Prancer

Since there are so few feature films geared toward younger viewers, one is inclined to overlook a flaw or two when the rare family film appears. Prancer, the story of a nine-year-old girl's relationship with one of Santa's reindeer, requires some serious overlooking. Jessica Riggs (Rebecca Harrell) has recently lost her mother, and now together with her struggling father, an apple farmer (Sam Elliot), and her bratty brother, faces the prospect of a hard Christmas ahead. When she discovers an injured reindeer, whom she believes to be none other than "Prancer," she hides him in a shed and tries to nurture him back to health before Christmas Eve. In addition to her grouchy father, Jessica must deal with Mrs. McFarland (Cloris Leachman), a cranky neighbor; a grouchy veterinarian (Abe Vigoda); a skeptical classmate; and her "I'm gonna tell" older brother. In Jessica's case, it's as Wordsworth said: "the world is too much with us." The deck is stacked so unfavorably against this pint-sized Atlas that only the most uncritical of audiences (i.e., children) will sympathize with Jessica's unbelievable plight. Still, this is sure to be popular, and since modern America is ever in need of false cheer, libraries may want to consider this. (R. Pitman)