A Snow Capped Christmas (broadcast as Falling for Christmas in the United States) is a 2016 Canadian Christmas romantic drama television film directed by Christie Will Wolf and starring Leah Renee, Niall Matter, Michael Teigen, Lisa Whelchel and Gracyn Shinyei. It premiered in Canada on W Network on November 6, 2016,[1] and in the United States on Up Network on November 26, 2016.[2]
| A Snow Capped Christmas | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Also known as | Falling for Christmas |
| Written by | Barbara Kymlicka |
| Directed by | Christie Will Wolf |
| Starring | Leah Renee Niall Matter Michael Teigen Lisa Whelchel Gracyn Shinyei |
| Music by | Christopher Nickel |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | John MacDonald Timothy O. Johnson |
| Producer | Oliver De Caigny |
| Cinematography | Anthony Metchie |
| Editor | Fabiola Caraza |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Production company | Johnson Production Group |
| Original release | |
| Network | W Network |
| Release | November 6, 2016 |
Plot
editClaire Benson is a figure skater who is broken on the inside and out. Driven to the brink by her coach, she is forced to spend the weeks leading up to Christmas in the picturesque mountain regions of Western Canada at a sports rehabilitation center. While resting, Claire meets Luke, a single father and former Canadian hockey player.[3] Forced to retire early from the game due to an injury, Luke now spends his time raising his daughter while running the local ice fishing and tackle shop. This unlikely duo locks horns only to discover they have more in common than they thought. A true man of the Canadian north, Luke teaches Claire all the activities that personify a Canadian winter—from snowmobiling and ice fishing to chopping down a real Christmas tree for the holidays.
On her part, Claire encourages Luke—who has not played a game of hockey since being forced to retire—back onto the ice. Together with his former hockey teammates, Luke rouses the town's Christmas spirit when, on Christmas Eve, they engage in a truly Canadian tradition of playing a game of hockey on the ice covered lake. Luke and his daughter's Christmas is complete when Claire returns to the mountains having learned that there is more to life than competition.[4]
Cast
edit- Leah Renee as Claire Benson
- Niall Matter as Luke
- Michael Teigen as Jullian, Claire's coach
- Gracyn Shinyei as Chamonix
- Lisa Whelchel as Dale, Claire's mother
- Lochlyn Munro as Lou
- Blaine Anderson as Greg, Claire's father
- Kathryn Kirkpatrick as Dr. Schmidt
Production
editA Snow Capped Christmas was filmed from February 1 to March 5, 2016, in the Okanagan wilderness at Manning Park[5] and Maple Ridge in British Columbia, Canada. The film was produced by Qube films.[5]
Reception
editWestword calls the film a "cinematic meditation on sports psychology, career-ending injuries and, of course, the Christmas spirit."[6] Country Living included it in its list of "30 Best Christmas Movies" in 2021.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ A Snow Capped Christmas - Christie Will on Twitter
- ^ Falling for Christmas - Official Trailer
- ^ Rosewarne, Lauren (2017). Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural. Lexington Books. p. 21. ISBN 9781498541824. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ Christie Will Films: A Snow Capped Christmas
- ^ a b Proskiw, Adam (February 25, 2016). "Okanagan film industry needs you; Hallmark Channel movies of the week to be filmed in region". infonews.ca. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
- ^ Antonation, Amy (18 June 2018). "Ten Ice-Skating Movies From Fails to Gold (Including a New Colorado Film)". Westword. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ Mattern, Jessica Leigh (8 December 2021). "30 Best Christmas Movies on Amazon Prime to Watch This Season". Country Living. Retrieved 15 September 2022.