All your decorations will look lovely
on the Christmas tree.
If anybody needs help cutting out,
just raise your hand, okay?
Beautiful work, everyone.
Now, as it's your last day,
I'd like William
to come up here and show
everyone what you've made.
Don't be shy.
Up you come.
Go on.
Well done, William.
I think you should be the first to
put your new ornament on the tree.
Come over, everyone.
"Why did the little snowman get told off
for looking in a bag of carrots?"
I don't know. Why?
Because he was picking his nose.
William.
Good luck in your new home.
We'll miss you.
Your new room is so big, William.
And we've got plenty of space
in the sitting room
for a really big Christmas tree.
We're going to have
a playroom for all of your things.
And the garden is really something.
There are fields at the bottom
and some woods there too.
I bet you're looking forward to meeting
your new class and teachers, William.
Your teacher is so nice.
I bet all the boys and girls will be
really excited to have a new friend.
Sir.
Now then, are you gonna help us
shift some of these boxes, young man?
Good afternoon, William.
Momo!
Tip. Watch the doorframe there.
Hello, Mary.
Afternoon, all.
Let's give your parents
a few minutes to settle in
and give you the chance to explore.
It's so big, Momo.
Exciting, isn't it?
Lots of room for adventures.
- We both play, actually.
- Really?
Well, I try to play.
She's cooking for 18 people.
Do you want to come and build a snowman?
Not right now, sweetheart.
The children made them.
I do love this time of year.
- Please, yes. Honestly.
- Caroline, did you say
you're spending Christmas
with your mother?
Yes.
I'm William.
Would you like to play with me?
My name is William.
Would you like to play?
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel
"Dear William,
We will miss you lots and lots
and wish you all the best
in your new home.
Lots of love, Mary, Arthur, Bonnie,
Paul, Lizzie, Jane, Alice, John."
Lights-out now, William, please.
Big day tomorrow.
Yes!
Merry Christmas, my love.
Merry Christmas, Momo.
You said I could get out of bed at 7:00.
I've been waiting forever.
You sure it's 7:00?
I only heard six chimes.
I counted seven, Momo. Honest!
Well, if it's 7:00, I guess we should see
if Father Christmas has been.
Yes!
I wonder who this one is for.
Merry Christmas, sweetheart.
Hello, Rabbit.
Rabbit.
We made it, Rabbit.
Yes.
- Merry Christmas.
- Yeah. You all right?
- Merry Christmas. Thank you, Vicar.
- Merry Christmas.
Barely.
Well, if you don't have to move...
Come on, little one.
Time for bed.
W...
Will do.
Merry Christmas, love.
Good evening and Merry Christmas.
Welcome to the playroom.
I'm the Wise Horse.
Who are you?
I'm... Well, I'm a rabbit, I suppose.
Who's there, Wise Horse?
It's a new toy. A rabbit by all accounts.
There we are.
- Come on.
- Let me see.
There we go.
Doesn't look like much to me.
What say you, Rabbit?
Are you even real?
How do you mean?
I'm made of metal just like a real car.
And see these small,
black circles at my sides?
- Real cars have them as well.
- Oh, yeah.
In the business, we call them wheels.
Wheels.
And last but not least...
Lion, come and wind me up.
I have a real, fully working motor.
All the Boy needs to do is wind me up
and I zoom right past him.
So fast.
- Careful now.
- Watch out!
Out of the way!
That was a close one.
Lion here is real too of course.
Yes! Look at my legs.
They're jointed like real lion legs
so I can pounce like a cat
and sneak up on my prey.
And I'm a real king.
Look at my splendid clothes
and my splendid crown.
These gemstones are real emeralds
and rubies...
They're made of wood.
How dare you speak to
the king of the playroom in that way?
I demand that you bow before me,
you decrepit old beast.
Or don't bow.
I decree that the Wise Horse
does not have to bow.
Forgive me, Wise Horse,
you know how carried away I get.
It's these clothes.
They're just so splendid.
What do you make of this new toy?
I don't like it.
If we let this so-called rabbit
sleep in the toy box,
there's a risk he'd be picked
to be bedtime toy.
What's "bedtime toy"?
Most nights,
they pick a toy out of the toy box
for the Boy to take to bed with him.
Where is the Boy? When will he be back?
Enough questions!
We have to make a decision.
This toy has no moving parts
and no joints.
I say we have nothing to do with him
and that he is banished
to the far side of the playroom.
- Come now. Leave the poor thing.
- Seconded!
Agreed.
Well then.
Off you go to the far corner
where you can't be seen.
Further!
This is a...
Back when I was new, there was a system.
Toys respected their betters.
It's disgraceful.
- Can I go downstairs again?
- Come on now.
Straight into bed, please.
You've had a full day.
But I'm not tired.
You were just fast asleep.
But it's still Christmas.
Can you get him some water, darling?
Then grab a bedtime toy.
Wise Horse, what does "real" mean?
Does it mean having bits
of you that move about or...
Don't listen to the others, Rabbit.
Being real isn't about
how you're put together.
It's a thing that happens to you.
When a child loves you for a long,
long time,
not just to play with
but really loves you,
then you become real.
It's part of the magic of make-believe.
Does it hurt?
I suppose it does a little
because loved toys
get so worn out
from all the adventures they go on.
But believe me, it's worth it.
When children love you,
they do it with all of their hearts.
If there is a more beautiful feeling,
I do not know it.
I should like to become real one day.
Well, if the Boy loves you, then you will.
Someone's coming.
- Look out!
- Look out!
It's time!
You never know.
- Move. Move.
- She's pushing me.
Give me some room.
Which toy?
My rabbit!
Perfect.
Sweet dreams.
Night night.
Hello, Rabbit.
Would you like to play with me?
Great. I need someone
who's good at digging tunnels.
And since you're a rabbit, I figured
you'll be the best person for the job.
What are we waiting for then?
Wow.
Rabbit,
you're the best digger I have ever seen.
We must be a million miles
underground already.
We need to be careful.
The earth is dry and the tunnel
could collapse at any moment.
Us rabbits know about such things.
By my calculations, we're about halfway.
Where are we going?
We're going to Chisup.
It's where I used to live.
All my friends are there.
I don't have any friends here.
You have me.
You're right.
You're my new friend,
which means you're my best friend too.
Gosh, I've never been anyone's
best friend before.
Look how fast we're digging.
We'll be there in no time.
I've hit something.
A treasure map!
Wow.
What's that?
The tunnel!
It's collapsing.
Quick, Rabbit, we need to get out of here.
Hold on to me.
- We're not gonna make it!
- We will. We're almost there.
We made it, Rabbit.
We're safe.
Now that we're best friends,
we'll have to go looking
for that treasure together.
Class, there's someone
I'd like to introduce you to.
William, could you come up here, please?
Come on.
Class, say hello to William.
Hello, William.
William, would you like to say a few words
about yourself to everyone?
That's okay, William.
You can sit down now.
So, last week we were talking
about autumn.
Can anyone remember
what happens in the autumn?
Hello.
Aren't you the boy from next door?
Do you want to come play with us?
Leave him, Lucy. Come and play.
Quick! Let's storm the castle
while the drawbridge is down.
I think the treasure's in the throne room.
William, lunch is ready.
More lettuce?
I'm full too.
But no matter how much I eat,
Momo always makes me eat two more bites.
Listen,
I've got a plan to find the treasure.
We need some magic.
George says fairies live out there.
If you want to meet one,
you have to build a little house for them.
Momo.
Rabbit and I have finished.
Can we go and play again?
Have two more bites.
Proper bites.
So, this is an official fairy house.
All we have to do now
is say a fairy blessing.
Fairies flutter, twinkle and fly.
Come to this garden, above is the sky.
Fearless William and Rabbit say,
"Alakazam. Alakazoo!
We need your magic, so do come here, do!"
Now, when we least expect it,
a magic fairy will appear
and help us find the treasure.
Night night, Momo.
Gosh, look at that rabbit.
Let me take him away and sew him up.
No! You can't, Momo.
You can't take Rabbit.
All right, all right.
Goodness me.
I was only gonna fix him up a little.
All this fuss over a toy.
He's not a toy, Momo. He's real.
Okay, if you say so.
Night night.
The Boy?
Yes.
Said you're real?
Yes.
- You?
- Yes.
Do you feel any different?
I don't know.
I don't think so.
You look the same as you did before.
You look like a toy.
But you're all toys,
and you say you're real.
Yes, but we don't mean it.
We are just pretending.
And at least we resemble something
of what we're supposed to be.
The lion has a mane.
- The king has a crown.
- Oh, well, yeah.
Look at you.
You look shabby.
- You've been torn.
- Yeah. Yep, yep.
And I hate to say it,
but I think I can see your stuffing.
He's filled with...
My goodness! What are you filled with?
In all my years, what kind of toy
does not have regulation innards?
How on earth can you be real
when you're such a mess?
Enough.
What do any of you know
about what it means to be real?
The Boy knows best,
and if he says the rabbit is real,
then he is.
Someone's coming.
Rabbit,
I know the fairy spell didn't work,
but we can't wait any longer.
We need to find the treasure
before someone else does.
I think it's in the enchanted forest.
I saw it move, Rabbit.
I swear I saw something.
No!
I don't think
it's that much of a problem, is it?
What's that, Rabbit?
But he's always on his own.
That can't be good for him.
It's not just me.
His teachers have noticed it too.
Making friends takes time.
It's been months.
How much longer can we leave it?
He seems happy enough with his rabbit.
He doesn't have any real friends.
What type of treasure is it
that we're looking for?
Is it gold?
Or jewels?
Or chocolate bars?
No, I don't think
it's any of those things.
I'm not sure what it is,
but I think we'll know it when we see it.
We need to be quiet.
The forest is full of dangerous animals.
We rabbits communicate without speaking.
For example, when we sense danger,
we stamp our foot like this.
We also do this.
What does that mean?
Well, it means hello
and it also means goodbye.
Hello and goodbye are the same thing?
Right, because when you say goodbye
to one thing, you say hello to another.
Every ending is just the beginning
of something new.
You already did that one.
It means something dangerous is...
Run!
Leave me behind. Save yourself.
Never!
Oh, no. We're trapped.
Hold on.
That was incredible.
I cannot believe you did that.
- Yes! We did it, Rabbit.
- You did it.
Are you okay?
I'm fine.
William!
Are you all right?
Come see.
- Who are you?
- What are you?
I'm a rabbit. Just like you.
Well, you don't look like a rabbit.
You look like a toy.
I was a toy rabbit,
but now I'm a real rabbit.
When a child loves you, you turn real.
That's how the magic
of make-believe works.
Well, can you move about?
Well, not really.
Can you hop?
It doesn't have proper legs.
How can you be a real rabbit
if you can't hop?
I don't know.
You say you become real
if a child loves you.
Well, how can you know for sure
if this child of yours does love you?
Did it say so?
No, he said I was real.
But I just thought...
If he loved you,
why would he leave you out here?
In the cold.
Come on.
It'll soon be dark.
- We'd better head back to the warren.
- Good luck.
Good luck to you, toy rabbit.
Poor thing.
What are you doing out here?
Come on. Back to where you belong.
Where have you been, Rabbit?
The Boy left me outside.
Real rabbits came
and said that I was still just a toy.
I think maybe they were right.
Maybe the Boy doesn't love me
and that's why I'm still not real.
The Boy's very sick, Rabbit.
What? How do you mean?
He's in bed with a high fever.
We overheard the doctor talking
to the Boy's mother about it last night.
But the Boy will be okay, won't he?
He'll be all right.
His uncle had something similar
many years ago.
He almost didn't make it through.
Many don't.
There's something else, Rabbit.
When his uncle was ill,
afterwards they burned everything
he had recently touched.
On the doctor's orders.
They do it to stop the illness
spreading to others.
So, tonight when they come in for a toy,
you must hide.
For if you don't and you get picked,
then that's the end for you.
Do you understand?
Look. The doctor.
- Thank you for coming.
- Of course.
I have to be honest with you. He's...
He's very sick.
Will he be all right?
I'm sorry. It's touch and go.
It's going to be a difficult night.
He needs you to be strong for him.
I'll...
I'll go and get him a bedtime toy.
She's coming. Hide.
Get out of here.
She's coming.
Rabbit, you must move.
If she takes you into that room
then you'll be thrown on the bonfire.
On all of our adventures together,
he never once left me behind.
So I shan't leave him.
Rabbit, please come to your senses.
It'll be the end for you.
I mean, you said it yourself,
the Boy left you outside.
Maybe he didn't love you after all.
That may be true, but I love him.
Here's your favorite, my love.
Is that you, Rabbit?
It's me.
I'm scared.
I know.
So am I.
I wish I was more brave.
I've always wished that.
How could you be more brave?
On all of our adventures together,
you were always the one who saved the day.
You never left me behind.
You mustn't wish to be different.
You're perfect the way you are.
Do you really think I'm brave?
The very bravest.
My parents say we can go to the seaside
when I get better.
Won't that be nice?
Maybe we'll find the treasure there.
Maybe it's buried in the sand.
We don't need to find the treasure.
I've found the treasure already.
I love you, Rabbit.
I love you too.
Get the windows open throughout the house.
Get some fresh air in here.
I was planning on making soup for him
for lunch, Doctor.
- Would that be all right?
- That's perfect.
Now, everything that was near William when
he was contagious will have to be burned.
We don't want this illness
being passed on.
So, sheets, pajamas, toys, everything.
Good job you're here today, George.
That's all for the bonfire.
I'll see to it now.
I'll get me matches.
I'm glad little William's on the mend.
Won't be an hour
till he's causing mischief again.
Well, as it should be.
- Now, I'll get this fire started.
- Thanks, George.
Turned chilly now, eh?
No! No!
Please, don't upset yourself, my love.
I'm not upset!
Where is he?
It's his rabbit.
He wants to know where it is.
William.
Rabbit's gone.
What do you mean? Where is he?
He was all old and worn,
so we had to throw him out.
Why did you do that?
Look, if you're a good boy,
maybe Father Christmas
will bring you a new toy.
I don't want a new toy, I want my rabbit.
I want my rabbit back.
What day is it?
Oh, my, my.
Winter already?
I think I overslept.
Who are you?
I'm the Playroom Fairy, in charge
of make-believe magic and suchlike.
My job is to take care of the toys
that are no longer needed
when they're old or worn out.
Why are you crying?
I'm sad because I'm going to miss the Boy.
Because I'll never play with him again.
I'm sad because I thought
I'd become real if he loved me.
But maybe he never did.
Of course he loved you.
My goodness, he loved you as much
as it's possible to love another.
Then why didn't I become real?
You don't become real
by making someone love you.
You become real when you act
with unconditional love and with kindness.
Like you did last night.
So I'm real now?
But if I'm real, why don't
I have thick fur and proper legs?
And why can't I hop?
Good gracious, where on earth
do you toys get your ideas from?
Being real is not about how you look.
It's about what's in your heart.
You loved the Boy, and the Boy loved you.
Look at you, for heaven's sake.
Look how worn out with love you are.
Some of the other toys say I'm very ugly.
Then they don't know
what it is to be beautiful.
Now, I have a reward for you
for being such a good toy.
Now then, William. It's eight o'clock.
I thought I'd hear you tearing downstairs
at one minute past 7:00.
Come on. Let me see a smile.
It's Christmas.
You've gotta smile
on Christmas Day. It's the rules.
That's it.
Now, come on.
Feels heavy. I wonder what it could be.
Why don't you put your coat and boots on
and take it outside?
See if you can fly it.
Hello, Rabbit.
Goodbye, Rabbit.
Thank you.
Hello, my name is William.
Would you like to play?
Velveteen Rabbit, The (2023)
Moderator: Maskath3