With his latest film, Snow Angels, adapted from the novel by Stewart O’Nan, Green has continued to stick with his formula. Snow Angels involves a couple of different stories, some of which never really seem to take root. However, at its center is a family drama in which single mother and waitress Annie (Kate Beckinsale) is trying to raise her four-year-old-daughter and deal with the sudden return of her husband, Glenn (Sam Rockwell), a onetime suicide case and drunk who has now found Jesus and wants back into Annie’s life. Despite her misgivings, she lets him see their daughter, and he works hard to prove that he can be trusted again.
Kate Beckinsdale as Annie, Sam Rockwell as Glenn.
(c) 2007 Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc.
Set in a small, snowy Pennsylvania town, Snow Angels begins with a high school marching band practicing in the cold, performing in a less than dedicated fashion that elicits a hilariously abrasive lecture from their instructor (Tom Noonan). Suddenly, two gunshots fill the air and the film flashes back to “weeks earlier.”
Annie works at a Chinese restaurant with her best friend Barbara (Amy Sedaris), whose husband (Nicky Katt) Annie just so happens to be having an affair with. As if to show viewers what a small town this really is, the restaurant’s dish washer is Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano), who Annie babysat when he was growing up. Arthur had a crush on her then and still harbors a flickering one now. Though Annie and Michael are connected by virtue of her job as his babysitter years before and their current status as co-workers at the Chinese restaurant, that is where their connection seemingly ends.
Arthur’s story could almost be seen as a separate film entirely. Arthur is a member of that high school marching band; a somewhat shy but mostly normal high school kid with a crush on the geek-chic new girl, Lila (Olivia Thirlby) Arthur’s parents (Jeanetta Arnette and Griffin Dunne) are splitting up, a common theme in this town. The budding romance between Arthur and Lila is the sweet part of Snow Angels. Their relationship has all the awkwardness associated with first romances and it’s refreshing to watch these kids look for happiness with amid the wreckage of relationships around them.
For Annie, there is great tragedy. Her daughter disappears and her life completely unravels. Snow Angels is a movie about heartbreak and loss, and the ways we deal with it. Annie chooses to close down, while Glen looks for comfort in extreme religion, alcohol and the steadfast belief that he and Annie need to be closer. Sam Rockwell has built an impressive resume playing comedic roles and loud characters that could be considered crazy. However, Rockwell plays Glenn with a surprisingly gripping seriousness; it’s clear he’s ill, and you can’t help but wish he got the help he so obviously needed.
Kate Beckinsdale gives a wonderful performance, as well. Her portrayal shows tremendous sympathy towards a mother who wants to crawl out of the trap her life has become. Annie fights as hard as hard as she can to find a new way of life, but try as she might the door keeps slamming in her face. The entire cast does an admirable job, and it seems as though David Gordon Green fostered an atmosphere where the actors could feel comfortable exploring their characters. His camera is never imposing, and each shot seems to have a natural beginning and end.
Green doesn’t let the audience off easy. The ending of Snow Angels is heart wrenching. The director does leave us with some hope in the form of Arthur and Lila. Perhaps, having learned from the mistakes of the adults around them, their love will last a lifetime. On the other hand, perhaps tragedy will strike them too.
This DVD comes packed with the widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film available on the same disc. Audio is available in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Languages available are English and French; subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish.
There are no special features included.
