Blizzard (film)
Blizzard is a 2003 American/Canadian Christmas-themed family film directed by LeVar Burton and starring Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Pollak, and Whoopi Goldberg.
| Blizzard | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) DVD cover | |
| Directed by | LeVar Burton |
| Produced by | Leif Bristow J. Miles Dale Murray Marchant (associate) Robert Schwartz (executive) Ralph Winter (executive) |
| Written by | Agnes Bristow Leif Bristow Murray McRae |
| Starring | Brenda Blethyn Christopher Plummer Kevin Pollak Whoopi Goldberg |
| Music by | Mark McKenzie Pamela Phillips Oland |
| Cinematography | David Franco |
| Edited by | Ralph Brunjes |
Production company | Knightscove Entertainment Holedigger Films Ralph Winter Productions |
| Distributed by | Alliance Atlantis (Canada) MGM Home Entertainment (United States) |
Release date | 15 May 2003 (Cannes) |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States Canada |
| Language | English |
Plot
Ten-year old Jess is devastated after her friend Bobby moves out of town. Her Aunt Millie comes to visit and decides to tell her a story about Katie, who is also ten years old, who wanted to ice-skate.
While practicing on an outdoor rink near her home, Katie is befriended by Otto Brewer, a former Olympic skating champion, who offers to teach her "proper skating," and under Otto's tutelage, Katie blossoms into a magnificent skater. However, Katie is devastated when her father loses his job and the family is forced to move to the big city.
Meanwhile, in the North Pole, Santa and his elves are celebrating the birth of Blizzard (Whoopi Goldberg), a baby reindeer born to Blitzen and Delphi. It quickly becomes apparent that Blizzard possesses all three magical reindeer gifts: the ability to fly, the power to make herself invisible, and the gift of empathic navigation - being able to see with her heart.
Using her empathic ability, Blizzard feels Katie's sadness and flies to Katie's home to investigate. Despite the rigid rules of the North Pole, Blizzard helps Katie learn that the value of true friendships is that they never truly go away. However, by breaking these rules, Blizzard must face the possibility of banishment at the hands of Archimedes, Santa's strict head elf. Only true friendship can save her now. Katie's former bully Erin becomes a humble friend after being saved from drowning in a thin-iced frozen pond by Katie, with Blizzard's help.
Cast
- Paul Bates as additional reindeer voices
- Brenda Blethyn as Aunt Millie
- Brittany Bristow as Erin Scott-Pierce
- Leif Bristow as Blitzen (voice)
- Jacqueline Byers as Skating girl (as Jackie Byers)
- Len Carlson as Additional reindeer voices
- J. Miles Dale as Additional reindeer voices
- Tony Daniels as Additional reindeer voices
- Wendii Fulford as Beth Cameron
- Whoopi Goldberg as Blizzard (voice)
- Ellen-Ray Hennessy as Delphi (voice)
- Gary Johnston as Mr. Jackson
- Demetrius Joyette as Bobby Jackson
- Stephanie Morgenstern as Erma Ward
- J.D. Nicholsen as Ted Andrews
- Aidan O'Hara as Derek Tynan
- Jennifer Pisana as Jess Cameron
- Christopher Plummer as Santa Claus
- Kevin Pollak as Archimedes
- Diana Reis as Principal Sarah Andrews
- Mark Rendall as Joe Andrews
- Albert Schultz as Bob Cameron
- Lee Smart as Donner Jr. (voice)
- Cree Summer as Aphrodite (voice)
- Jan Tríska as Otto Brewer / Trainer
- Zoe Warner as Katie Andrews
- Jonathan Whitaker as Jordan Scott-Pierce
- Jonathan Wilson as Jeremy
- Richard Yearwood as Lucius
- LeVar Burton as Night Watchman Elf (uncredited)
- Marie V. Cruz as Santa's Elf (uncredited)
Awards
The film won the Best of the Fest award at the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, and the DGC Team Award from the Director's Guild of Canada. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2003.