Jessie is heartbroken when her best friend moves away and coldly rejects new friends. Her parents decide that Jessie needs a visit from the eccentric Aunt Millie. Like Mary Poppins, Auntie Millie arrives with big suitcases and tells the old tale of Katie, a young ice skater, and Blizzard, a reindeer. A gifted reindeer from Santa’s herd, Blizzard is endowed with the extraordinary ability to visualise sad children hundreds of miles away. Katie is a very gifted skater, but due to her family’s financial hardship, is made a mockery of by her friends at the ice rink. Seeing Katie’s sadness, Blizzard is faced with the threat of banishment from the North Pole by going to Katie’s aid to deliver the gift of friendship. After hearing Katie and Blizzard’s beautiful story, Jessie is full of laughter and is again able to accept new friends. In the tradition of The Princess Bride and Edward Scissorhands, this warm ‘picture frame’ family film uses the convention of overcoming crisis situations with a variety of methods for an eventual happy ending. The 1940s background to the old story is reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting. Furthermore, the suburbs of Toronto and Quebec have a cool and refreshing atmosphere similar to the North Pole. The flying reindeer and Kate’s inspired CGI draws our attention to the 21st century. The unique and familiar voice of Blizzard is indeed Whoopi Goldberg, Brenda Blethyn from Secrets and Lies plays Auntie Millie, and Christopher Plummer - Captain von Trapp from The Sound of Music - as Santa, heads up the veteran cast. Blizzard is actor/director LeVar Burton's feature directorial debut. (Creta D. KIM)