Jack Frost Review
by Ssg722 AT aol DOT comDecember 14th, 1998
Susan Granger's review of "JACK FROST" (Warner Brothers)
Just when career-obsessed, hip blues musician Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) is about to achieve his lifelong dream of success, he dies in a car wreck, leaving a devastated wife (Kelly Preston) and young son (Joseph Cross). On the first anniversary of his father's death, the lonely, still-grieving 12 year-old builds a snowman, just like he did with his dad, and tops it with his dad's old hat, red scarf, and gloves. Then, before he falls asleep that night, he plays the old harmonica his dad gave him, remembering his father's promise: "If you play this, I will always hear you, no matter where I am." Magically, father and son are reunited in a way neither thought possible. Although loosely based on the children's tune "Frosty the Snowman," credit director Troy Miller for diluting the heavily emotional dialogue by allowing the camera to tell the story. So, with the exception of a few digital shots, the "special effects" are achieved through an incredible animatron from Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a snowm an who can win snowball fights, go sledding, and snow-boarding. Michael Keaton brings a goofy appeal, muttering "It's bad enough that my ticket got punch but to come back like this is embarrassing!" While not typical holiday fare, it's a contemporary fantasy with thoughts to contemplate. For workaholic fathers, "I was so busy trying to make my mark on the world, I didn't understand you are my mark on the world." And for kids: "Life is full of setbacks," "Everybody deserves a second chance," and "As long as you hold someone in your heart, you can never lose 'em." (And don't confuse this "Jack Frost" with a direct-to-video horror clunker about a vicious killer snowman.) On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Jack Frost" is a cool 7, a sentimental story with an icy edge.
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