The Indian in the Cupboard

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995) is a family fantasy you can watch online on iFILM. For his ninth birthday, Omri gets a battered old cupboard and a small plastic Indian — the two dullest gifts in the whole pile.

He locks the figure inside one night, turns the key, and by morning finds a living man just a few inches tall standing in the cupboard. This is Little Bear, an Iroquois warrior from the 18th century, with his own temper, his own past, and every right to his own life. Omri learns fast that bringing people to life for fun is no game, but his friend Patrick is already reaching for a cowboy to add. Musician Litefoot plays the Indian, with Lindsay Crouse and Richard Jenkins as the adults.

The film was directed by Frank Oz — the Muppets puppeteer behind Little Shop of Horrors — from Lynne Reid Banks's children's novel. It's a story about treating another life with care, even one that fits in your palm. Stream The Indian in the Cupboard (1995) online on iFILM.