I first saw this film on the night that it opened in a theater filled with Kate Beckinsale fans via the Lara Croft franchise. Turning around to look at the audience after the lights went up their faces betrayed shock and showed tears. It's a great movie if you're up to it but it's not an easy watch.

A highly underrated drama from David Gordon Green, a filmmaker who’s flipflopped between independent and studio over the last few decades, culminating in the thuddingly redundant Halloween ‘ignore-the-other-instalments’ sequel trilogy and the woefully underperforming Exorcist Believer. I can only hope he’s saved his money up and plans to go indie again, because then we might get more films like Snow Angels. With a cast of pretty big names, its incredible that it doesn’t get talked about more. Its not flashy or pretentious or even very elaborate. It’s a tapestry of flawed characters coming to grips with their mistakes and failings, which are brought into sharp light when a shocking event shakes a small town. Its so well paced that you never lose interest, and the tight intimacy it offers allows us to get to know the character on a much more personal level. When the incident occurs, we’ve had enough time to care about its significance, and the intrigue from then on comes from seeing how everybody not only reacts to it, but how they deal with it too. It contains a romance that feels both heartfelt and relevant, consisting of 2 characters who we like as much individuals as we do together, a lesson rom-coms consistently fail to learn. As much praise as Sam Rockwell has gotten in recent years, this film proves that he’s always been great, and he’s complimented by a career best Kate Beckinsale, more famous as an action heroine than a drama actress, but she really pulls it off here. It’s emotional without being saccharine and impactful without being overwrought. Truly an overlooked gem that way more people need to see, enjoy and appreciate.

hilarious to see so many great critics score this with mid-range scores. This is an incredibly brilliant, ultra-carefully crafted and casted movie. It's genius is how much is achieved with just its casting, character and a few subtleties!

I forgot David Gordon Green directed this Only watched it once and found it quite good with its drama although it had a lot of heavy material and its' creative impressive mood A brilliant cast consisting of Kate Beckinsale, Michael Arangano, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Thrilby In a small town every person matters; you might even call them snow angels living in a place where they can be born again Annie and Glen used to be married but separated after he went to jail They have a daughter, Tara but he's granted less privileges being with her In order to go straight he becomes a Christian proving he's a changed man Yet when Tara goes missing all fingers point to Glen Meanwhile a young guy Arthur is making his way through high school while also developing a romantic relationship with newcomer Lila All of these characters are souls hoping to make their lives bearable living in a snow filled environment, their lives heavily cross over to another This has fine acting from everyone and such emotional depth it's almost very heavy The ending is truly the darkest part Covers highs and lows of human relationships, they can either grow and blossom into something beautiful or slowly fade away People don't always stay the same that's for sure This movie has such wrenching emotions and weaknesses/issues all too human The profound sense of place and season adds to the sheerness Richly depicted characters reflect the snowy winter chill surrounding Succeeds in knocking the wind out of you

I forgot David Gordon Green directed this Only watched it once and found it quite good with its drama although it had a lot of heavy material and its' creative impressive mood A brilliant cast consisting of Kate Beckinsale, Michael Arangano, Sam Rockwell, Olivia Thrilby In a small town every person matters; you might even call them snow angels living in a place where they can be born again Annie and Glen used to be married but separated after he went to jail They have a daughter, Tara but he's granted less privileges being with her In order to go straight he becomes a Christian proving he's a changed man Yet when Tara goes missing all fingers point to Glen Meanwhile a young guy Arthur is making his way through high school while also developing a romantic relationship with newcomer Lila All of these characters are souls hoping to make their lives bearable living in a snow filled environment, their lives heavily cross over to another This has fine acting from everyone and such emotional depth it's almost very heavy The ending is truly the darkest part Covers highs and lows of human relationships, they can either grow and blossom into something beautiful or slowly fade away People don't always stay the same that's for sure This movie has such wrenching emotions and weaknesses/issues all too human The profound sense of place and season adds to the sheerness Richly depicted characters reflect the snowy winter chill surrounding Succeeds in knocking the wind out of you

Despite the strong performance the film is just way too depressing to watch.

SNOW ANGELS (2007) **Warning: This film may "trigger" certain vulnerable people.** SNOW ANGELS is a plausible DRAMA about 'real-life' people. For that reason, it has the potential to leave a number of viewers actually depressed. The majority of dialogue and acting was believable, while direction and cinematography were effective. However, the stories, primarily based on character relationships, were mostly ambiguous or vague. The film seemed to be based on a book that was difficult to translate onto the big screen. Without knowing a character's history, motivation, and even some internal dialogue, we were left to view complex stories thru a simple lens which proved lacking - especially when few characters were sympathetic. (Empathy? Anyone? Bueller?) Ultimately, this indie film does provide a few sweet moments and a minor "happy" ending - while holding up well over a decade - but the main story/conflict concludes with TRAGEDY, as often happens in reality. But most of the American public would rather escape 90+ minutes into a dramatic thriller, adventure, or love story...preferably with a happy ending. With SNOW ANGELS, it could've been worse; I'm grateful it didn't end ambiguously as many indies do, like cutting to black/credits after "a shot rings out" or equivalent for the story. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the film for its deeper artistic quality, but it was certainly a DOWNER. This is not a film I'd watch again for entertainment, but interestingly enough, I would watch its sequel... if it was known to provide answers! -January 2019

Well acted but it doesn't always resonate emotionally.

(4.5 out of 6) When someplace we see there is not much seeing when it's not enough in seeing that we rather go to other places where it's different and much more pleasant. When we see being in someplaces we see others don't have enough to see that others were hoping in seeing in things changing. When someplaces we hope to escape in seeing to rely on those to see us go other places don't come through when we had high hopes and others have no hopes to know what different places we go in opposite directions. When somethings we rather see when other things want to see us but we don't want to see them when we hope to escape somethings we are seriously seeing but know we stuck in some places. When we hate seeing somethings when it puts us in awkward, hateful and strange places to know we rather be other places but can't when we are stuck here. When someplaces others are in we see we hate others taking our place when we wish others could see us that way and find a place in their heart. When we see others prefer to get place to place but we only see one place we rather be when it's our family place as the patriarch then anything else. When we enjoy being in good places rather then dark places to know what place is right for us. When someplaces are tightly small to see for us to know someplaces are ideal in helping those in need. When we rather be in other places when we need to escape, to run, to get high, to find a new place when we hate seeing what we see. When someplaces we go when we hate seeing what we see we go for answers when there is no other place to go. When someplaces we go when what we see we can't unseen when we are in new places we hate seeing when it's dark. When someplaces we rather be we can't when someplaces we are now in when can't get out from that we no longer will see someplaces the way it is. When someplaces we rather see is ourselves in a happy place that we once were. When there are places we go when we die, when we need to escape, reminder of what we lost, and a place we know where others are to know someplaces we see when it is hard to see. When we see why seeing others is hard when others put us in those places when it's good or bad places to know what sticks with us is forever. When what other places others go, we see others don't mind when we know what others are like in places to know they are in safe places to not worry. When someplaces we go we see they are promising when it's for what we always thought it would be, what we are hoping, what we wish could be here. When someplaces we need others to see where others go to escape when they hate someplaces to know how it feels. When we see what places we both take eachother to know what place we must go when we lost it all and a place where we join others we lost. When having a place to hold onto we see other places don't matter as much, when we are part of place that sticks together. When there is always a place for us whether we like what we see where they are we know it's better then other places we rather not go to.

Low-key, emotionless film with good performances.

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. [IMDb] David Gordon Green is in the list of my top ten favorite directors and this movie is one of the main reasons for that. As I said in my review for "Undertow", his films are like magic to me. There's a few exceptions here and there (Your Highness, The Sitter and Our Brand Is Crisis) but overall, I mostly love his work. George Washington, All The Real Girls and Snow Angels are some of the best movies I've ever watched. Hell, even Pineapple Express and Prince Avalanche are both two of my favorite comedies. The man knows film and also how to work his way into my heart. Thank you, David. I'm not a huge fan of Kate Beckinsale but this is easily the finest she's ever been. Her portrayal as Annie was some seriously impressive work; she held back at all the right moments and it really surprised me. Now here's an honest question: when the hell is Sam Rockwell ever bad in a film? He chews up the scenery with his performance here and his role further solidifies him as one of my favorite actors. Glenn is such a tragic character who we watch gradually fall into darkness and it's the highlight of the film. DGG knows when to be real and doesn't flinch in the face of authenticity. Snow Angels is a masterpiece drama that's filled to the brim with realistic depictions of relationships (On both sides of the fence), magnetic acting and a director who knows how to make tragedies a beautiful thing. This is one of DGG's top quality films and it's a brutally realistic drama that has a few shocking and brilliant moments that knock my socks off and elevate this film above what it could've been. If you're looking for a dark and depressing drama about the bad side of two separated parents, this is a must-see. It's a great watch and I couldn't recommend it enough. The ending is my favorite scene and it's worth watching just to see the outcome of these characters. One of my favorite dramas without a doubt. Highly recommended. P.S. S/O to Michael Angarano. I love you, man. Keep it up.

Stories of several damaged characters and their relationships intertwine in this tale of suburban dysfunction. While the story itself is compelling, somehow the movie doesn't add up to an engrossing experience. Part of the problem is, the narrative is a bit disjointed with no likeable characters to sympathize with. Kate Beckinsale's performance is a problematic as well. While the rest of the cast was convincing as small-town folks, she stood out being too cute. She tried really hard and I can't say her acting was bad, but the role demanded a type of actress with more emotional depth.

Great performances by Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell. He'll everyone played their characters to the fullest. It was great.

Well acted film about the failure of empathy. It is ultimately disjointed and gave me a feeling that it was holding back too much. The teenage boy that every girl finds cute is the Jar Jar Binks of dramas: annoying and completely useless and pointless.

A love story, a story of hate and revenge with a tragic twist towards the end.

a pretty good movie all around.

"Snow Angels" is a sad and deeply affecting drama whose impact stays with you for a long time after the film is over. The mood it creates and varying range of emotions it stirs up are difficult to shake off afterwards, and that is all credited to the writer and director David Gordon Green. His slice of life drama is filled with rich characters and honest dialogue, and the performances are equal to the tremendous script. Both Green and his actors leave you in turmoil here, sometimes evoking sadness and horror both in the same moment. Witness the emotionally draining scene at the end, the film's final tragedy involving Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale. It's sad, scary and haunting all at the same time. Hearing Beckinsale utter her final word may be the saddest thing I've seen in a film in a long, long time. Green has a way of moving an audience that few other filmmakers have mastered, as in the simple scene in which Rockwell removes a picture off the wall revealing a handprint he left there as a child. It's so fundamental but powerful thinking about the character's innocent childhood transformed into such a turbulent grown-up life. Rockwell and Beckinsale give strong performances. And in the middle of it all are the remarkable Olivie Thirlby and Michael Angarano, two teenagers whose budding relationship is funny and touching but also represents hope for the future amid all of the despair on display. "Snow Angels" is a tough movie to watch, but ultimately the experience is rewarding due to the fine writing and exceptional acting. Many have accused the film of being depressing, and while it is profoundly sad but so is life sometimes. This is a powerful reflection of that.

i don't like sad movies.

Down to earth filming and direction make this story move along, at first a little slow as the background is brought forth. The tedium of day to day life is given central focus which may help you sleep as it surely must. If you are depressed or thinking of suicide this is not the film for you as it will push you over the edge, even if happy it may do so. Nibbles: Bread Pudding, Chocolate Mousse.

/B/ Very moody film. Rockwell is a real pro.