Snowcapped Christmas (2016) a.k.a. Falling for Christmas

From imdb

Directed by Christie Will Wolf

Written by Barbara Kymlicka

note:  The Director's daughter, Amélie Will Wolf, has a cameo as the cute five-year-old Claire Benson.  Blaine Anderson plays her dad.

After watching back-to-back The Cutting Edge series just recently(a few months ago) where I only loved the first(starring DB Sweeney and Moira Kelly), which, by the way, I watched SEVERAL times before, I thought I had enough of Ice Skating love stories(Figure Skater/Hockey Player) for the moment(I will never get tired of Ice Skating movies, and movies with horses).  Gee, I was wrong.  I found myself being drawn to this.  

My contemporaries, LOCHLYN MUNRO and LISA WHELCHEL are in this made for TV movie, so it kind of made me more interested, but NIALL MATTER and GRACYN SHINYEI also added icing to the already delicious cake.

As for LEAH RENEE, well, I'm not so much of a fan, but I don't dislike her. She's a good actor, and I guess she pulled it off.  I enjoyed her last movie, SAILING INTO LOVE, so I told myself, "Give this movie a chance."

I would get off the "technical stuff" because that's not my expertise, but as someone who loves, at the very least, watch Figure Skating competitions, and Ice Skating movies, I could easily say that I wasn't quite impressed with Claire Benson's performances during The Nationals(different years), and I've seen other Hallmark TV movies with Ice Skaters, and this was just mediocre.  

So why was I drawn to this?

The story.  I like the story. The almost has-been injured Figure Skater, and a retired Hockey Player(nothing beats the original Cutting Edge story, but...), rehabilitation...life beyond skating...

Yes, it's very formulaic, but there were lots of scenes that made me laugh...plus the scenes with Lochlyn and Lisa made me feel giddy inside.

I also liked that "fact" that they did not pretend to be in the US of A.  

It has its plus and minuses(like the "cliffhanger" kiss), but all in all, I liked what I felt after watching this film.

⛸⛸⛸⛸🏑🏒⛸⛸⛸⛸

Thanks for your time.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Leah Renee as Claire Benson

Niall Matter as Luke

Michael Teigen as Jullian (Claire's coach)

Gracyn Shinyei as Chamonix

Lisa Whelchel as Dale (Claire's Mom)

Lochlyn Munro as Lou

Blaine Anderson as Greg (Claire's Dad)

Kathryn Kirkpatrick as Dr. Schmidt