Nov 13

Nov 13 Let It Snow

Kate is spending Christmas at Snow Valley Lodge, scoping out the property before it’s acquired by her father’s resort business. But her due diligence uncovers unexpected Christmas charms. Will Kate’s business plan transform Snow Valley into a modern, money-making playground…or will she be the one who’s transformed?

Let+It+Snow.jpg — Christmas clichés:

Candace Cameron Bure
Career-Driven Woman
Christmas-Named Town
Hate Becomes Love
Weather Unprepared
Small-Town Guy Who Works w/ Hands
Carolers
Tree Buy & Trim
Charity Work
Evil Corporation
Surprise! Xmas Lights
Deceased Parents
Sleigh Ride
Mistletoe
Ends w/ Kiss or Ring

Our Thoughts

And…we have a winner! Never have we found a film with 15 clichés. No wonder one of us rated this 2013 Hallmark classic Very Merry.

Not to be confused with the tweeny, angsty 2019 Netflix film of the same name, we weren’t surprised “Let It Snow” checked so many cliché boxes. It actually helped define some of our categories—nothing represents a Small-Town Guy Who Works w/ Hands like plaid-adorned Brady chopping wood…

The movie opens with Career-Driven Stephanie (CCB, in her best character transformation to date) venturing to Snow Valley Lodge, her father’s Evil Corporation’s newest acquisition. Her task: get this family-friendly, Christmas-loving inn ready for “Adults, 21-45, no-kid DINKs,” their usual clientele. An entire remodel from the ground up.

Weather Unprepared Stephanie and Snow Valley’s son, Brady (Jesse Hutch, pretty great) embark on a Hate Becomes Love journey as their approaches to snow, and Christmas, are at odds. But what they eventually agree upon is the need to modernize. Brady’s dad hates anything mechanical, which caused a family rift and the reason for the sale.

Both our leads eventually warm to each other as Stephanie learns about the Christmas traditions at the Snow Valley Lodge: Caroling, Tree Buy & Trimming, and even some fun Italian/Swiss/Icelandic/French flavor that keeps the lodge in full occupancy every year. (The Feast of St. Thomas that has CCB spinning shoeless on her bed is quite cute.)

And we can’t forget Alan Thicke! He plays Stephanie’s father and is the epitome of a hard-hearted corporate man who eventually softens to the season. Perfect redemption for this perfect casting.

Is there anything wrong with this movie? Very little. All of the talk about “spinsters” and pushing marriage and children on Stephanie didn’t quite sit right with our DINK-y household. But a few forgettable lines can’t outshine the classic Christmas goodness.

It’s not quite unanimous, but this movie’s still a household must-watch. Of all of the CCB offerings, this is the one to seek out every year.

Rob's Final Take: Very Merry
It may not be flashy, but this sweet, funny, charming, and utterly dependable flick is the made-for-TV Christmas movie you can bring home to meet the parents.

Jess's Final Take: Merry
Yes, this movie should be taught in colleges as a Master Class in the Xmas movie genre. But I left a little wanting. Enjoyable but not Very Merry.