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

David Gordon Green, who would end up directing the film, first worked on the script for another director. After 3 years, this other director moved on to other projects and Green was approached by the producers to make the film.

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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

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Sandra Bullock/Rod Stewart (2015)

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Soundtracks

What Happens After
Written by Christopher Hrasky, Michael James, Munaf Rayani, Mark T. Smith
Published by Explosions in the Sky Music (BMI)
Performed by Explosions in the Sky
Courtesy of Temporary Residence Ltd.

User Reviews

An Absolute Gem!

SNOW ANGELS is a absolute gem! It is an example of a small scale indie that is as near perfect as I could have imagined. All throughout the movie, I was reminded of a line from the poet W. B. Yeats…………"things fall apart, the center will not hold." The film is a complete recreation of this concept in visual terms. With the exception of the two young high school lovers, everyone's worlds in SNOW ANGELS is slowly but surely disintegrating, and ultimately it gets very dark. But all along the way it is so beautiful. The acting is superb, the photography is compelling, and the editing technique, I found, was expert, continually dramatizing the story by powerful visual cuts. I don't know why some reviewers have complained about Kate Beckinsale's beauty as being out of place in the film's setting, a criticism that makes no sense whatsoever to me. She is wonderful in the film and seemed so right for the part. The fact that she has a very natural beauty only enhanced her role both realistically and symbolically. Sam Rockwell's performance I found extraordinary. His past roles have always reflected a broad range and the character he plays in this film may well be one of his very best. This is a movie that carefully and honestly dissects dysfunctional lives in a small, insulated world. What was so amazing to me was the film's ability to create a combination of a storyline being so very sad and bleak while at the same time that storyline's expression being so beautifully and artistically realized. Also, I don't know when I have seen such a honest exploration of young teenage love as the portraits Green draws of the young boy and girl, Arthur and Lila. The two young actors are marvelous as well and their relationship gives the film the necessary lift above and beyond the despairing tragedy of the story.