Adam & Alison Watch Christmas Movies: HOT FROSTY

 by Adam Thas and Alison Thas

You know we had to cover this one.

Alison: The movie opens with a sweeping shot of the charming, quaint town of Hope Springs, where every house is decked out for Christmas except one: that of our main character Kathy (Lacey Chabert).  Kathy’s house is not only undecorated but in desperate need of repairs. After receiving a red scarf from a friend, Kathy wanders through the town’s snowman contest and place the scarf on an incredibly chiseled and lifelike snowman. Through the magic coming from some unknown source, the scarf brings the snowman, Jack (Dustin Milligan), to life.  After streaking through town, breaking a glass window, and stealing some clothes and boots, the town’s sheriff and deputy are on a mission to find Jack and bring him to justice. Kathy, recognizing the scarf and realizing what has transpired, feels compelled to take him in and protect him from the sheriff. Jack’s innocence and love for life illuminates Kathy’s melancholy demeanor. At first, Kathy tries to stifle Jack’s enthusiasm and keeps him cooped up inside the house. It’s not long before Kathy gets swept up in his happy-go-lucky charm and agrees to let him experience as much of life as he can before he inevitably melts.

This movie is charming on multiple levels. To begin, Milligan’s portrayal of Jack is like a puppy, so full of energy that he can’t help but run from place to place with excitement and awe of his surroundings. Just like Kathy, I found myself drawn to Jack more and more throughout the film. Then there is the cast of characters that live within Hope Springs. Like so many other holiday movies, the minor characters bring so much to the movie. The sheriff (Craig Robinson) and deputy (Joe Lo Truglio) add humor and charm to the storyline. While the very existence of a snowman-turned-human instantly makes this story unbelievable, the minor characters bring the much-needed reality to the story so you don’t feel like you’re watching something as far-fetched as you are.  Finally, the relationship between Kathy and Jack feels natural and believable (a sentence I never thought I’d type about a woman and a snowman). Their sweet relationship makes it so that you can’t help but cheer for them.

 

Adam: I’ll just jump right in: this movie is ridiculous. That said, I liked it. In the world of holiday rom-coms, I’d put this one toward the top. To be fair, a lot of these movies are ridiculous. We’ve seen Medieval knights transported through time, a woman who accidentally becomes the doctor for Santa at the North Pole, and a countless number of women falling in love with princes. Of course a woman who falls in love with a hot version of Frosty the Snowman may be ridiculous, but it tracks. What separates Hot Frosty from so many others is that they know it’s ridiculous and lean into it. The first sign of this is the cast.  They of course hire Lacey Chabert (the new queen of Christmas movies, but more on that later) as the relatable main character, but surrounding her they fill the cast with people who have made a living off being funny. Katy Mixon Greer (Two and a Half Men), Craig Robinson (The Office) and Joe Lo Truglio (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are not just there to deliver lines but to be funny. There are thousands of actors who could have played the part of “The Sheriff,” but putting Robinson in there gives the character life that is missing in so many of these movies. Besides the cast, Hot Frosty reaches that sweet spot with these holiday rom-coms where they have enough money to hire good people but maintain enough of a budget left over where it doesn’t feel cheap.

If you like these types of movies, this was a fun one.  However, I’m going to say it again: THIS MOVIE IS RIDICULOUS! If you find yourself watching Hot Frosty, you are going to be met with dozens of questions like, “How does he know how to read and write?” or “Why does he know the meaning of certain words and phrases but not others?” My advice is to constantly remind yourself that this is a movie about a woman who falls in love with an incredibly attractive snowman. If you’re willing to make that jump, then just enjoy the ride. You’re already strapped in.

On a completely different note, Hot Frosty is momentous because we can safely name Lacey Chabert as the new “Queen of Christmas Movies.” Previously, there had been debate between Alison and myself with the crown going to Candace Cameron Bure, who, besides being one of the OGs of the genre, had starred in 13 of these Christmas rom-coms. With Hot Frosty, Chabert has now crushed all of her competition, starring in 21 of these movies, with number 22 currently in post-production. I know that Chabert isn’t necessarily a household name, but in researching how many of these movies she’s done, she’s had a hell of a career. Her IMDB is filled with not only dozens of television appearances and movies, but she is a prolific voice actor, doing voices for dozens of cartoons and video games. All Hail Queen Lacey!

Adam’s List:

1) Holidate (2020, Netflix)

2) Love Hard (2021, Netflix)

3) Your Christmas or Mine (2022, Amazon)

4) Hot Frosty (2024, Netflix)

5) Holiday Calendar (2018, Netflix)

6) Snowed Inn (2017, Hallmark)

7) The Princess Switch (2018, Netflix)

8) Falling for Christmas (2022, Netflix)

9) The Knight Before Christmas (2019, Netflix)

10)  EXmas (2023, Amazon/Freevee)

11) Midnight at the Magnolia (2020, Netflix)

12) The Christmas Train (2017, Hallmark)

13) Holiday in the Vineyard (2023, Netflix)

14) Meet Me Next Christmas (2024, Netflix

15) Christmas Under Wraps (2014, Hallmark)

16) Reporting for Christmas (2023, Hulu)

17) The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again (2020, Netflix)

18) A Christmas Vintage (2023, Amazon)

19) The Noel Diary (2022, Netflix)

20) The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021, Netflix)

21) One Royal Holiday (2020, Hallmark)

22) Christmas on the Farm (2022, Hulu)

23) Holiday in the Wild (2019, Netflix)

24) Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018, Hallmark)

25)  A Perfect Christmas Pairing (2023, Amazon)

26) Three Wise Men and a Baby (2022, Hallmark)

27) Best. Christmas. Ever. (2023, Netflix)

Alison’s List:

1) The Princess Switch (2018, Netflix)

2) Your Christmas or Mine (2022, Amazon)

3) Love Hard (2021, Netflix)

4) Holiday Calendar (2018, Netflix)

5) Falling for Christmas (2022, Netflix)

6) Holidate (2020, Netflix)

7) Hot Frosty (2024, Netflix)

8) The Christmas Train (2017, Hallmark)

9) The Knight Before Christmas (2019, Netflix)

10) Holiday in the Vineyards (2023, Netflix)

11) Meet Me Next Christmas (2024, Netflix)

12) Midnight at the Magnolia (2020, Netflix)

13) Christmas Under Wraps (2014, Hallmark)

14) Pride, Prejudice, and Mistletoe (2018, Hallmark)

15) The Princess Switch 2: Switched Again (2020, Netflix)

16) EXmas (2023, Amazon/Freevee)

17) Snowed Inn (2017, Hallmark)

18) Reporting for Christmas (2023, Hulu)

19) The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star (2021, Netflix)

20) One Royal Holiday (2020, Hallmark)

21) The Noel Diary (2022, Netflix)

22) Three Wise Men and a Baby (2022, Hallmark)

23) A Christmas Vintage (2023, Amazon)

24) A Perfect Christmas Pairing (2023, Amazon)

25) Christmas on the Farm (2022, Hulu)

26) Holiday in the Wild (2019, Netflix)

27) Best. Christmas. Ever. (2023, Netflix)