MovieChat Forums > Snow Angels (2008) Discussion > What do people get out of watching this ...

What do people get out of watching this film?



I enjoyed the acting, big fan of Sam, but honestly I don't see the point of the film. Do people enjoy being depressed? Anyone can easily come up with depressing stories to write and anyone can easily come up with Kumbia (everyone gets along) type of stories, that’s why I hate both types. The films I really enjoy are the ones that give me a unique experience and perspective of the human condition, while keeping me engaged at the same time. The ones that give you a sense of mystery of being, it doesn’t have to beat you over the head with morality it just simply has to be intriguing. For instance one of my favourite films is Reservoir Dogs, some would argue that the ending of that film is just as depressing as Snow Angels, yet once you finished watching the film, it doesn’t leave you with the feeling of gloominess and worthlessness, in fact it does the complete opposite (at least for me anyway). The same thing can be said about Moon (also starring Rockwell). That’s what separates very well written movies like Reservoir Dogs & Moon from complete *beep* movies like Snow Angels, because it leaves you to ponder your own existence in a much healthier way.

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Well that's how the movie affected YOU. Everybody is different. If you're healthy to begin with (and not already prone to depression) you can still leave this film pondering your own existence in a healthy way. I did. It's gonna affect people differently just based upon people having different life experiences and how they view and relate to the film and the characters.

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Sorry, but it is just beyond me how anyone can honestly sit through those dragged out scenes and say that they were thoroughly entertained. Like I said, the acting was generally ok, the whole story though was just boring and depressing. Yes, this is a subjective opinion of mine, and everyone would be affected differently by this film based on their own life experiences. I probably could make a fair assumption in assuming that the people who did enjoy it probably enjoy soap operas as well, where they get caught up with that fevered constant drama of a fictional world full of characters with ordinary and dull lives. Don't people have enough drama or excitement in their own lives to be entertained by this crap? Like I said before, it’s a mediocre story at best, anyone can practically write a sad narrative and think of the worst case scenarios for the characters. That doesn’t challenge or assert my own individuality and beliefs, it’s not entertaining, and it’s just an empty depressing story which fails to invigorate an emotional or intellectual response. I suppose people like that, but I would hate to be around those individuals, their lives would probably be just as depressing as the film itself. Like reading a newspaper article about some tragic accident, it’s not entertaining whatsoever, and there’s enough of that to read about anyway.

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I thought Woody Allen's "Interiors" was depressing too. This was a well-made film that made you think.

When I rented it, I had only the vaguest idea what it was about. Wow! It packs a wallop if you're not prepared.

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I think "Snow Angels" is easily one of the most potent dramas ever filmed. I encourage you to see it again sometime, Mark, because you're wrong to say that the WHOLE movie is depressing. Nor does the film leave the viewer in a totally depressed state. There's a lot of beauty and hope in this picture; and it left me pondering many things (including the numerous real-life people the characters reminded me of to a 'T'). Certainly the Annie/Glenn/Tara storyline is tragic and depressing, but that's not the whole focus of the story (the dominant focus, maybe, but not the whole focus). The film is about romantic relationships in various seasons/stages and whether they're successful or not depending upon their responses to the inevitable crises & temptations of life/family/relationships:

- Arthur and Lila's high school relationship is just budding and healthy.
- Glenn and Annie's relationship has been devastated by Glenn's alcoholism and anger/stalking issues; Annie wants to move on but foolishly chooses to have an afair with the husband of her best friend. Glenn is truly trying to recover from his personal demons -- he even gets born-again -- but for some reason he can't get over his ex and move foward with his life. His struggle between the positive and negative forces within us all is real. The only reason Glenn fails is because of his own unwise, selfish choices (before the end's criminal tragedy he takes the painting of the cross off the wall and there's a kid's handprint on the wall accompanied by the word "me").
- Nate and Barb's relationship hits its first major crisis: Nate is discovered to be an adultery, and not just with Annie. Barb understandably responds with fierce anger, at first, until a tragedy shows her true angelic nature (supporting and comforting the disloyal, adulterous Annie). It's unlikely that Nate and Barb's relationship will survive because Nate, like a leopard, can't change his spots.
- Arthur's parents separate for a season but it's clear at the end that they love each other and their family will survive the crisis.
- Glenn's parent's are in the latter stage of a committed relationship, which seems to have been successful.
- Glenn's loving & loyal retriever is the anithesis of Annie (not that I blame Annie for wanting to move on in life); the dog has found succor with Glenn's parents (as revealed in the very last scene).


The film leaves us hoping that Arthur's parents will stay together and that Arthur and Lila will make wise decisions and overcome the pitfalls that destroyed Glenn, Annie and Tara, and to a lesser extent Nate and Barb. It could go either way for Arthur and Lila. Yes, they look happy and natural together, but Glenn and Annie were like that in the early years of their relationship as well. Remember, Annie admitted that Glenn used to make her focus on the positive side of life and his total support was always comforting.

The film shows Arthur flirting with alcohol and pot; not all people get thrown offtrack in life by such things, but Glenn did (and getting born-again only helped a little). Will Arthur?

Only time -- and wrong or right choices -- will tell.

Right after seeing the film I got on the internet and read the story about Brian Diez in Arizona shooting five people, including the mother of his two children, and then turning the gun on himself.

"Snow Angels" IS reality, my friend. Give it another chance sometime with these things in mind.

PS: I don't watch soaps and only sporadically view dramas.

PSS: I'll have to check out "Resevoir Dogs" and "Moon" sometime.

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***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***

I just watched this film last night, and I'm still devastated. I just found that last scene with Annie and Glen so heart wrenching, that I cried my eyes out. She didn't deserve any of what was coming to her, and what makes it worse, was the character was so caring- sure she messed up with her best friend-but even then she was sorry. She had her issues of course-real human flaws- but the saddest part was, in the end no-one was there to protect her when she needed it the most.

What I'm still trying to understand is why Annie sort of gave in to the situation- like Glen says, "tell me when you're ready"...and then she does. That was a shock for me. I must have missed something. I would have rather run off screaming and get it in the back- than to submissively oblige to his warped sense of reality. What I also found poignant, through my tears after the climax, was when the montage is replayed, of the simple things that happen in town...it's like, what I got out of it was, we have our time here, and when we're gone, life continues- the world goes on without us...other peoples hopes continue. I know that seems a given, but it was really driven home for me with that sequence.

I would find Snow Angels hard to watch again. I think if I didn't have so much empathy for Kate Beckinsale's Annie it wouldn't affect me so much. At the moment though it's still too raw for me.

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To the original poster, everyone likes different kinds of movies. While I found "Snow Angels" sad, movies like this have a pretty profound effect on my own life. I'm a 32-year-old guy and not married yet, but I plan to be someday. Some of the big things I got out of this were to be careful about who you choose to marry, and to realize the importance of forgiving people.

I have friends who hate movies about people with troubled lives. I think they're very interesting. If anything, they teach me about ways that I can make better decisions in my own life.

A film like "Reservoir Dogs" I think is easier for some people to like because it is a fantasy. I doubt most of us can honestly relate to any of the characters in that film. It's superficial, violent fun. It's easy to be detached from it because for most of us it is so far removed from our lives.

Films like "Snow Angels" on the other hand are difficult for some to watch because they hit very close to home. Most of us hope to have a meaningful life-long relationship with a significant other and form a "family" of some kind. To watch that dream crash and burn is painful. But it's important to understand the problems that can accompany such a dream.

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This is just my opinion and my own interpretation of the movie:
I thought it was displaying how important marriage is.
We see 3 marriages that are in shambles and it ends up hurting so many other people besides the couple.
The movie was very depressing but divorce/broken marriages are very depressing.

It's not really a movie I ever want to watch again but it was a formidable reminder of the importance of marriage.

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What's the film trying to say about Annie as a mother? Earlier in the film Annie yells at her daughter on occasion and reprimands Glen for leaving their daughter unattended in the truck..than Annie has a sick day and falls asleep on the couch with her daughter safe in the house..that doesn't suggest neglect or bad parenting to me..so Annie's relationship to her daughter, the married guy and with Glen as a parental unit, he would/should have been at work anyways, seems to have little consequence to her daughter's actual death here..Anne was just very very unlucky..it just leaves me feeling the director is unfairly punishing and a little prejudice against the character Annie.

Godfather- "Monday, Tuesday, Thursday..Wednesday"

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Kate was a bitch. She does NOT know how to take care of her kid anymore than Sam does.

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what do people get you ask ?
well, for starters, I am more cautious and thoughtful about who I would want to marry and have children with.

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