Georges Méliès
The Station Inspector
Hugo’s Father
Mama Jeanne
Etienne
Rene Tabard
Hugo is the kind of “smart” kid that adults are constantly chasing after. He is a twelve-year-old boy who lives in a train station.
Hugo is an orphan, and his uncle, who's supposed to be taking care of him, is a drunk who just so happens to have disappeared. Therefore, Hugo runs the clocks in the station, and spends his days avoiding the Station Inspector, who is not the nicest of people.
Unfortunately for him, he gets caught stealing a toy mechanical mouse to use in his attempt to repair this mysterious machine that he finds in an old museum attic with his dad. (later, his dad died in a fire in the museum).
The old man who catches him is named Georges Melies, and he owns the toy booth. He has a goddaughter named Isabelle, who tries to help Hugo out, even though her uncle is more than a little annoyed of the kid. George takes Hugo’s notebook that contains all the notes on how to fix that automaton of his. Hugo agrees to work at the old man's toy booth for a while if the old man might (just might) give back his notebook.
When he goes to hug Isabelle goodbye, he snatches away her necklace, which he’s noticed looks strikingly like the keyhole in the back of the automaton’s body. A keyhole he's always wondered about. So he goes looking for the machine.
Characters:
Hugo Cabret
Isabelle
Georges Melies
The Station Inspector
Hugo’s Father
Mama Jeanne
Etienne
Rene Tabard
Hugo sticks Isabelle's key into the back of the automaton, and the little mechanical man immediately begins to draw a picture. A scene from A Trip to the Moon, one of Hugo’s dad’s favorite films.
They are even more surprised when the automaton signs a name at the end: Georges Melies.
Hugo follows Isabelle back to her apartment, where they confront Mama Jeanne about the drawing. She guides them into the bedroom, telling them that Hugo needs to “sneak out” after Papa Georges