And it starts.
The 2024 Holiday Movie season is upon us, and that makes me extremely happy. “Hot Frosty” is Netflix take on the iconic cartoon snowman many of us enjoyed when we were kids. Recent years have seen Netflix take a bite out of Hallmark’s Christmas movie monopoly, and now they have dealt a stunning blow, acquiring Hallmark’s Queen of Christmas, Lacey Chabert.
Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert) runs a diner in the picturesque hamlet of Hope Springs, New York. In typical fashion, this fictitious “small town” is livelier than London. The buildings are charming, the residents are all friendly. I want to live there.
Kathy is a widow, of course. Divorce is never an option when we can kill the guy off. Her house is in disrepair, and we can tell her life has grown dull. She encounters an ice sculpture contest in town, taking an interest in a musclebound chiseled hunk of a snowman. A magic scarf. A swirl of snow. Presto! The buff snowman comes to life.
Landing Lacey
These movies are not meant to be taken seriously and that’s part of the enjoyment of watching. Lacey Chabert, having worked on over 30 Hallmark movies, knows how to act in this type of endeavor. Have fun and don’t be afraid to laugh. One hysterical moment shows Kathy watching “Falling for Christmas” and remarking that the girl in the movie (Lindsay Lohan) looks like a girl she went to high school with.
Lacey Chabert has been quarreling with Hallmark for a while and may have found a new home. The Gen-X staple would be right at home with the streaming giant. I’d like to see some diss-movies too. Turn it into the next East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry. Either way, Chabert is the perfect 40-something star of any holiday film.
Deja-vu
The story was like another Netflix holiday favorite of mine, “The Knight Before Christmas.” Similar in that a beautiful woman is lonely and through magic meets a guy struggling to adjust to modern life. Dustin Milligan co-stars as the hunky snowman—called Jack.
Whilst the over-the-top swooning by all the women in town felt a bit silly, Milligan has the chops to be funny in a charming way.
Jack learns to cook and fix the house up by watching DIY videos. He gets a job at the high school and becomes an inspirational figure to the kids. The town of Hope Springs, save for Kathy, readily accept the magic of Christmas that has brought Jack to life and to them.
The antagonist comes in the form of Sheriff Hunter, a by the books no nonsense cop. I literally pumped my fist in the air and cheered when Craig Robinson was revealed to be said Sheriff. Robinson is a comedically trained talent who became known for his role in The Office. Joe Lo Truglio plays Sheriff Hunter’s deputy and is a great compliment.
“Hot Frosty” is 90 minutes of exactly what you expect it to be. Funny, cheesy, effortlessly charming. It will land a spot in your seasonal holiday rotation. It deserves a sequel. And be sure to watch the gag reel at the end.
