Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Simply A Masterpiece

As Good As It Gets

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Not to be confused with the animated TV special, or the nasty horror with a killer snowman, I had seen this film once or twice before, I certainly remember it being cheesy, but I wanted to watch at least one more time, to get a decent opinion, directed by Troy Miller (Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd). Basically Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) is the lead singer of rock band "The Jack Frost Band", based in Medford, Colorado, they make their living covering songs, and some of their own, and hope to sign a record deal. But Jack's commitments to his music stop him spending time with his family, wife Gabby (Kelly Preston) and son Charlie (Joseph Cross). Jack and Charlie spend some quality time together, they build a snowman together, then as Charlie settles into bed, Jack gives his son his harmonica, telling him its magic, and he'll be able to hear it wherever he is. Jack misses a hockey game Charlie is playing in, that he promised to attend, in favour of recording a song, so he promises to take his family on a Christmas trip to the mountains. But then Jack is called to a gig that could make or break his career, on his way however he realises his mistake, so he borrows a car from band member and best friend Mac MacArthur (Mark Addy) to get home. Unfortunately, while driving, Jack is caught in a bad storm, he cannot see through the snow, and his windscreen wipers are faulty, as a result, he crashes the car and killed instantly. One year later, Charlie is depressed about his father's death, one night he builds a snowman, like the one he and his father did before, and he plays Jack's harmonica as he settles down to sleep. The harmonica turns out to be a magic after all, it sends a gust of snow swirling around the snowman, it resurrects Jack, his spirit awakens in the snowman. Jack is thrilled to be alive, he attempts to greet Charlie, but he ends up terrifying his son, realising he is a snowman he walks around and contemplates his fate. The next morning, Charlie confronts the snowman with a hairdryer, threatening to melt him, Jack wakes again, scares him and makes him run away. Charlie ends up running into a snowball fight battlefield, but Jack pelts local bully Rory Buck (Taylor Handley) and his friends with snowballs, he and Charlie manage to escape on a sled, while Rory and the others pursue them. Eventually they lose their pursuers, Charlie realises the living snowman is indeed his father, after he calls him "Charlie boy", they embrace with a hug, they both realise that it was the harmonica that brought him back. Jack and Charlie reconnect, he teaches him the values he never got to teach him when he was alive, including hockey lessons, Jack convinces his son to rejoin the hockey team. Gabby is concerned about Charlie's behaviour recently, especially seeing him interacting with the snowman, so Mac, who continues to be a friend, becomes a father figure of sorts to see what's going on. Winter is almost over, Jack begins melting, but is determined to watch Charlie's return to hockey, afterwards Charlie decides to take his father to the mountains, where it is colder, Charlie tries to convince his mother to help, but does not believe him, assuming he is just grieving. Charlie then comes across Rory Buck, who insults the snowman, but Jack speaks and reveals to be alive, Rory sympathises with Charlie when he talks about not having a father, he helps to sneak Jack onto a truck heading to the mountains. Reaching the mountains, Jack and Charlie arrive at an isolated cabin, the one that they were to stay in before he died, Jack calls Gabby, so she can come and pick Charlie up, Gabby is shocked to hear his voice and obliges. Jack tells a disheartened Charlie that he must leave, Gabby arrives as Jack begins to dissipate, revealing Jack as he appeared in life, in ethereal form, he gives both his wife and son a message, telling Charlie he will always be in his heart, Jack bids farewell and returns to the afterlife. In the end, Charlie has returned to playing hockey with his friends, which includes Rory, with Gabby and Mac watching, and the final shot sees snowmen in the front yards of every house on the street. Also starring Henry Rollins as Sid Gronic, Bean's Andrew Lawrence as Tuck Gronic, American Pie's Eli Marienthal as Spencer and Will Rothhaar as Dennis. Former Batman star Keaton is okay both in human and snow form (it was originally going to be George Clooney, who ironically dropped out and went on to do Batman and Robin), Preston only gets a little to do, at least Cross is reasonable as the grieving son, and Addy adds a little comic relief. The story can easily be described in a few words, "Ghost with a snowman", that is essentially what it is, a man dies and comes back as a snowman to get a second chance at being a father, there are fun sequences, including the snowball battle and toboggan chase, but there is a lot of sentimentality that makes you feel icky, it is a big leap of imagination, a mushy fantasy drama. Adequate!

So Dad comes back as a snowman. Not just any snowman but a foul mouthed, tiresome snowman. If the premise isn't ridiculous enough, it is designed to pull at our heartstrings. But I never could get over Michael Keaton's boorish performance. He has become one of our best actors, but there was a time when he was making pure junk and this, to me, was one of the lowest of the low. I really can't believe that there is so little imagination in Hollywood sometimes. There are budgets to do this kind of stuff, but if a quality idea comes along, forget it. Always go for the lowest common denominator. There are few films where I wish I had my money back. This is one of them.

I can't believe this film flopped at the box office. This movie is so great!!! I saw it when it originally came out in 1998 and when it finally came out on VCR, I watched this movie over and over and over and over and over and over again. It came on the Disney Channel last night and I freaked. I adored the film when I was a child, but now that I am older I appreciate the message and I cried twice. It is so adoring. A little boy is devastated by the loss of his father and he gets a few last days with him as a snow man. Both Charlie and Gabby get to say goodbye to Jack and really tell each other I love you and I am always with you. How can you not like this movie?! Some people say the acting is flat, but it's so real and raw to see a completely normal family and normal kids. I think it's great. And some think the dad coming back as a snowman is lame, but it's great how he gets to see his father again no matter what form he takes. "Snowdad is better than no dad." That is awesome. I highly recommend this movie for adults and children during the holidays and during the middle of the year. It is really GREAT!!!!

Winter scenes, sleds and snowmen in a movie usually mean it's intended as a holiday film. Warner Brothers released "Jack Frost" the second week of December 1998, so it would be playing around the country over the Christmas school break. But all the trappings don't quite make this a Christmas film. Billed as a comedy, drama and family film, it is a combination bizarre fairy tale and dark cartoon. The parental guidance rating is appropriate. Any number of kids who have lost a parent, especially boys and their dads (to death, divorce or desertion) may find this film a little unsettling. No amount of attempted humor – especially in this bizarre way – can assuage the loss or hurt a child may live with because of a missing parent. The idea that a snowman can pass as a surrogate dad for a time is truly bizarre. The acting by Michael Keaton, Joseph Cross, Kelly Preston and others of the cast can't offset the morbid aspects of the plot. The animation work for the snowman, and special effects photography and CGI can't compensate for the off-color screenplay. The attempted humor fails for the most part, so all that remains leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. I didn't give it the lowest rating simply because of the skill and art work in the animation. This isn't a movie I'd recommend at any time, especially not during the Christmas-New Year's holiday.