The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

Young Hal Scardino stars as a sensitive boy who discovers a way to bring plastic toys to life in a locked cupboard. One of those toys, a 19th-century Iroquois warrior (played by actor Litefoot), was actually a real warrior now only several inches tall. A bond eventually develops between boy and warrior, and a six-shooting toy cowboy (David Keith). As with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Indian in the Cupboard (which was written by E.T. scribe Melissa Mathison) is about a magical visitor connecting with a lonely child. But director Frank Oz (In & Out) has made the film far too stiff and dramatically flat to get across the enchantment necessary to make the fantasy work. Watching this is like listening to someone who can't tell a good story to save his life, yet who is trying to captivate your attention and heart. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

Indian in Cupboard

This is an excellent movie for families. It gets children's imaginations working and promotes discussion on right/wrong, caring, discovering that "different" people aren't so very different after all. Highly recommended. April 7, 2008

My goodness, what an insult to the book!!

We just got done reading this book in our homeschool so naturally I rented this movie hoping it would bring the words to life. This movie is a mere shadow of the book. Omri's family is nice and even the boy who plays him is okay. The Native American who played the "Indian" (Litefoot) did a wonderful job but the script was so pathetic. The boy who played Patrick was repugnant and not much of a real friend. One of the major things that just absolutely kills this movie for me is the excessive amount of cussing (at one point Omri even says a cuss word to his mom, and she responds with a proud, wide-mouthed grin). Not only that, but in one scene the boys even have the cowboy and Indian watching a raunchy music video, and plenty is shown to make it offensive. These were fatal mistakes in my opinion, I am sure I am not the only one who was turned off by these things. It would have been so awesome to see what a really good director could have done with this movie. January 12, 2008

A classic tale given the breath of life!

It has been some time since I read the Indian in the Cupboard book series and I remember enjoying every moment filled with magic and suspense. I received this movie as a Christmas gift and I was excited to see this wonderful children's book be adapted for a movie.

My first impression of the film was completely unadulterated as I had not seen any trailers prior and I had heard nothing by word of mouth. I was completely taken back by the movie and could not believe that this slipped through my fingers after so many years have passed since its release.

The acting is superb and really captures the sense of wonder and magic experienced by Omri and his magical cupboard. The Indian, Cowboy and Soldier all gave flawless performances and truly conveyed the idea that they were a mere two inches tall. The development of their character far exceeded my expectations as they gave the breath of life to these characters found in the books. The audience can do nothing but sympathize with each of them and their separation from the culture to which they respectively belong.

The sets featured in this film were absolutely amazing, breathtaking and projected the fine attention to detail and superior talent of these set designers. Each of the environments and large scale items such as Omri's shoe, were all fashioned with perfection. Even the longhouse the Indian built throughout the film was magnificent and beautiful! So much painstaking effort was put into bringing this lovely tale to life.

The plot is very touching. The director does an excellent job drawing the audience into the well-crafted and heartwarming story. So many positive and inspiring messages are presented here from which children of all ages can benefit. Although the movie did not hold completely true to the book on which it was based, all of the details taken directly from it were relevant. This is what separates the two forms of media apart and places the film into its own appreciated category.

I highly recommend The Indian in the Cupboard for the whole family or anyone who enjoys an excellent tale of adventure, suspense and magic. Get your own copy today! This film will not let you down. December 31, 2007

XLT movie perfect for the family

My family has always enjoyed this movie, It is a cute story, and will make your kids want a vintage cupboard. October 5, 2007

indian in the cupboard

i order this movie because my mom had order it years ago. and i ask her if i could take and watch it, she didnt have it anymore..so i went on line and searched it, and found it on amazon.. i really enjoyed the movie, i like all the special effect. when armory received the cupbroard for a birthday gift from one of his brothers.. and his friend came over and he gave armory a indian and armory put the indian in the cupbroad and when he closed the door the indian came alive... its just a wonderful movie for kids to set and watch.. i watch it at least 3 times sence i had it.. September 24, 2007

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