Blizzard (2003 film)

Blizzard
Blizzard
	DVD cover
Directed by	LeVar Burton
Written by	Agnes Bristow; Leif Bristow; Murray McRae
Produced by	Leif Bristow ; J. Miles Dale ; Murray Marchant (associate) ; Robert Schwartz (executive) ; Ralph Winter (executive)
Starring	Brenda Blethyn; Christopher Plummer; Kevin Pollack; Whoopi Goldberg
Cinematography	David Franco
Edited by	Ralph Brunjes
Music by	Mark McKenzie; Pamela Phillips Oland
Production; companies	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
Countries	United States; Canada
Language	English

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.

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.

External links