"Prancer", a Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz

Answer: a Christmas decoration

The Christmas decoration that falls is one of the wooden reindeer that is pulling Santa's sleigh. This is foreshadowing of the reindeer that Jesse encounters later that evening as she nears her family's farm.

Answer: shoot it

The deer has a bad wound on its leg and John takes his gun out of the truck to shoot it. As he and Jesse fight over this the deer slips away into the woods.

Answer: cookies

Jesse uses Christmas cookies to get the deer to follow her to another shelter. She feeds Prancer cookies several times and eventually runs out. The reindeer has a white mark on its face like a reindeer named Prancer that Jesse saw in a magazine so she names him Prancer, believing him to be Santa's Prancer.

"Twas the Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clark Moore (originally written by Major Henry Livingston in 1807 and called "A Visit from St. Nicholas") includes the names of St. Nicholas's reindeer and Prancer is listed third.

Answer: sleds onto her property, damaging her plants

Jesse and her friend go sledding down a hill near Ms McFarland's property. Jesse accidently gets on her property and runs through her flowers, which are not blooming at this time of the year.

Cloris Leachman did a great job with the role of Ms McFarland. She is an Oscar winner and an eight-time Emmy winner.

Answer: Dr. Benton

Dr. Benton reluctantly agrees to help Jesse with Prancer and he provides the medicine that's needed to heal him. He tells Jesse that he thinks the reindeer has escaped from an animal show, but later discovers this not to be so.

Benton is played by Abe Vigoda in this film. Vigoda received three Emmy nominations for his work as Detective Sargent Phil Fish on the "Barney Miller" television series in the '70s.

Answer: Carol wasn't sure that she believed in Santa Claus, God or heaven.

The fact that Jesse's mother had died prior to the beginning of the movie made the subject of God and heaven particularly sensitive to her. When Carol expressed her doubts this upset Jesse. The theme of faith and hope in the movie is strong and Jesse struggles with these things.

Answer: to request that her letter to Santa be delivered to him

Jesse, believing that the deer was actually Prancer, wanted to return him to Santa. She knew that the Santa at the mall wasn't the real one, but trusted that he could deliver her letter. Jesse didn't even ask for anything when Santa asked her what she wanted.

Michael Constantine was the man behind the whiskers. He won an Emmy for his role on the television show "Room 222" in 1970. He has also been nominated for several Golden Globe awards.

Answer: She helped put up Christmas lights on Ms McFarland's house.

Jesse agreed to clean any room in Ms McFarland's house for $5.00, but Ms McFarland gave her $15.00 for cleaning and helping put up her outdoor Christmas lights. Jesse used the money to buy oats for Prancer.

Answer: It was in the local newspaper.

"Santa", Mr. Stewart, delivered Jesse's letter to the editor of the local newspaper after receiving it from Jesse at the mall. The editor liked the story and wrote about Jesse and Prancer in the newspaper.

Answer: He used it to attract customers to his Christmas tree lot.

The butcher showed up at the Riggs' farm after hearing about Prancer. John was just about to shoot the deer when the butcher stepped in to stop him.

Riggs was played by Sam Elliott. He is a television and movie actor who has been nominated for Emmy and Golden Globe awards. He has won several Western Heritage Awards.

Answer: She fell out of a tree.

Jesse fell out of a tree while trying to rescue Prancer from the butcher's Christmas tree lot. Prancer ended up getting out and lay down beside Jesse until help arrived.

Rebecca Harrell did a great job with the role of Jesse in this movie. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her role in this movie in 1990.

Answer: O' Tannenbaum

This surprise visit to cheer Jesse up included both "O' Tannenbaum" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", but "O' Tannenbaum" was first. Tannenbaum is German for Christmas tree.

Answer: Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus

Jesse had previously read this same passage to Prancer out in the shelter where she kept him. It is a passage that encourages Jesse to believe in Santa Claus.

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" is a famous editorial that was written by Francis Pharcellus Church in response to a young girl's question about the existence of Santa Claus. The young girl's name was Virginia O'Hanlon. The editorial first appeared in New York's "Sun" newspaper in 1897.

Answer: Antler Ridge

Jesse had told Santa in her letter that she would meet him on the 23rd at Antler Ridge at midnight so that he could pick up Prancer. This meeting was a day late.

Answer: Prancer joined Santa and his sleigh as he moved across the sky.

Jesse and her dad were standing at the edge of a rock drop-off wondering where Prancer had gone after they released him. She heard his bells, looked up in the sky and saw him join Santa and his reindeer. This was a great magical moment in the movie.