Hot Frosty

Last updated

Hot Frosty
Hot Frosty.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Jerry Ciccoritti
Written byRussell Hainline
Produced by
  • Joel S. Rice
  • Michael Barbuto
Starring
Cinematography Éric Cayla
Edited byJulia Blua
Music byAri Posner
Production
company
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • November 13, 2024 (2024-11-13)
Running time
92 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Hot Frosty is a 2024 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Jerry Ciccoritti, written by Russell Hainline, and starring Lacey Chabert, Dustin Milligan, Katy Mixon Greer, Lauren Holly, Chrishell Stause, Joe Lo Truglio, and Craig Robinson. Chabert plays Kathy, a widow who counters her loneliness with a magical snowman brought to life (portrayed by Milligan). [2]

Contents

The film was released on Netflix on November 13, 2024.

Plot

Kathy Barrett runs Kathryn’s Kafé in downtown Hope Springs, New York. After the death of her handyman husband from cancer, she finds herself unmotivated to take care of her house. She lives with no heating, a leaking roof, and a broken step on her staircase. However, she takes care of everyone else in town.

Kathy takes lunch to her friends, Theo and Mel, at their second-hand clothing shop, Reclaimed Rags. They give her a red scarf "destined" for her, encouraging her to seek happiness after her bereavement. On her way home, she passes by a snow sculpture competition, and places the scarf on a muscular snowman and takes a picture.

Later that night, the snowman comes to life. As he runs naked from an elderly couple and their dogs, he accidentally falls through the clothing shop window. He grabs overalls and galoshes from the shop to wear. In the morning, Kathy finds him talking to the other snowmen and invites him into her diner for a bite to eat. She assumes the "Jack" name tag on the overalls is the newly human snowman's name, and asks what his first memory is. He replies it is of her placing the scarf on him, then the camera flash. The sheriff investigates the perceived clothing shop break-in and vows to find the perpetrator.

Jack is freezing to the touch, so Kathy takes him to her doctor friend, Dolly, who confirms Jack's body temperature to be below freezing. Kathy takes him home. When she arrives home that evening, Jack surprises her with homemade pizza, which he learned to make watching a cooking show. She is uncomfortable with Jack's constant hugs and expressions of love for her.

As Jack is fixing the roof, Kathy's neighbor drives into a snowbank, distracted at the sight of the shirtless man. Jack pushes her car out and she asks him to do some handywork in her house. She invites her friends over to watch. One of them asks Jack to aid her son, a short-staffed middle school principal, to prepare for a holiday dance, and he gives Jack a job as the school's maintenance staff. They bring him to Kathy's diner, where he and Kathy are approached by the sheriff. She reminds Jack that he needs to be more discreet. However, she is touched by his repair works around her house.

Jack helps decorate the school hall, and overhears a student invite another to the dance. Inspired, Jack invites Kathy to be his date. She accepts and takes him suit shopping. Jack gives Kathy a silver snowflake necklace. At the dance, Kathy sees Jack is overheating and takes him outside to cool down. They almost kiss, but Jack fears Kathy might be hurt when he melts away.

On Christmas Eve, the town gathers at the diner. Kathy's speech is interrupted when the sheriff arrests Jack, to everyone's disapproval. The doctor explains that Jack is a snowman, and everyone agrees that Christmas is a time for such magic. Sheriff Nate demands a $2,000 bail for Jack's release.

Kathy empties the diner's safe and everyone from the diner donates, but it still falls short. The sheriff's son offers to contribute the remaining amount. Nate relents and returns the bail money. Kathy takes Jack outside, but he no longer moves. Assuming he is dead, she kisses him, takes the red scarf and starts to leave. Jack comes back to life, shivering and functioning like a real human. They finally kiss.

Continuing to live together, Kathy and Jack exchange presents. He gives her a home repair book and Kathy gets them plane tickets to Hawaii. They head off there together.

Cast

Production

The film is directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and written by Russell Hainline. Joel S. Rice and Michael Barbuto produced for Muse Entertainment. [3] Filming took place in Canada in April and May 2024, with filming locations including Ottawa, Brockville and Pakenham, Ontario. [4] [5]

Release

The film was released on Netflix on November 13, 2024. [6] [7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 76% of 37 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "Knowingly goofy with its steamy twist on the magic of Christmas, Hot Frosty is an affable rom-com that ought to thaw the hearts of even the most skeptical of viewers." [8] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Frost</span> Personification of frost and cold weather

Jack Frost is a personification of frost, ice, snow, sleet, winter, and freezing cold. He is a variant of Old Man Winter who is held responsible for frosty weather, nipping the fingers and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, and leaving fern-like patterns on cold windows in winter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lacey Chabert</span> American actress (born 1982)

Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress. One of her first roles as a child actress was the part of Bianca Montgomery, the daughter of Erica Kane, on All My Children from 1992 to 1993. She gained further prominence for her portrayal of Claudia Salinger in the Fox television drama Party of Five (1994–2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frosty the Snowman</span> Christmas song written and composed by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson

"Frosty the Snowman" is a song written by Walter "Jack" Rollins and Steve Nelson, and first recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950 and later recorded by Jimmy Durante in that year. It was written after the success of Autry's recording of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" the previous year. Rollins and Nelson shopped the new song to Autry, who recorded "Frosty" in search of another seasonal hit. Like "Rudolph", "Frosty" was subsequently adapted to other media including a popular television special.

<i>Jack Frost</i> (1997 film) American film by Michael Cooney

Jack Frost is a 1997 American direct-to-video black comedy slasher film written and directed by Michael Cooney. It stars Scott MacDonald and Christopher Allport.

<i>Frostys Winter Wonderland</i> 1976 Christmas TV special

Frosty's Winter Wonderland is a 1976 animated Christmas television special and a standalone sequel to the 1969 special Frosty the Snowman, produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and animated by Topcraft. It is the second television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. It returns writer Romeo Muller, character designer Paul Coker, Jr., music composer Maury Laws and actor Jackie Vernon as the voice of Frosty, while Andy Griffith stars as the narrator with the rest of the cast consisting of Shelley Winters, Dennis Day and Paul Frees. The special premiered on ABC on December 2, 1976.

<i>Frosty Returns</i> 1992 American animated Christmas television special

Frosty Returns is an American animated Christmas television special directed by Bill Melendez and Evert Brown, starring the voices of Jonathan Winters as the narrator and John Goodman as Frosty the Snowman. It is the fourth special in a series beginning with Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment's 1969 television adaptation of Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins's 1950 holiday song. It was produced by Bill Melendez Productions in association with Broadway Video and CBS Entertainment Productions in 1992, and released on VHS by Family Home Entertainment as part of their "Christmas Classics Series" line on September 15, 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dustin Milligan</span> Canadian actor (born 1985)

Dustin Wallace Milligan is a Canadian actor, known for his role as Ethan Ward on the teen drama television series 90210 from 2008 until 2009, Tom Cummings in the Canadian spy thriller television series X Company from 2015 until 2016, Ted Mullens on the Canadian television comedy series Schitt's Creek from 2015 until 2020, and Josh Carter on American television comedy series Rutherford Falls from 2021 until 2022. He has also appeared in a number of films.

Arthur Gardner Rankin Jr. was an American director, producer and screenwriter, who mostly worked in animation. Co-creator of Rankin/Bass Productions with his friend Jules Bass, he created stop-motion and traditional animation features such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, and the 1977 cartoon special of The Hobbit. He is credited on over 1,000 television programs.

<i>Frosty the Snowman</i> (TV special) 1969 Christmas television special

Frosty the Snowman is a 1969 American animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. It is the first television special featuring the character Frosty the Snowman. The special first aired on December 7, 1969, on the CBS television network in the United States, airing immediately after the fifth showing of A Charlie Brown Christmas, both scoring high ratings. The special aired annually for the network's Christmas and holiday season until 2023. After 55 years, NBC acquired the broadcast rights to the special, and continues to air it yearly.

<i>Rudolph and Frostys Christmas in July</i> 1979 American–Japanese feature film/television special

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July is an American–Japanese Christmas/Independence Day film produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, featuring characters from the company's holiday specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and Frosty the Snowman (1969), among others. It was filmed in Japan using the company's trademark "Animagic" stop-motion animation style. The film was originally a theatrical film released through Avco Embassy Pictures, where it ran for only 2–3 weeks and was considered a box-office flop. Later that year, on November 25, 1979, the film premiered on television in the US on ABC.

<i>Babes in Toyland</i> (1997 film) 1997 American animated film

Babes in Toyland is a 1997 American Christmas animated musical-comedy fantasy adventure film based on the 1903 operetta. Directed by Charles Grosvenor, Toby Bluth and Paul Sabella, the film stars the voices of Joseph Ashton, Lacey Chabert, Raphael Sbarge, Cathy Cavadini, Charles Nelson Reilly, Jim Belushi, Bronson Pinchot and Christopher Plummer. It was released direct-to-video in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowman</span> Figure sculpted from snow

A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture of a man often built in regions with sufficient snowfall and is a common winter tradition. It is composed of matter. In many places, typical snowmen consist of three large snowballs of different sizes with some additional accoutrements for facial and other features. Due to the sculptability of snow, there is also a wide variety of other styles. Common accessories include branches for arms and a smiley face made of stones, with a carrot used for a nose. Clothing, such as a hat or scarf, may be included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katy Mixon</span> American actress and model (born 1981)

Katy Mixon is an American actress and model. She began her career playing supporting roles in films such as The Quiet (2005), Four Christmases (2008), and State of Play (2009), before landing the female leading role in the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down (2009–2013).

<i>A Little Piece of Heaven</i> (film) NBC made-for-television family drama

A Little Piece of Heaven is a 1991 American made-for-television family drama film directed by Mimi Leder, written by Betty Goldberg, starring Kirk Cameron, Chelsea Noble, Lacey Chabert, Jenny Robertson, Ron McLarty, Jussie Smollett, and Cloris Leachman. It originally premiered December 2, 1991 on NBC.

<i>A Royal Christmas</i> 2014 television film directed by Alex Zamm

A Royal Christmas is a 2014 American holiday romance television film directed by Alex Zamm and starring Lacey Chabert, Stephen Hagan, and Jane Seymour. Written by Janeen Damian, Michael Damian, Neal H. Dobrofsky, and Tippi Dobrofsky, the film is about a young American seamstress from Philadelphia whose boyfriend reveals himself to be a royal prince and heir to the throne of Cordinia. He brings her to his country intending to marry her, to the consternation of the Queen. A Royal Christmas is an original Hallmark Channel movie and first aired on the Hallmark Channel on November 21, 2014.

<i>A Christmas Melody</i> 2015 television film

A Christmas Melody, also known under its working title of Mistletoe & Melody, is a 2015 American Christmas television film directed by Mariah Carey, who co-stars with Lacey Chabert. It was filmed in Ohio during October 2015, and premiered on the Hallmark Channel on December 19, 2015. The film was viewed by 3.95 million people upon its debut.

<i>Let It Snow</i> (2019 film) 2019 American romantic comedy film

Let it Snow is a 2019 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Luke Snellin from a screenplay by Kay Cannon, Victoria Strouse and Laura Solon, based on the young adult novel of the same name by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. It was released on November 8, 2019, by Netflix.

<i>Selling Sunset</i> American reality television series

Selling Sunset is an American reality television series created for Netflix by Adam DiVello. The series revolves around the Oppenheim Group, a high-end real estate brokerage firm in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas, and follows a group of agents as they navigate their personal and professional lives.

<i>Single All the Way</i> 2021 film

Single All the Way is a 2021 Canadian Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Michael Mayer and written by Chad Hodge. The plot follows Peter who convinces Nick, his best friend, to pretend to be his boyfriend when he goes home for Christmas, only to be set up on a blind date by his mother. Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, and Jennifer Coolidge also star.

<i>Meet Me Next Christmas</i> 2024 film by Rusty Cundieff

Meet Me Next Christmas is a 2024 American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Rusty Cundieff and written by Molly Haldeman and Camilla Rubis. It stars Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Tymika Tafari, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Matt Sallee, and Kalen Allen.

References

  1. "Hot Frosty (PG)". British Board of Film Classification . November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  2. "'Hot Frosty', Netflix holiday rom-com casts Lacey Chabert in lead". The News. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  3. Grobar, Matt (May 13, 2024). "Lacey Chabert To Topline Netflix Holiday Rom-Com 'Hot Frosty'; Dustin Milligan, Joe Lo Truglio & Craig Robinson Among Others Set". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  4. Elliott, Dale C. (May 14, 2024). "Movie Filmed in Brockville a Netflix Holiday Rom-Com, 'Hot Frosty'". Hometowntv12.ca. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  5. Kumar Jha, Ranjeet (May 15, 2024). "Lacey Chabert Brings Magic to Life in 'Hot Frosty' in 2024". Postforall. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  6. Stephan, Katcy (May 13, 2024). "Lacey Chabert to Lead Netflix Holiday Rom-Com 'Hot Frosty'". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  7. Schimautz, Julia (August 28, 2024). "The New Netflix Movies You Can Watch This Fall". Netflix . Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  8. "Hot Frosty". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved November 27, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  9. "Hot Frosty". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 31, 2024.