Prancer

• Written by Greg Taylor
• November 17, 1989

While nursing a wounded reindeer she believes to be Prancer, a young girl’s belief inspires others.

I saw Prancer decades ago when it first came out. I can’t say I was blown away by it back then. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t really love it either. I can’t say what it specifically was at the time but it didn’t strike a chord with me. Maybe it was just because I wanted something with spaceships or just action packed. This was the late 80s and I was a kid. What did I know?

Watching Prancer now for the first time in many years I have to say Prancer is a very good movie. It’s not a classic like It’s A Wonderful Life but it is a very good Christmas movie that is character driven and strangely down beat before an uplifting finale. It has heart and some genuine emotion.

Our story focuses on a young girl named Jessica (Rebecca Harrell) dealing with the death of her mother and a father (Sam Elliot) who has grown distant as well as a brother (John Joseph Duda) who feels a strong need to pick on her. She also still believes in Santa Claus when her friends are starting to age out of such a thing.

Enter into this turmoil a stray reindeer whom Jessica believes is Prancer. Not to spoil too much but it turns out that this actually is the titular reindeer and not just a reindeer that the child believes to be Prancer. I am thankful they ended on that note as doing otherwise in any fashion would have been a huge letdown. And the lead up to that is well done.

Prancer does a very good job of making you believe that that it is not the actual reindeer but rather a reindeer that Jessica only believes is Prancer all the way up until the end. Any instances where something weird might be happening can also be explained away in a rather logical way such as when the father turns his head and the deer is gone. Animals can move quick and silent. If they couldn’t they’d be dinner. The narrative gives you logical outs which helps with the confusion.

Part of this movie’s message is that good deeds can make the world better. Believing that this is indeed Prancer, Jessica proceeds to take care of the creature. This intersects her with a bitter woman named Mrs. McFarland (Cloris Leachman). Jessica has to earn money for oats so she does some cleaning and through her contact lifts up the spirit of Mrs. McFarland.

One thing I am bothered by is there is never an explanation of why Mrs. McFarland is so bitter. They get close but never quite there. There’s a moment in her house where she doesn’t want Jessica to touch certain things and she even freaks out over some Christmas lights. How this all connects too her disposition is never explained to the audience. I’m really curious why she was the way she was, and it would have improved the message of the narrative.

They never go into too much depth on when or why the mother died but by all indications it occurred pretty recently (as is often the case in film) and certainly shook the father and Jessica though her brother Steve seems relatively unaffected. Seriously. He never brings it up once. I admit he’s not a main character, but I would’ve taken “I miss mom too” or something along those lines to just acknowledge that the kid was aware mom was dead. It’s almost as it from his perspective she went out for a pack of cigarettes and he is still waiting for her to come back. It becomes more and more noticeable as the movie goes on.

Sam Elliot is a great actor. Here he crafts a believable performance as a man struggling to take care of his family and maintain his living and care for his daughter. There is pain and anger at his life situation in Elliot’s performance. He looks at his daughter as probably a bit fragile yet all things considered she’s actually a fairly strong character.

Jessica is not strong because others are weaker in the story. She’s strong because she’s intelligent. She has hope and belief that things can get better and she takes action to make things better. At least action that is within her power. She’s not overly cute or ridiculously depressed as though she should be on medication.

Religion plays a prominent though not central role in Prancer. Scenes occur at the local church and Jessica even through her beliefs inspires the minister (Walter Charles) as well as bringing the town together. One good deed inspires others. This movie is sweet without being saccharine and rather heartfelt. At its core is about the possibilities that can be found in the season of Christmas. It’s about how hope and wonder can inspire others. It’s about how with love and willingness to work a family can make it through anything.

The major flaw in all this is that it often looks like a well-produced television movie. The camera is a bit static and the shots are often tight. However what saves this and makes it good viewing is good acting and a heartfelt story that pulls at your emotions.

Prancer is a good Christmas film that touches on the season and has a very good message at its core. This is certainly a movie I heartily recommend.