factory worker, and Alex Michael Columbus, an aluminum plant worker and coal miner. He is of Italian and Czech descent. As a child, he enjoyed drawing storyboards, Marvel Comics and began making 8mm films in high school. After graduating from John F. Kennedy High School in Warren, Ohio , he went on to study at New York University 's film school at

3311-463: The film adaptations of J. K. Rowling 's novels, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) and its sequel, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). In addition to directing, Columbus was a producer for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and the drama The Help (2011). He also directed the fantasy Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and

3388-617: The film an approval rating of 72%, praising Williams. Roger Ebert calls Williams "a mercurial talent who loves to dart in and out of many different characters and voices", but thought Mrs. Doubtfire "has the values and depth of a sitcom". However, the film performed well at the box office, earning $ 441.3 million worldwide. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and Golden Globe Award for Best Picture . In 1995, Columbus co-founded his own production company, 1492 Pictures , named after

3465-492: The film is about a young woman who takes a baby from its negligent mother and pretends the child is her own. Tallulah premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2016 and was released on Netflix on July 29, 2016. In 2017, Columbus served as an executive producer for Menashe , and a producer for Patti Cake$ and I Kill Giants . Columbus also produced The Christmas Chronicles (2018),

3542-551: The film received mixed reviews (and was panned by fans of the original series) but found box office success upon its release in February. The film grossed $ 226.4 million worldwide. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times described it as "unadventurous and uninteresting" and criticized screenwriter Craig Titley for changing the original story. The Toronto Star ' s Linda Barnard praised Columbus' ability to "woo

3619-585: The film tells the story of a robot who becomes human-like and acquires emotions. The supporting cast included Sam Neill , Embeth Davidtz , Wendy Crewson , and Oliver Platt . The film was released on December 17, 1999, and was a commercial failure, grossing $ 87.4 million from a budget of $ 100 million. Critical response to the film were mixed, with Ben Falk of the BBC describing it as "the worst kind of movie – one with no direction, no identity, and above all no heart". Peter Stack of San Francisco Chronicle opined of

3696-429: The film was streamed by 20 million households over its first week of release. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an approval rating of 68% based on 59 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Viewers seeking a fresh holiday viewing option – or those simply in the mood for Santa Kurt Russell – should find The Christmas Chronicles well worth

3773-468: The film, "It's a bit strange, and strained. More syrupy melodrama than comedy [...] doesn't have much of the usual Williams manic antics", but compliments the computer-generated imagery . Bicentennial Man was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Makeup at the 72nd Academy Awards . After reading J. K. Rowling's 1997 fantasy novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone , Columbus expressed

3850-433: The first film, the story follows Harry Potter's second year at the school when a chamber is opened unleashing a monster. Producer David Heyman said, "Fortunately, we benefited from the experience of the first film ... [the cast] have maintained their enthusiasm, sense of wonder". Columbus also opted to use more handheld cameras for freedom of movement. The film was released to theaters on November 15, 2002. Harry Potter and

3927-402: The first installment. Stars Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Judah Lewis were all confirmed to reprise their roles, while Julian Dennison and Jahzir Bruno were cast to appear in the sequel. The Christmas Chronicles 2 was released on Netflix on November 25, 2020. Sled A sled , skid , sledge , or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across

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4004-564: The general term but often implies a smaller device, often for recreational use. Sledge implies a heavier sled used for moving freight or massive objects. Sleigh refers more specifically than in Britain to a vehicle which is essentially a cold-season alternative to a carriage or wagon and has seating for passengers; what can be called a dog-sleigh in Britain is known only as a dog-sled in North America. In Australia , where there

4081-546: The good guys, hiss at the bad and convulse in laughter when good wreaks vengeance with a smile". At the 84th Academy Awards , Octavia Spencer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role. The film also received three other nominations: Best Picture , Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. The film won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in

4158-459: The inmates to perform " Santa Claus Is Back in Town ", which works with all the officers except Poveda. After receiving a call from Lisa inviting him for coffee in the morning, however, Poveda is convinced and agrees to release Santa. The elves complete the repair of Santa's sleigh and give him a spare hat. Realizing that there is only one hour left to deliver presents, Santa enlists the kids' help, with Kate tossing presents to Santa and Teddy driving

4235-568: The lives of several Bohemians and their struggles living in East Village of New York City from 1989 to 1990. The film had mixed reviews and a poor box office performance. In 2006, Columbus served as a producer for Night at the Museum , a fantasy film based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by illustrator Milan Trenc , and is the first installment in the Night at the Museum series . The film stars Ben Stiller as Larry Daley,

4312-499: The living room decorated like their father used to do it. Opening their gifts from Santa, Kate gets the skateboard she asked for, while Teddy gets a magic ornament. When he hangs it, he sees his dad magically appear in his reflection, and they both express pride in each other. Back in the North Pole, Santa reunites with Mrs. Claus . She asks what movie they are going to watch, and Santa takes out Kate's video of their adventure with

4389-472: The naughty list. After they get no help from a bar, they take a Dodge Challenger that was stolen by the bartender. They locate the reindeer, but encounter police seeking the stolen car. Kate goes after the reindeer while Teddy and Santa distract the police with a car chase, which culminates in Santa's arrest. Teddy reunites with Kate, and together, they find Santa's bag. Going inside the bag to find help, Kate

4466-408: The officer's wish to reconcile with his ex-wife, Lisa, who shares that wish, he is taken aback, but still refuses to believe him, and locks him in the holding cell. As the night progresses, however, Poveda notices a higher than usual number of arrests for Christmas Eve, a predicament Santa had warned would happen if Christmas spirit continued to fall. In an effort to slow the decline, Santa gathers all

4543-442: The relevant sections in the articles on ice and ice skating . The traditional explanation of the pressure of sleds on the snow or ice producing a thin film of water and this enabling sleds to move on ice with little friction is insufficient. Various types of sleds are pulled by animals such as reindeer , horses, mules , oxen , or dogs. The people of Ancient Egypt are thought to have used sledges (aka "skids") extensively in

4620-813: The science fiction comedy Pixels (2015). He first learned about the project from Adam Sandler ; Columbus said "he gave me the Pixels script after we hit it off. My daughter read it and said, 'You have to read this movie. It's completely fun and unexpected'". The film is based on Patrick Jean's 2010 short film of the same name , which depicts aliens who attack the Earth in the form of arcade video games. Principal photography took three months in Toronto , after which computer-generated imagery and visual effects were then applied. Starring Sandler, Kevin James , Michelle Monaghan , Peter Dinklage , Josh Gad and Brian Cox , Pixels

4697-420: The script having a "tiny handful of honest moments". With an estimated budget of $ 50 million, the film grossed a healthy $ 159.7 million worldwide. Sarandon also earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama . Columbus reunited with Robin Williams for his next project, 1999's Bicentennial Man . Based on the novel The Positronic Man , by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg ,

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4774-464: The series. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office success, earning $ 413.1 million worldwide. That same year, he directed I Love You, Beth Cooper , a comedy starring Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust , based on a novel by Larry Doyle . The film was released in July 2009 to negative reviews; Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that Columbus "flattens every joke and sucks the life out of

4851-452: The sleigh. The plan is successful, with Santa completing his last delivery just before sunrise. Afterwards, Santa takes the kids home before their mother returns. They ask him if they’ll ever see him again, to which he replies not if he can help it, but will if he ever needs help in the future. Santa gives Teddy his hat as a memento, showing that he did not really need it to move quickly or navigate tight spaces. When Claire returns, they find

4928-439: The song with Russell at Steven's studio in New York. In the film, the song is performed by Santa Claus (Kurt Russell) during a scene set at the jailhouse . Each of the band appear onscreen , including Van Zandt and Ribler as named characters Wolfie and Dusty. On September 15, 2020, a sequel titled The Christmas Chronicles 2 was announced. Original director Clay Kaytis dropped out and was replaced by Chris Columbus, who produced

5005-441: The themes I've always been fascinated by is a character facing the potential of losing their family and what that means," Columbus said in 2017. Columbus is also known for creating "emotionally vivid scenes", and admits that he is drawn to extreme emotions. Burhan Wazir of The Guardian states that Columbus prefers characters that are the "everyday American men, women, and children who struggle to uphold family traditions against

5082-511: The three terms often reflect regional variations depending on historical uses and prevailing climate. In British English , sledge is the general term, and more common than sled . Toboggan is sometimes used synonymously with sledge but more often to refer to a particular type of sledge without runners. Sleigh refers to a moderate to large-sized, usually open-topped vehicle to carry passengers or goods, and typically drawn by horses, dogs, or reindeer. In American usage sled remains

5159-551: The year that Christopher Columbus reached the Americas; a pun on his own name. He then wrote and directed another film, a remake of the French film Neuf mois titled Nine Months (1995), which was produced by 1492 Pictures. A romantic comedy, Nine Months starred Hugh Grant , Julianne Moore , Tom Arnold , Joan Cusack , Jeff Goldblum , and Robin Williams. The story centers on a man who finds out that his longtime girlfriend

5236-563: Was Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), an adaptation of Anne Fine 's novel Alias Madame Doubtfire about an unemployed father who disguises himself as a nanny so he can spend time with his children. Starring Robin Williams , Sally Field and Pierce Brosnan , Williams was given creative freedom to improvise his lines, provoking amusement to all of the cast and crew. The film was released by 20th Century Fox in November 1993 to mixed and positive reception. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave

5313-628: Was a means of transport preferred by royals, bishops, and boyars of Muscovy . Several royal vozoks of historical importance have been preserved in the Kremlin Armoury . Man-hauled sledges were the traditional means of transport on British exploring expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the 19th and early 20th centuries, championed for example by Captain Scott . Dog sleds were used by most others, such as Roald Amundsen . In

5390-502: Was able to acknowledge "the terrifying reality I faced of having to live and work in that factory for the rest of my life in that town if I didn't make it". In 1980, while at NYU, Columbus directed a short film entitled I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here that was later noticed by Steven Spielberg . I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2014. Columbus' professional career began in

5467-484: Was announced that Columbus would serve as an executive producer for Scoob! , an animated adventure film featuring characters from the Scooby-Doo franchise; it was released on May 15, 2020. He has also directed The Christmas Chronicles 2 , a sequel to the film he had co-produced. Columbus has been attached as a director to a Hello Ghost remake, announced in 2011. In 2017, Columbus said he had written

5544-550: Was introduced to the English language by Dutch immigrants to North America. Sleds are especially useful in winter but can also be drawn over wet fields, muddy roads, and even hard ground if one helps them along by greasing the blades ("grease the skids") with oil or alternatively wetting them with water. For an explanation of why sleds and other objects glide with various degrees of friction ranging from very little to fairly little friction on ice, icy snow, wet snow, and dry snow, see

5621-524: Was met with mixed reviews but earned $ 244.9 million at the box office. Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle said the film is "flat-footed and grows tedious after the first hour" but praised the 3D effects which "enhances the action". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film one star out of four, calling it "a 3D metaphor for Hollywood's digital assault on our eyes and brains [...] relentless and exhausting". Also in 2015, Columbus served as

5698-412: Was praised for its sets, costumes, casting, musical score, cinematography and special effects. In addition, it was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Original Score , Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design . In 2002, Columbus returned to direct the second installment, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), based on Rowling's second novel. Featuring much of the same cast from

5775-523: Was released on November 20, 1992, to mixed reviews, but strong box office results, grossing $ 359 million worldwide. Janet Maslin for The New York Times wrote that " Home Alone 2 may be lazily conceived, but it is staged with a sense of occasion and a lot of holiday cheer. The return of Mr. Culkin in this role is irresistible, even if this utterly natural comic actor has been given little new to do. Mr. Pesci and Mr. Stern bring great gusto to their characters' stupidity". Columbus' next directorial feature

5852-475: Was released on November 25, 2020, with much of the original cast returning. In Lowell, Massachusetts , widow Claire Pierce struggles to keep her family together around Christmas following the death of her husband Doug, a firefighter who died on the job. Their son Teddy has lost much of his Christmas spirit, while their younger daughter Kate keeps it alive and believes in Santa Claus. On Christmas Eve, Claire

5929-506: Was released to theaters on November 16, 1990, to commercial success. Home Alone grossed $ 285 million in North America and $ 190 million elsewhere for a worldwide $ 476.7 million, against a budget of $ 18 million. Nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards , the film served as Culkin's breakthrough role. Dave Kehr of Chicago Tribune praised Hughes for writing recognizable characters, and Columbus for direction with "wit and warmth". Home Alone has since been regarded as

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