'A Dance in the Snow' Reviews: "a sweet, family friendly film that may not be one you’ll watch on repeat, but it definitely scratches the itch if you’re looking for warm holiday comfort"

         On December 5, 2024, Hallmark Channel released 'A Dance in the Snow', which just might be the most heartwarming film of the holiday season this year. In the film, "Melanie wants to create an inclusive Christmas dance for her daughter Jenny, not realizing Jenny is planning a dance of her own to honor Melanie." The ensemble cast includes Erica Cerra, Dorian Giordano, Vanessa Burghardt, and Mark Ghanimé. But what did the critics say?

        Liz Kocan of Decider says, "A Dance In The Snow is a sweet celebration of inclusiveness and the normalization of things that, to the outside world, may not seem so normal. Melanie’s biggest struggle as Jenny’s mother is getting the outside world to understand her daughter, and so she takes matters into her own hands to raise awareness of Jenny’s struggles to the people in their community by planning a sensory-friendly dance. Jenny, on the other hand, may have her triggers, but she’s emotionally intuitive and has no difficulty realizing all that her mom does for her, which is why she wants to put on an event for her mother’s benefit. While the film does include romantic subplots for both of their characters, the real love story here is between a mom and her daughter, and their evolution as women who see one another for who they are outside the context of their mother and child relationship. Even though the film uses Jenny’s autism and Melanie’s work at a center for neurodivergent kids as a major plot point, it manages not to veer into after-school special territory thanks to the solid acting and the genuine chemistry, especially between the adult romantic leads, Cerra and Ghanimé. The film has a very specific energy that leans more family-friendly than romantic, but it’s also a powerful love letter to parenthood, and the fact that loving parents’ behavior is often mirrored by their observant children." Adding, "A Dance In The Snow is a sweet, family friendly film that may not be one you’ll watch on repeat, but it definitely scratches the itch if you’re looking for warm holiday comfort. STREAM IT!"

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash