Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks teaming up has been a recipe for box-office success, with collaborations like Forrest Gump and Cast Away receiving tons of awards and nominations. Critics seemed to change their tune a little when the pair brought “The Polar Express” to life, based on a short children’s picture book of the same name.

The Polar Express movie definitely raises some questions. Like why did they think they could make a non-horrifying animated kids movie using entirely motion capture? What’s up with that hobo? Why does “Hero Boy” spend a bunch of time trying to give a girl her ticket back? What’s up with Tom Hanks playing all these characters? How does the kid still not believe while standing in the middle of the North Pole? Why is this all so unsettling and scary?

To answer all these questions and more, step inside the Pitch Meeting that led to The Polar Express! It’ll be super easy, barely an inconvenience.