Frank Scheck from The Hollywood Reporter writes:
The film turns out to be a surprisingly effective debut effort from writer-director Robert Kirbyson.
Family movies don't generally begin with its 10-year-old central character announcing that he's dead. Nor do they typically feature the spectacle of a frozen corpse.
But despite -- or perhaps because of -- such unconventional elements, Snowmen turns out to be a surprisingly effective debut effort from writer-director Robert Kirbyson.
Recently given its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the film might prove a bit too offbeat for mainstream theatrical success, though it might well prove popular on DVD and cable.
Set in a wintry mountain town, the story centers on Billy (Bobby Coleman), a 10-year-old whose ever-present wool beanie signals something besides cold temperatures. Indeed, it turns out that Billy, still bald from the effects of chemotherapy, is convinced that he's going to die after a recent bout with cancer. Determined to make some sort of impact on the world before he goes, he decides to attempt to break the world record for the most snowmen created in a single day.
Along the way, he and his friends have to cope with various adolescent problems ranging from the bizarre (the aforementioned corpse, which mysteriously shows up on his front lawn) to the familiar (menacing bullies, etc.).
Observing his son's efforts with concern is his father, Reggie (Ray Liotta), a used-car salesman with a penchant for outrageous stunts and in-your-face television commercials.
The film is not fully successful in blending its comedic and dramatic elements, and some sections -- like Billy falling under the ice into a frozen pond -- might be disturbing for younger viewers. But it's refreshing to encounter a family film that doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator and addresses the sort of emotional issues to which adolescents can actually relate.
The performances are first-rate: Young newcomer Coleman is touching in the central role without succumbing to bathos; Liotta, in a nice departure from his standard tough-guy parts, handles the comedic and dramatic aspects of his role with aplomb; and Christopher Lloyd provides a wonderfully understated cameo as a gravedigger who teaches Billy and his friends a vital lesson.
Russ Briemer from Christianity Today writes:
Snowmen is a family film that takes you to unexpected places. It starts out as standard kid comedy fare a la Diary of a Wimpy Kid or How to Eat Fried Worms, but then unexpectedly snowballs into a poignant drama with weightier themes of life and death.
It's also offbeat. The first five minutes alone include one of the grossest snot gags I've ever seen, followed by the discovery of a dead man in a front yard snow bank. Then the film's10-year-old narrator/protagonist Billy Kirkfield (Bobby Coleman) reveals to us that he will die before everything's over with.
That all seems a bit much for younger viewers, but this really is a film parents can enjoy with children ages 8 and up. Rather than being a dark drama preoccupied with death, Snowmen is primarily a charming comedy that affirms life through Billy's desire to find purpose and meaning.
We learn early on through a clever reveal that Billy has cancer; shy about his baldness from chemotherapy, he always wears his wool beanie, even indoors. When Billy finds an old man frozen in his front yard, he starts to confront his own mortality, questioning how he'll be remembered in his hometown of Silver Lake, Colorado. With the help of his friends—wimpy Lucas (Christian Martyn) and Jamaican transplant Howard (Bobb'E J. Thompson)—Billy becomes determined to leave an unforgettable legacy.
What can a 10-year-old do to be remembered? Brainstorming for a high-profile act, Billy discovers the Guinness Book of World Records and says, "If I could get my name in this book, I'd never be forgotten!" He comes up with some crazy stunts suited to Silver Lake's snowy landscape, but his initial ideas don't work out. But then he comes up with something that galvanizes friends and classmates into breaking a world record.
Snowmen ultimately reminds us that there's more to leaving a legacy than fame and notoriety. That's no spoiler, but how it gets to that place involves some unexpected moments of laughter, fear, sweetness, shame, courage, poignancy, and even hints of faith.
Its tone is akin to Simon Birch, the 1998 comedy-tearjerker about a diminutive boy who believes God made him small for a reason. It was funny, yet dramatic, while touching on Christian themes with its purpose-minded premise. Snowmen shares many of these qualities, and ifSimon Birch was a little emotionally manipulative, this film arguably overcomes that in its clever storytelling.
Snowmen also succeeds by depicting kids that feel real. Too many kids in this genre come across as stereotypes, but this film provides more depth and nuance. Lucas may seem the typical wimpy kid at first, but he's also very sweet and likable. Having a Jamaican kid adapt to snowy Colorado was probably meant as a recurring joke, but there's a toughness to Howard that makes him charming and noble—the rock of the trio. As for Billy, he's the heart of this film as we come to understand his dreams and fears.
And how often are kids shown as little more than mischief makers with catchphrases? Here the three boys are often seen talking about big topics. The best scene is a discussion about heaven that's certainly not theologically grounded—leaving the door wide open for parent-child discussion—but it's a humorous and believable depiction of how children would approach such a subject. Writer and director Robert Kirbyson has made a movie that is realistic to kids and a return to innocence for adults.