Snow Angels (2007)

A drama that interweaves the life of a teenager, with his old baby sitter, her estranged husband, and their daughter.

Director:

David Gordon Green

Writers:

David Gordon Green (screenplay), Stewart O'Nan (novel)

Stars:

Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Michael Angarano

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Beckinsale	...	Annie Marchand
Sam Rockwell	...	Glenn Marchand
Michael Angarano	...	Arthur Parkinson
Jeannetta Arnette	...	Louise Parkinson
Griffin Dunne	...	Don Parkinson
Nicky Katt	...	Nate Petite
Tom Noonan	...	Mr. Chervenick
Connor Paolo	...	Warren Hardesky
Amy Sedaris	...	Barb Petite
Olivia Thirlby	...	Lila Raybern
Gracie Hudson	...	Tara Marchand (as Grace Hudson)
Brian Downey	...	Frank Marchand
Carroll Godsman	...	Olive Marchand
Daniel Lillford	...	Rafe
Deborah Allen	...	May Van Dorn

Storyline

On a cold afternoon, with snow on the ground, the high school band is practicing for the last football game. They hear shots. Flashback a few weeks before. Arthur is a high school student, bussing at a restaurant. Annie and Barb are waitresses there - Annie was Arthur's babysitter when he was little. She's now separated from her husband Glenn, who's on the wagon, starting a new job, praying to Jesus, and trying to prove he has his balance back so he can see more of their small daughter, Tara. Annie's seeing someone else, Arthur's parents have just separated, and Arthur is attracted to Lila, a new student at the high school. It's a small town, people's lives cross.

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Plot Keywords:

school | small town | football game | flashback | snow | 

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Taglines:

Some will fall. Some will fly.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violent content, brief sexuality and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Independent Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 2008 (Greece)

Also Known As:

Angeloi apo hioni

Filming Locations:

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,247, 9 March 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$402,820, 1 June 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crossroads Films,Snow Blower Productions,True Love Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Rockwell really did hit his head on the truck, and punch the tree. (reference an interview at vimeo.com/859232) Previously he had gotten tips from a stunt man on how to head-bang the truck without hurting himself too much. However, when he hit the tree with his knuckles, he did it for real, and hard. He visited the hospital in the evening.

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Goofs

In the scene where Arthur takes a swig from a bottle of beer hidden on the floor, he raises it with the label facing him. In the next cut scene, as he lowers the bottle, the label can be clearly seen facing the camera.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. Chervenick: [talking to his marching band through a megaphone] Wrong, wrong, wrong! This is our last home game, people, and I don't understand what the problem is. Look at the person next to you. Do it! Look at the person behind you. I don't think we need the smiles. Thank you. Now we're all part of a formation. Every pers...
[megaphone squeals so he sets it aside]
Mr. Chervenick: Every person matters. Every step is an anticipation of the next. And if you don't think you have a complete concept of what we're ...
[...]

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Connections

References Top Gun (1986)

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Soundtracks

Chinese Character 2
Written and Performed by John Leach
By Arrangement with Media Creature Music (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Kate Beckinsale's best movie and a great chunk of life.

'Snow Angels' is a movie based on a book by Stewart O'Nan. It is directed by David Gordon Green, and stars Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, and Michael Angarano. Rockwell and Beckinsale portray a recently divorced couple with a daughter, who were high school sweethearts. Angarano plays a teenager, who used to be baby-sat by Annie (Beckinsale). The movie follows the lives of several people, including Annie and Glenn (Rockwell), Arthur (Angrano) and his parents, and others as some relationships are built and others are destroyed.

The movie has a strong real-life feeling to it, thanks to great writing by Green and great acting skills by the cast. There are scenes where Annie yells at her child that may seem to be out of place at first glance, but are actually amazing true-to-life ways to express how sometimes parents can lose their tempers with their children. The scenes show how sometimes kids can try to push their parents' buttons, or play their parents against each other without even knowing it.

The acting is absolutely wonderful – the actors show a wide range, from joy to sorrow, and from humor to violent anger. There are times when you love and sympathize with the characters, and there are times when you hate them so much your blood boils – that's how strongly the audience connects to the characters. By the end of the movie, you feel drained, as if you just watched someone you love die.

There were times when the whole audience laughed together, and there were times when the whole audience grew silent in discomfort. The way that this movie consists of laugh-out-loud moments and moments when you just want to tear your heart out and break out a box of tissues is what makes it an outstanding movie. This movie doesn't even have to try to get its audience to love it. The script is chock-full of wit, life at its best and worst, and humor for every generation. The movie left me walking out of the BAM theater smiling and wishing I could watch it again, not wondering why I'd wasted over 10 bucks on a ticket.

The only problem I found with the movie was that its setting was a bit confusing. There were scenes where the characters used cell phones, and others where there were those record players for LPs. But other than that, the movie was flawless.

Beckinsale is at her best here, not only in looks, but in acting range. She took me on another world as I sympathized with her, felt angry at her, felt happy with her, and watched her as her character's story unfolded before my very eyes. This is one of her best movies, and to me it IS her best movie.

10/10, for sure.