Two people are driving through the Rocky Mountains at night in a blinding snowstorm. What could possibly go wrong? After skidding off the road, Brad (Brendan Michael Coughlin), a professional snowboarder on his way to Colorado to see his fiancée, and Lisa (Ayla Kell), large with child and hitching a ride with Brad to get away from the baby’s father, seek shelter in a creepy old hotel that has been out of business for decades. Two elders live there, played by actors who are strongly associated with some weird characters: Josephine (Grace Zabriskie of Twin Peaks fame) and Abe (Brad Dourif, voice of “Chucky”). But this is not a setup for a horror film; in fact, the only thing spooky here is the extent to which Josephine is emotionally haunted by a terrible personal loss years ago, a tragedy that compelled her to shut down her hotel, freezing it in time. The out-of-the-blizzard arrival of Craig and Lisa at Christmas ushers in youth, life, and love, especially after the birth of Lisa’s infant. Directed by Daniel Petrie Jr., Christmas at Rosemont is a handsome-looking film (lots of snow and trees) that can’t help but charm as the old folks begin shaking off the shackles that bind them to the past. An inspiring holiday tale, this is recommended. (T. Keogh)
Christmas at Rosemont
Strand, 95 min., not rated, DVD: $14.99, Dec. 4
Christmas at Rosemont
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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