The Nightmare Before Christmas

A closer look at the story

Jack Skellington, the lanky and charismatic king of Halloween Town, has grown weary of pulling the same frights on humans every October. When he stumbles upon the bright, warm and cheerful world of Christmas, he becomes determined to recreate the holiday in his own town's style. His plan is to put Santa Claus out of the way and handle the deliveries himself, but the presents crafted by Halloween Town's eerie residents are hardly what children are hoping to find. Sally, a rag doll quietly devoted to Jack, fears that the whole scheme is heading for disaster. Directed by Henry Selick from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson, the 76-minute 1993 animated film features the voices of Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman and Catherine O'Hara in a dark, tuneful and endearing fairy tale.