Prancer (1989)

Directed by John Hancock. Starring Rebecca Harrell, Sam Elliott, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda, Rutyana Alda, Ariana Richards, Michael Constantine, John Joseph Duda, Mark Rolston, Johnny Galecki, Walter Charles. [G]

Young Harrell, whose widower father Elliott is struggling to stay afloat, is dealing with a crisis of faith when she discovers an injured reindeer and tries nursing it back to health, convinced that it’s actually the Prancer from Santa’s reindeer team. What could have been trite, sappy and cutesy turns out to be a surprisingly restrained and contemplative fable, heartwarming and ultimately cheerful, but grounded by the rural grit of the setting and the cold gloom of Misha Suslov’s photography. Not quite magical—indeed, its “magic” moments are a touch too corny—but still a subdued success as a family film for holiday viewing, featuring a clever and plucky young heroine well-played by Harrell, and a reliably gruff but soulful turn from Elliott. Followed by a direct-to-video sequel, Prancer Returns. A young Jesse Bradford has a bit part.

69/100