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Jack Frost (1998 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Jack Frost' is a 1998 American Christmas fantasy comedy film starring Michael Keaton and Kelly Preston. Keaton plays the title character, a father and musician killed in a car accident, only to be brought back to life in the form of a snowman via a magical harmonica. Three of Frank Zappa's four children, Dweezil Zappa, Ahmet Zappa, and Moon Unit Zappa, appear in the film. 'Jack Frost' was released in Australia on December 10, 1998, a day prior to its American release. It received negative reviews and became a box-office bomb, grossing just $34 million against a budget of $4085 million.
Plot
Jack Frost is the lead singer in a rock band simply titled "The Jack Frost Band", based in the fictional town of Medford, Colorado, who make their living performing blues covers and an assortment of their own songs in the hope of signing a record deal. He returns to his 11-year-old son Charlie, who has just returned from a snowball fight against local bully Rory Buck. After they build a snowman in their front yard, Jack gives him his best harmonica, which he got the day Charlie was born, jokingly telling him that it's magical, and he will be able to hear it wherever he is. Jack promises his wife Gabby that he will attend his son's hockey game, but misses it in favor of recording a new hit song "Don't Lose Your Faith". To make up for it, Jack then promises to take his family on a Christmas trip to the mountains, but is then called in on a gig that could make or break his career. On his way to the gig, Jack realizes his mistake and borrows his best friend (and the band's keyboardist) Mac MacArthur's car to go to the mountains to meet his family. Unfortunately, Jack encounters a bad snowstorm that he is unable to navigate through due to the faulty windshield wipers and poor weather conditions. As a result, he swerves off the road, crashes the car, and is killed instantly (off-screen).
A year later, Charlie has fallen into depression over his father's death, to the point of withdrawing from all contact with his friends. One night, he makes another snowman that bears as much of a resemblance to Jack as he can remember and plays Jack's harmonica just before going to sleep. The harmonica turns out to be magical after all, as it revives Jack, transferring his spirit into the snowman. Jack attempts to greet Charlie, but instead ends up terrifying him by mistake. The next day, Charlie discovers Jack in his yard and attempts to run away from him, leaving Jack feeling humiliated once more, but still determined to go after his son. When Charlie winds up in the snowball battlefield, Jack pelts Rory and the other children with snowballs and escapes with Charlie on a sled. After losing them, Charlie realizes that the snowman is his father after Jack uses his nickname "Charlie boy". Jack reconnects with Charlie and teaches him the values that he never got to teach him. After some hockey lessons, Jack convinces Charlie to rejoin the team instead of continuing to grieve over his death, becoming their best player. In the meantime, Mac continues to be a friend of the family, while also becoming a father figure to Charlie at Gabby's suggestion.
As winter approaches its end, Jack begins melting and struggles to get to Charlie's hockey game, but is successful in doing so. Afterwards, Charlie decides to take Jack to the mountains where it is colder, but has a difficult time convincing Gabby to do so. Charlie comes across Rory, who also insults the snowman by asking which is more stupid. After Jack speaks in front of Rory by correcting his last sentence, Rory then sympathizes with Charlie not having a father and helps him sneak Jack onto a truck en route to the mountains. Jack and Charlie arrive at the isolated cabin that the family was going to stay at for Christmas before Jack's death. Jack calls Gabby, nonchalantly asking her to come to the cabin to pick up Charlie; Gabby is shocked, but recognizes his voice and obliges. Jack tells a disheartened Charlie that he has to leave. When Gabby arrives, the snowman shell dissipates, revealing Jack in an ethereal form. Jack tells Charlie he will be with him wherever he goes and, after saying farewell and giving his love to both his wife and son, returns to the afterlife.
In the closing moments of the film, Charlie plays hockey with his group of friends (which now includes Rory), while Gabby happily watches and Mac plays music on the piano. The final street scene shows that all the front lawns have snowmen on them.
Cast
Live action
Puppeteers
* Denise Chershire Pearlman as Jack Frost (head operator)* Bruce Lanoil as Jack Frost (in-suit performer)
* Denise Cheshire as Jack Frost (in-suit performer)
* Allan Trautman as Jack Frost (additional puppeteer)
Production
Both Joseph Cross and Mika Boorem starred together in the 'Touched by an Angel' episode "Psalm 151". Cross and Michael Keaton starred together in 'Desperate Measures', which was released the same year.
George Clooney was originally set to star as Jack Frost and Jim Henson's Creature Shop made the character look like Clooney but then Clooney later left the project. Sam Raimi was originally attached to direct the film but when Clooney dropped out he dropped out as well. John Travolta was also considered for the role. Billy Bob Thornton was in talks for the role of Mac MacArthur.
The costume for Jack Frost's snowman form was created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
Principal photography began on March 16, 1998, and wrapped on June 23, 1998.
Music
Featured on the CD release, released by Mercury Records:
The film features additional tracks not featured on the CD:
* "Roll with the Changes" REO Speedwagon
* "Everytime We Say Goodbye" Cole Porter
* "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" Gary Glitter
* "Don't Lose Your Faith" The Jack Frost Band
* "Couldn't Stand the Weather" Stevie Ray Vaughan
* "Landslide" Fleetwood Mac
* "Free Ride" The Edgar Winter Group
* "Final Fire" Hans Zimmer
* "Hot in the City" Billy Idol
* "Slow Ride" Foghat
Reception
Box office
Produced on an $85 million budget, 'Jack Frost' took $7 million on its opening weekend.It went on to gross over $34.5 million in North America, becoming a box office flop.
Critical response
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 19% based on 57 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Sentimental schmaltz and uninspired storytelling sink this film."On Metacritic it has a score of 45% based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade B+ on scale of A to F.
Roger Ebert gave the film one out of four stars, writing, "It's possible for the Jim Henson folks and Industrial Light and Magic to put their heads together and come up with the most repulsive single creature in the history of special effects, and I am not forgetting the Chucky doll or the desert intestine from 'Star Wars'." Ben Falk of 'Empire Magazine' gave the film a three out of five stars, saying, "Despite an astoundingly dodgy-looking central character, this is a children's flick that doesn't apologise for being so and in an environment where even cartoons are stuffed full of gags purely for the grown-ups, that's remarkably refreshing." Janet Maslin of 'The New York Times' gave the film a positive review, saying: "As one more Hollywood effort to look on the sunny side of fatality, 'Jack Frost' is so sugarcoated that it makes other recent efforts in this genre look blisteringly honest. On the other hand, it's just cheerful and bogus enough to keep children reasonably entertained."
See also
* List of Christmas films
References
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