Snow Day (2000)

Review by All Movie Guide
The premise of Snow Day is delightful, as anyone who grew up in a wintry environment can relate to the exquisite joy of having school canceled by a blizzard. The movie follows its much-repeated mantra "Anything can happen on a snow day" to all logical conclusions -- but that's what prevents it from continuing to resonate for viewers who've moved past the Nickelodeon age bracket. Clearly, any resemblance to reality is thrown out the window when a couple of ten-year-olds construct a massive fort full of serpentine tunnels, complete with a living space where they've set up a game system -- by 9:30 the morning after the winter's first snowfall. And a silly running joke involves the principal, a gangly goofball, never being out of range of a fusillade of pelted snowballs from unseen attackers. But reviewing the film for a realist is missing the point, and people at an age still eligible for snow days may find this Snow Day an enjoyable enough diversion. Chris Elliott submits a deliciously nasty, rotted-tooth turn as a malevolent snow-plow driver -- though only in the world of this film could a public servant just trying to clear the roads be so vilified. The movie smartly follows a handful of characters throughout their day's activities, making it kind of a preteen Robert Altman movie. But some plots just grow tiresome, such as the relentless campaign carried off by Hal (Mark Webber) to win over the school's hottie snob, when the girl who's really right for him (Schuyler Fisk) is just under his nose. Still, any time one thing starts to sputter, it's nothing that a little ice sculpting or a snowmobile chase can't fix. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide