Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 10+
Flirting, kissing, soft language in a tense romance.
Based on 5 parent reviews
What is the story?
Small-town restaurant owner Cathy (Lacey Chabert) is still grieving the loss of her husband at the start of HOT FROSTY. Her friends are worried that she is not taking care of herself and that it is time for her to meet someone new. Instead, she flirts with a handsome snowman who then magically comes to life as “Jack” (Dustin Milligan). As she and Jack grow closer while keeping local Sheriff Hunter (Craig Robinson) off Jack’s tail for various unintentional crimes, their feelings for each other grow. But Jack is just a snowman and he is in danger of melting away forever.
Is it good?
Despite the suggestive title and marketing about star Milligan’s muscular build, this holiday novel is more sweet than snarky. Something of a comedy Hot Frosty it melts like a snowman on a summer day, but some parts work, especially the scenes involving good cop Noah (Joe Lo Truglio). Milligan and Chabert have enough chemistry to sustain an incredible story full of holes. Netflix’s cottage industry is set to thrive for another year, and regular Chabert even drops some inside jokes, including a reference to the Netflix-invented royal kingdom of Aldovia and a high school joke about her Mean Girls colleague Lindsay Lohan.
Talk to your kids about…
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Families can discuss the idea of making the snowman come to life Hot Frosty. Where else has this idea played out on film? What other movies have you seen with different kinds of Christmas miracles?
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As a viewer, did you find it a problem that the story was so amazing or did you forget about it to focus on the love story? What did the filmmakers do right or wrong, in your opinion, to carry this story?
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A small town in Hot Frosty it is full of colorful characters. Who was your favorite and why?
Did we miss something about diversity?
Research shows a link between children’s healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in the media. That’s why we’ve added a new “Different Representations” section to our reviews that will be published on an ongoing basis. You can help us help children