Saw it on Netflix streaming movies. Mostly little-known actors but Shaloub and Corbin give it street cred.
The story revolves around Ross Partridge as Joe Peterson, author living in California and seemingly happily engaged to a pretty lady. But Joe has writer's block after his first, wildly successful children's book, and he is getting grief from inside and from outside.
Christmas is approaching and the story gets kicked into gear when Joe decides to go with his friend to a very remote, very snowy part of upper Wisconsin, hoping to gain some inspiration.
Not long after he arrives he meets Katie Aselton as pretty and single Sif Andersen, working in the local café'. She is sweet and happens to be attracted to Joe. But in this small community where everyone knows everyone else, things will be complicated by Tony Shalhoub as the local Sheriff Andersen, who happens to be Sif's over-protective dad. Also a factor is the grandpa, Barry Corbin as Axel Andersen.
(Note, the ages don't quite work out, as Corbin was 68, Shaloub was 55, and Aselton was 30. But Corbin acts like an 80-year-old.)
So the movie is about Joe settling into this community and he and Sif starting to build up their relationship, all the while several old issues are addressed by all the characters.
Nice, small movie, I enjoyed most of it but didn't really feel like the writers came up with a very interesting resolution. The last scenes did not do justice to all that came before in the movie.
SPOILERS: Naturally the ex-girlfriend who virtually chased Joe away showed up unannounced, eager to "forgive him." But Joe has found happiness in Wisconsin, he likes Sif, he likes the people, he realized he didn't want his old girlfriend. Sheriff sees him and her one morning through the window, tells his daughter, she thinks he is a two-timing bastage, but after she sees his drawings, including "Sif, the one", and she sees Joe take the polar bear swim with the natives, and sing Christmas carols with the ladies, she realizes that all is good.
The story revolves around Ross Partridge as Joe Peterson, author living in California and seemingly happily engaged to a pretty lady. But Joe has writer's block after his first, wildly successful children's book, and he is getting grief from inside and from outside.
Christmas is approaching and the story gets kicked into gear when Joe decides to go with his friend to a very remote, very snowy part of upper Wisconsin, hoping to gain some inspiration.
Not long after he arrives he meets Katie Aselton as pretty and single Sif Andersen, working in the local café'. She is sweet and happens to be attracted to Joe. But in this small community where everyone knows everyone else, things will be complicated by Tony Shalhoub as the local Sheriff Andersen, who happens to be Sif's over-protective dad. Also a factor is the grandpa, Barry Corbin as Axel Andersen.
(Note, the ages don't quite work out, as Corbin was 68, Shaloub was 55, and Aselton was 30. But Corbin acts like an 80-year-old.)
So the movie is about Joe settling into this community and he and Sif starting to build up their relationship, all the while several old issues are addressed by all the characters.
Nice, small movie, I enjoyed most of it but didn't really feel like the writers came up with a very interesting resolution. The last scenes did not do justice to all that came before in the movie.
SPOILERS: Naturally the ex-girlfriend who virtually chased Joe away showed up unannounced, eager to "forgive him." But Joe has found happiness in Wisconsin, he likes Sif, he likes the people, he realized he didn't want his old girlfriend. Sheriff sees him and her one morning through the window, tells his daughter, she thinks he is a two-timing bastage, but after she sees his drawings, including "Sif, the one", and she sees Joe take the polar bear swim with the natives, and sing Christmas carols with the ladies, she realizes that all is good.