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Hal Scardino, Litefoot, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Jenkins, David Keith ... see more see more... , Sakina Jaffrey , Nestor Serrano , Steve Coogan , Gia Galeano , Rishi Bhat , Vincent Kartheiser

Based on the popular children's book by Lynne Reid Banks, this fantasy concerns a young boy who discovers that his toys are developing lives of their own -- which presents him with unexpected responsi... read more read more...bilities. Omri (Hal Scardino), a young boy growing up in Brooklyn, receives an odd variety of presents for his birthday: a wooden cabinet from his older brother, a set of antique keys from his mother Jane (Linsday Crouse), and a tiny plastic model of an Indian from his best friend Patrick (Rishi Bhat). Putting them all together, Omri locks the Indian inside the cabinet, only to be awoken by a strange sound in the middle of the night. Omri opens the cabinet to discover that the tiny Indian has come to life; it seems that he's called Little Bear (Litefoot), and he claims to have learned English from settlers in 1761. Omri hides this remarkable discovery from his mother but shares it with Patrick; as an experiment, Patrick locks a toy cowboy into the cupboard, and soon Little Bear has a companion, Boone (David Keith), though predictably, the cowboy and the Indian don't get along well at first. Omri comes to the realizations that his living and breathing playthings are also people with lives of their own, and he begins to wonder how much control he should really have over their lives. The Indian in the Cupboard was directed by Frank Oz, best known as one of the original puppeteers for The Muppets and the voice of Miss Piggy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

41% liked it

59,250 ratings

Critics

68% liked it

19 critics

PG, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Frank Oz

Release Date: July 14, 1995

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DVD Release Date: July 3, 2001

Stats: 2,187 reviews

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The Indian in the Cupboard its fuccen true... and no Bytchz cant take it...lol holla..~1~ Little Bear
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Flixster Reviews (2,187)

  • kiriyamakazou
    September 10, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    Underrated and highly involving movie for kids. A young boy finds out that his cupboard has magical powers and can turn plastic into reality. He first turns a plastic Indian into a real human being. The movie teaches about responsibility but in an understandable way. It isn't pat... read moreronizing nor childish, which means older audiences should relate to it also. It also mediates on life and death at certain points, and was the first film in a long time to be genuinely emotionally shocking. The relationship between the Indian and the cowboy was very well developed as they started to bond over their tragedies. The film does have a number of loose edges. Rishi Bhat was particularly annoying at times, but in a way he was necessary to play off Scardino. Even Scardino wasn't always a lovable protagonist. In one scene he kicks his brother's pet rat down the stairs, in an event where the rat clearly would have died. As the film hadn't relied on cartoon logic up until that point it was a bit out of place. Great effects, and seeing Darth Vader vs. a T-Rex kind of made up for those moments. A more innocent time when children's movies didn't have to be loud and crass.
  • ajv2688
    June 7, 2011
    ajv2688
    I didn't like this movie when I was a kid, but I haven't seen it since, so I don't remember why really... I should see it again sometime.
  • thmtsang
    January 2, 2011
    thmtsang
    Children's movie about a boy who finds a real life Indian in the cupboard.
  • ythelastman89
    May 11, 2010
    ythelastman89
    An unintentionally weird and bizarre kid's movie. I really do wish I had this cupboard, but Omri had no idea how to control or take advantage of this amazing tool. This really just doesn't go anywhere except into a semi-history lesson about the nature of cowboys and Indians. The... read morere was no need for it to be preachy. However, it does have some good moments and it was honestly a nice try.
  • FilmFanatik
    February 23, 2010
    FilmFanatik
    Pretty bad.
  • fb733768972
    January 18, 2010
    fb733768972
    Very good! Very well made!
  • ScoopOnline
    December 12, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    I can watch this Movie over and over again, it is such a sweet TV Movie.
  • superclerk25
    April 26, 2008
    superclerk25
    Good movie for the kids. I liked the part where he brings his Robocop and Darth Vader figures to life.
  • LitelBluHli
    December 2, 2007
    LitelBluHli
    I loved it when my teacher read this book to us in 5th grade. The movie was pretty neat also.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    September 18, 2007
    FiLmCrAzY
    i like this film its very sweet and gd

View All The Indian in the Cupboard Reviews

Critic Reviews

Douglas Pratt
June 15, 2007
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser

The 98 minute drama takes good advantage of the premise, however, to provide some simple intelligent lessons about tolerance. cultural diversity and the nature of life, utilizing the magic of filmmaki...

Steve Crum
May 25, 2007
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Inventive children's yarn with good special effects.

Daniel M. Kimmel
January 30, 2004
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

(No quote available.)

Fred Topel
September 10, 2003
Fred Topel, About.com

Wonderful adaptation of classic book

November 6, 2009
Entertainment Weekly

Click to read the article Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

David Ansen
November 4, 2008
David Ansen, Newsweek

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

April 12, 2002
Globe and Mail

Click to read the article Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Indian in the Cupboard Trivia

  • A young boy has adventures with his toy indian that has come to life?  Answer »
  • In the indian and the cupboard, what was the cowboy's nickname??  Answer »
  • in the movie "The Indian in the Cupboard", what is the name of the toy indian that comes to life?  Answer »
  • What actor played Little Bear in the movie The Indian In The Cupboard?  Answer »
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