"Snowcake" is a slightly offbeat movie in the same vein as "Sideways" and "Broken flower", offering a good mix of humour and poignancy as well as thoughtful insight into human nature. It leans towards being out of the ordinary but does not go overboard to be bizarre. It takes place in Wawa, Ontario, a small town (population of several thousand) that reflects the rugged beauty of "North of Superior" (see IMDb listing). Prominently featured in several scenes is the 28-foot tall sculpture Canada Goose that marks the entrance to the town. I have not been to Wawa, but had once come within a hundred miles, from the Sault St. Marie side.
One of the three main protagonists is an outsider, Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman), who picks up a hitchhiker, teenager Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire) on her way home to Wawa. Aspiring to be a writer, she approaches Alex with the belief that since he looks so lonely, he must have a good story of his life to tell. Tragically, Vivienne never gets home as their car gets into an accident which leaves Alex unscathed but kills her. The rest of the story happens in the ensuing week in Wawa, where Alex tries to help Vivienne's autistic mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) arrange the funeral. Through interaction with Linda and other inhabitants of this town, Alex finds absolution from a guilt that has been weighting heavily on him. The number one key character of "Snowcake", however, is unquestionably Linda.
Rather than getting into all the details that should be left for the viewers to enjoy, I would just mention some of the interesting aspects of this movie. The biggest challenge is to make Linda believable. An average moviegoer is not expected to have much experience with an autistic person. The closest impression one gets is probably the "Rain man" version. If Dustin Hoffman was good enough with his performance to win an Oscar, Weaver certainly is also, for "Snowcake". At her first appearance, at her doorstep answering Alex's knock, Linda does not appear to have been grieved, acknowledging almost in a matter-of-fact manner that she heard about the death of her daughter two hours ago. It isn't until towards the end of the movie, after we have spent a considerable amount of time with Linda, that we begin to understand that perhaps she can retain in a corner of her mind a much more solid picture of her lost daughter than a normal person can. This becomes clear in the "dancing" scene at the post-funeral gathering at Linda's place. In a sense, she has not really lost Vivienne.
Linda doesn't "do socials", as she explains to Alex right at the beginning. At times she seems closed to everything around her but she is not entirely unreachable. At times (especially on important things) she is more sensible than "normal" people, such as in the way she deals with her daughter's death. At other times, she is irritating, or even exasperating, but endearingly so. Sounds absurd but just watch Weaver make this character believable it's a Sigourney Weaver you've never seen before.
Also never seen before is Carrie-Anne Moss, playing warm hearted neighbour Maggie with sensuousness in such a mellowed sort of way that will make you gasp. All of a sudden, you realise that watching too much "Alien" and "Matrix" has blurred your perception to what these two wonderful actresses are capable of. I am not too surprised that so many people go to see Snowcake just because of Rickman. They will of course be delighted to get a lot more than Rickman, but he alone is a good enough reason. Although not quite to the extent of Murray's minimalism in "Broken Flowers", Rickman plays a remorseful man with subdued hesitancy. It's when Alex interacts with Linda that they both come to life. In addition to those three, there is an excellent supporting cast, particularly Emily Hampshire.
One final word: somewhere in the middle of the movie, there is one moment when the audience of the show I attended broke out in spontaneous, thunderous applause. You should have no problem recognizing it Rickman was speaking and you'll probably get the same reaction in your show anyway.
I am not sure when "Snowcake" will be screened commercially or go to the film festival in your city. But when it does, don't miss it.
One of the three main protagonists is an outsider, Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman), who picks up a hitchhiker, teenager Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire) on her way home to Wawa. Aspiring to be a writer, she approaches Alex with the belief that since he looks so lonely, he must have a good story of his life to tell. Tragically, Vivienne never gets home as their car gets into an accident which leaves Alex unscathed but kills her. The rest of the story happens in the ensuing week in Wawa, where Alex tries to help Vivienne's autistic mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) arrange the funeral. Through interaction with Linda and other inhabitants of this town, Alex finds absolution from a guilt that has been weighting heavily on him. The number one key character of "Snowcake", however, is unquestionably Linda.
Rather than getting into all the details that should be left for the viewers to enjoy, I would just mention some of the interesting aspects of this movie. The biggest challenge is to make Linda believable. An average moviegoer is not expected to have much experience with an autistic person. The closest impression one gets is probably the "Rain man" version. If Dustin Hoffman was good enough with his performance to win an Oscar, Weaver certainly is also, for "Snowcake". At her first appearance, at her doorstep answering Alex's knock, Linda does not appear to have been grieved, acknowledging almost in a matter-of-fact manner that she heard about the death of her daughter two hours ago. It isn't until towards the end of the movie, after we have spent a considerable amount of time with Linda, that we begin to understand that perhaps she can retain in a corner of her mind a much more solid picture of her lost daughter than a normal person can. This becomes clear in the "dancing" scene at the post-funeral gathering at Linda's place. In a sense, she has not really lost Vivienne.
Linda doesn't "do socials", as she explains to Alex right at the beginning. At times she seems closed to everything around her but she is not entirely unreachable. At times (especially on important things) she is more sensible than "normal" people, such as in the way she deals with her daughter's death. At other times, she is irritating, or even exasperating, but endearingly so. Sounds absurd but just watch Weaver make this character believable it's a Sigourney Weaver you've never seen before.
Also never seen before is Carrie-Anne Moss, playing warm hearted neighbour Maggie with sensuousness in such a mellowed sort of way that will make you gasp. All of a sudden, you realise that watching too much "Alien" and "Matrix" has blurred your perception to what these two wonderful actresses are capable of. I am not too surprised that so many people go to see Snowcake just because of Rickman. They will of course be delighted to get a lot more than Rickman, but he alone is a good enough reason. Although not quite to the extent of Murray's minimalism in "Broken Flowers", Rickman plays a remorseful man with subdued hesitancy. It's when Alex interacts with Linda that they both come to life. In addition to those three, there is an excellent supporting cast, particularly Emily Hampshire.
One final word: somewhere in the middle of the movie, there is one moment when the audience of the show I attended broke out in spontaneous, thunderous applause. You should have no problem recognizing it Rickman was speaking and you'll probably get the same reaction in your show anyway.
I am not sure when "Snowcake" will be screened commercially or go to the film festival in your city. But when it does, don't miss it.