A new Christmas movie was unwrapped in June as an early gift from Hallmark Channel! Falling Like Snowflakes premiered on June 29, 2024, just ahead of the network's annual Christmas in July event.
For Hallmark fans who can't wait for Countdown to Christmas to begin in October, a new holiday movie in the summertime is appreciated more than a fresh batch of Mrs. Claus' cookies!
What Is Falling Like Snowflakes About?
Teagan (Dalton) has captured every type of snowflake with her camera except for the elusive 12-sided stellar dendrite. If she can complete her collection in the local art gallery by Christmas Eve, the wealthy Mr. Calvin Garrett will outbid everyone at the annual fundraiser, which will provide the financial resources needed to fix up the community center.
When the perfect weather conditions align to increase her chances of finding the rare snowflake, Teagan convinces snowplow driver and former high school sweetheart, Noah (Rosner), to accompany her into the dangerous storm.
Falling Like Snowflakes Includes a Few Unique Threads
Viewers don't tune into Hallmark Channel for science lessons, but Falling Like Snowflakes shares interesting facts about these beautiful crystals. It's true that snowflakes, different as they are, ultimately fall into one of 35 categories, such as columns, hexagons, and needles. The 12-side stellar dendrite is rare because two, six-sided flakes must follow the exact same path and fuse together on the way down.
For Hallmark to apply atmospheric science to snowflakes and thread the concept through the entire plot is creative genius.
The best part is that the whole notion of two snowflakes randomly finding each other at the right place and the right time is used as a metaphor for what happens between Teagan and Noah.
Plot tension builds when Suzanne Blanchard, another photographer, tries to beat Teagan to the 12-sided stellar dendrite. In the majority of Hallmark movies, the "bad guy" usually experiences a change of heart, so we stop intensely disliking them by the end. Not so in this movie! Suzanne never exchanges her black hat for a white one, which is more realistic. Most manipulative, self-seeking people we encounter stay the same, so it's more believable for her character to remain unchanged, though it's unusual for Hallmark not to redeem the antagonist.
Viewers appreciate even the slightest of changes to the typical Hallmark formula, and Falling Like Snowflakes offers a few.
Falling Like Snowflakes Isn't an Instant Classic
Falling Like Snowflakes is incredibly average, even though it's worth watching once.
Rebecca Dalton might be as cute as a button eye on Frosty, but she isn't much of an actress. To date, the majority of her Hallmark movies have been "meh." Her performances are relatively soulless and lack warmth as well as connection to her co-star and her audience.
The scenes that are supposed to be perilous are phonier than the snowmen Hallmark uses for snowman building competitions.
The "proverb" used throughout the movie is pretty weak. Teagan quotes her deceased mother throughout the movie who used to say, "A snowflake never falls in the wrong place," meaning that everything happens for a reason. Hallmark used to offer proverbs rooted in faith, but now they rely on Zen and other New Age philosophies about the "universe, "harmony with nature, " and "interconnectedness of all things" instead of principles of God and faith. The proverb really exists, but it's still dumb.
It's nice to have a new movie to add to the Christmas in July mix of repeats, and the fun facts about crystal formations are fascinating. Regardless, Falling Like Snowflakes is a little boring, the chemistry is barely there, and it's not worth the real estate on the DVR.
If you haven't watched Falling Like Snowflakes yet, you can view the trailer below:
Comments