Great American
Rating: 🎄🎄🎄
Description: In A Very Arctic Christmas, single dad, Jim (Mathison) and his spirited, science-minded 20-year-old daughter, Isla (Maya Rose Skabar), share a tradition of alternating who decides how they spend Christmas each year. Jim, a former major league baseball player turned broadcaster, never misses hosting his annual Christmas Eve show from Times Square – until Isla persuades him to take a once-in-a-lifetime Arctic cruise, promising they will return in time for his broadcast.
When a timing mix-up leaves them stranded in an arctic town after their ship departs without them, their carefully planned holiday quickly turns into an unforgettable adventure. With no planes, trains, or automobiles available, they must rely on wildlife conservationist Jane (Wagner) and her rugged tundra buggy to navigate the frozen wilderness. As they journey through the awe-inspiring Arctic – from the glow of the Aurora Borealis to the famed Polar Bear Capital of the World—Isla embraces the glory of nature, Jim wrestles with letting go of control, and Jane brings heart and charm to the path forward.
Overall Review: Well, would you look at that? Great American made a Christmas movie that I actually enjoyed. A Very Arctic Christmas was a pleasant surprise, especially considering my experiences with this network and their consistently low rated movies. I went in with modest expectations and for a while, even entertained the possibility of giving it four trees.
But let’s not get carried away.
The plot was engaging and the Christmas decorations were noticeably better than what I’ve come to expect from Great American. Progress! The acting was solid, and the movie gave me enough reasons to stay interested. But despite everything it did right, there was still something missing. That certain spark that takes a perfectly enjoyable Christmas movie and turns it into one you’re genuinely excited to recommend. It wasn’t bad, it just had a lingering case of the blahs.
And since we’re discussing distractions, I have to mention Jill Wagner’s hair. I don’t know exactly what was happening there, but I spent more time thinking about it than I probably should have. When a hairstyle starts competing with the plot for my attention, somebody in the hair and makeup department needs to have a conversation.
Still, I don’t want to overlook the fact that this was a solid effort. The story worked, the decorations improved, and I was entertained. That’s more than I can say for several Christmas movies I’ve watched lately. It came close to being a four tree movie, but close doesn’t earn you an extra tree. Great American is moving in the right direction, and I’ll happily take more movies like this one.
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