Natale a sorpresa

The ex-husband was really, really, miscast, and while the all around nice-ness of the ex and step-mother dynamic is a bit too saccharine for me, the emotions of a blended family during Christmas make it worth watching.

This is a more mature Hallmark movie, it still has "cocoa" and "traditions", but it's more modern and real. Jeff and Maggie are a divorced couple, that's the new reality and Jeff has a girlfriend Kate and Maggie has a developing relationship with Sam, Kate's brother. That parallels life, even though Hallmark would like all marriages to be "forever" they aren't, people get divorced and remarry. Amy Acker and Warren Christie the two leads have chemistry and the story is good and believable.

Hallmark has missed so many opportunities for hits, like the 2016 film "The Pumpkin Pie Wars" with Eric Aragon and Julie Gonzalo. They could have had spin offs from that movie, but they missed it. They have had competition from Lifetime, UP, Paramount and others ,which means their "formulaic" model isn't a trade secret any longer. Hallmark has to up their game and produce a higher quality product.

I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie! It was well written and kept me in suspense. I liked that there was no villain but like in real life we make people villains who we are threatened by and they are often threaten by us as well. It was a nice movie about blended families and all the awkwardness that comes along with that. The tough conversations, the balancing act, hurt feelings, and that no one is perfect. There were many mirrored storylines for each generation and they learned from one another. Lots of Christmas activities, cookies, and decorations.

Maggie (Amy Acker) is a single mother of two daughters. When her ex (Kristian Bruun) asks if the girls can spend Christmas in Aspen with his girlfriend Kate's (Brooke Nevin) family, it upsets Maggie's holiday traditions. When they ask if she wants to come too, it means some unusual relational dynamics will be at play. Things really get complicated when Kate's brother Sam (Warren Christie) unexpectedly comes for the holidays and is attentive to Maggie's needs.

Each of the characters is dealing with strong feelings, which ebb and flow with each happening or revelation. There really are no villains in this story, just miscommunications and realistic interpersonal concerns.

The cast is uniformly strong, giving each character its due in the emotional dance that envelops them all. The ending is satisfying, but open enough that a sequel could even make sense. I would watch it.

Don't let the title put you off. From the title, one would think that 'Crashing Through the Snow' could be very cheesy and corny. Did remind myself though that there are many Hallmark films with unappealing, corny titles, but actually the content of the film itself is more mature than it sounds. This did sound interesting and different, and with it being one of the better reviewed 2021 Hallmark films of an inconsistent year expectations were raised.

Those expectations were met on the whole. 'Crashing Through the Snow' did something different, which was really appreciated in a year where there was a good deal of tired executions of tired formulas, and did it very well a vast majority of the time. As far as the 2021 Hallmark films go, 'Crashing Through the Snow' is one of the best by quite some way, along with 'A New Year's Resolution' and 'As Luck Would Have It' (that one surprised me).

Will begin with the not so good. The ex-boyfriend character could have been better incorporated in the story perhaps, the role is a bit of a stretch in the context of the situation and is played a little too seriously.

Also thought that the final quarter was on the too rushed and tidy side.

However, 'Crashing Through the Snow' is near-uniformly well acted, especially Amy Acker and Brooke Nevin as the most real characters and Acker and Warren Christie work well together. The characters mostly don't come over as excessively over the top, there is awkwardness but it fits with the tone, and they are not dull either. The dramas and conflicts feel realistic and relatable and don't come over as too sentimental or forced.

It looks good and the music at least fits and sounds appealing. The script is funny and light-hearted while also having a serious edge when needed without going overboard in that. The story doesn't come over as formulaic, structurally it's unique for the 2021 Hallmark films with very little typical or recycled about it (by Hallmark standards that is). It is warm-hearted and has a liveliness, without going overkill. There is some awkwardness but the conflicts and situation called for that. It is also heart-warming and never mean-spirited.

Overall, a surprising winner and much better than the title suggests. A title that doesn't do it justice. 8/10.