‘Snow Day’ brings powerful message, ‘anything can happen on a snow day’

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**** out of 5

Rated PG – “It’s a whale.”

Anything can happen on a snow day.
Thanks to the folks at Nickelodeon Movies anything
and everything does happen during a blustery snow day in Syracuse, New
York.
“Snow Day” captures every child’s fantasy of a perfect
day of no school and tons of snow. Remember waking up in the morning
to several feet of new fallen snow and flipping on the radio waiting
to hear your schools name in the list of cancellations.
Now if you were in High School, that usually meant
at least a few more hours of sleep and then maybe you would go somewhere,
but if you were in any grade below ninth a snow day translated into
one thing, a jam-packed day of winter activities, that began approximately
five minutes after the school closing was confirmed.
And that is exactly what happens in “Snow Day” one
exciting winter activity after another, because after all, anything
can happen on a snow day.
Enter the Brandston’s – mom, dad and three kids,
your everyday All- American family, with your run of the mill problems,
ranging from work troubles to girl troubles. The Brandston’s realize
the potential of the snow day and exploit the day to their favor in
every way imaginable.
Hal Brandston (Mark Webber, “Drive Me Crazy”), seems
to have the biggest problem of the family in his mind, Hal is trying
desperately to get Claire Bonner (Emmanuelle Chriqui, “Detroit Rock
City”) to notice him. Hal realizes from past snow day experiences that
things out of the ordinary tend to happen and sees this as his window
of opportunity to win Claire over.
Hal’s younger sister (Zena Grey, “The Bone Collector”)
also sees the potential that a snow day brings and vows to make the
legendary second snow day by stopping the infamous Snowplowman (Chris
Elliott, “Cabin Boy”).
The rest of the Brandston’s have other plans for
the day, Tom (Chevy Chase, “Fletch”) a local weather man, is determined
to beat out rival meteorologist, Chad Symmonz (John Schneider, “The
Dukes of Hazzard”) which will put an end to his gimmick weather broadcasts
which include, Jack Frost and Frosty the Snowman costumes forced upon
him by his director Tina (Pam Grier, “Jackie Brown”).
As the snow day progresses all the antics that you
would expect to happen in a Nickelodeon movie happen. Some highlights
include, Chase reenacting the famous sledding scene from “National Lampoon’s
Christmas Vacation,” on a smaller scale of course, a great snowmobile
chase scene that easily rivals the Pod Race scene from “Episode One:
The Phantom Menace,” some quality snowball fights and of course the,
“It’s a whale!” scene as seen in the many previews.
“Snow Day” takes the credo, anything can happen on
a snow day to the limit, by righting all the wrongs the Brandston’s
have made and making life in general better for them.
It also features some great cameo appearances by
Iggy Pop and Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC fame. Pop plays a mellow
neck brace wearing- DJ, at the ice rink who plays music so soothing
that it is known to put the skaters to sleep.
Director Chris Koch makes his feature film debut
without a hitch and oftentimes showing his “The Adventures of Pete and
Pete,” chops throughout the film. The “Pete and Pete” ties don’t end
with Koch, writers Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi bring their Pete and
Pete experience to “Snow Day” as well, making it an action, love, screwball
comedy all in one.
“Snow Day,” if anything else is a quotable film that
entertains from start to finish. Hal being the most quotable sums of
the film with amazing accuracy, “You never know what a snow day might
turn out, you may defy your tyrannical employer, get your life back
and find true love where you least expected it. You might even discover
at the end of the day that you’ve saved the universe, after all, anything
can happen on a snow day, anything.”