Looking at the poster, it might be thought that Snowmen is just a throw-away silly kids movie, but it actually one of the most charming movies I’ve seen this year. I first saw the film at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival where I attended a public screening which also had a Q&A afterward with a majority of the cast. I went into the film blind (just like I like it) and was blown away. After a second viewing this week, it still retained all of the charm I remembered.
Robert Kirbyson wrote and directed the story of three young boys, lead by Billy, who are on a quest to do something to leave their mark on the world. Kirbyson’s script is never dumbed down, and told from the perspective of its young characters. Watching the film, it’s quite easy to be transported back to that same age and empathize with Billy. When you’re a kid, everything that you do seems so important. I especially loved the significance of “Kill Hill” where all the cool kids hang out. It’s so amusing to find out there’s one in every school. Each of the three boys bring their own form of humor and naivety to the story. Billy (Bobby Coleman, Martian Child) is determined to do something big with his life and his two best friends are behind him 100%. Lucas (Christian Martyn) is free-spirited and provides his share of the humor against the fantastic Bobb’e J. Thompson (Role Models) as Howard, the new neighbor from Jamaica. Thompson has a quick wit and actually pulls off an accent extremely well. The three boys become fast friends and although the point of view is from Billy, Howard is the newcomer, so a lot of the story is explained for his benefit and it helps along the story without dragging it down.
Ray Liotta and Doug E. Doug play the fathers of Billy and Howard. Although they are not major roles, they serve as an anchor to reality of being an adult. Ray Liotta gave a very moving performance without making the scene too over-the-top. His honesty really won me over. Christopher Lloyd also has a small, but significant part as a wise old caretaker of the cemetery. Although brief, his character is one that doesn’t talk down to the kids, but rather informs them. I thought this was very important and showed how sometimes you don’t need to tell kids what to do, but just give them the information and let them draw their own conclusions. They are wise on their own.
Originating from a true story, it delivers a positive message without being cheesy or relying on cheap gags for laughs. There is not the slapstick-type humor typical in kids movies, but rather simply a good story told from a kid’s point-of-view. At only 86 minutes, it’s has a great pace and keeps your interest throughout.
Rating: Great for all ages. 8/10
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