A CHRISTMAS SNOW

 

 

Regular readers of this blog (God help you!) will undoubtedly know that I'm not a big fan of overly-inspirational films, including--but not limited to!--Christmas-themed movies. However, after watching A Christmas Snow (I know, not the most inspired movie title ever!), I decided to make an exception. A Christmas Snow is one of those "independently-released" flicks released by one of these "religious-themed" movie companies. Anyway, the premise of the film is simple enough: three people are stranded together in an apartment on a snowy Christmas Eve. The woman whose apartment they're stranded in is a cynical restaurateur (played by Catherine Mary-Stewart) who--gasp!--doesn't celebrate Christmas ever since her father--double gasp!--ran out on her and her mother on--triple gasp!--Christmas Eve. Stranded with her are a kind-hearted homeless older man--played by the raspy-voiced guy who plays Mark Harmon's mentor on the popular TV show NCIS--whom she takes in after he helps her out with some hooligans along with the rather bratty younger daughter of her soon-to-be-fiance. Anyway, as you might've already guessed, the woman comes to grips with her past and learns to get along with her fiance's rather bratty daughter and get into the Christmas spirit with--of course!--the help of the kindly homeless man. This theme has, it probably goes without saying, been mined countless times before in countless other Christmas flicks that you can see on the Hallmark channel at practically any given moment. What I think sets A Christmas Snow apart is that it doesn't get as schmaltzy or overly-sentimental as some--or most--of these other Christmas flicks. There's also, as one might expect, religious aspects to the film, especially when the homeless man tells the cynical woman about his religious conversion. But it's not as in-your-face about it as some--or most--religious-themed flicks I've seen. There's also a supernatural twist towards the end of the film that I thought was a nice twist. So, if you're a "Scrooge" like yours truly and you are not otherwise a big fan of these type of movies and your significant others in your life pester you about wanting to watch a Christmas film around the holiday and you don't want to watch the umpteenth rerun of It's A Wonderful Life (which, needless to say, you WON'T see "reviewed" on this blog!), this might make a nice alternative.