Ice Sculpture Christmas (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews (15)

Pretty good

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 9 November 2015]

Having not seen each other since they were kids, aspiring chef Callie (Rachel Boston) and rich man's son David (David Alpay) are reunited and fall in love while working together to win an ice sculpture competition. Enjoyable Hallmark movie that benefits from very likable leads and a pleasant tone without some of the more irksome parts of the Hallmark formula. Don't get me wrong, this is a routine Hallmark movie in many ways. But having seen so many of these things I really appreciate the ones that try to mix it up even a little. For example, the guy in this one does not have a witch of a fiancée and the girl does not have a fiancé that focuses too much on work. Those are two of the more common Hallmark tropes and I was happy to see neither present here. In fact, there is no love triangle in this, save for a brief point where Callie is given the wrong impression about David's relationship with a friend of the opposite sex. That alone is a refreshing change in the made-for-TV romcom landscape. But there are some elements you will have undoubtedly seen in other movies like this. For example, David's subplot about not wanting to take over his father's business is pretty trite and the ambitious and jealous coworker of Callie's is a walking cliché. But the movie needed a villain, I suppose.

I actually think one of the reasons it works so well is that there isn't much of the usual romcom cartoon villainy, outside of that one character (and maybe David's dad in one or two scenes). The plot provides some bumps in the road for the couple but never any major roadblocks. To some, that might sound boring, but to me it's one of the reasons I like Hallmark movies. This is feel-good entertainment that's easy to digest. Rachel Boston is a delight and David Alpay has an easygoing, gentle quality about him. Their chemistry is believable, which is half the battle. It's a good way to pass the time for a couple of hours. If you're a fan of Hallmark's usual output, you'll likely enjoy this.

Unusual theme accents this very nice romcom for the holidays!

[inkblot11 · 7/10 · 27 November 2015]

Callie (Rachel Boston) has always longed to be a successful chef, since childhood. Her father was the main handyman at a posh country club near their home and, each year, he would take his family to view their ice sculpting contest. One year, Callie was even given an extra block of ice to carve and was admired by a little boy, David. Now grown up, Callie has finished culinary school and recently landed a job as a dishwasher in the country club kitchen. It's a start. In fact, the job is a stepping stone to food preparation and each underling gets to view the top chef in action. The holiday season is starting and the sculpting contest is still going on. As luck would have it, Callie literally runs into a grown up David (David Alpay), now a very thriving businessman. His family has always been wealthy, Callie's middle class. Yet, David is charmed by this brief encounter and wants to get to know her better. In secret, he signs Callie up for the ice contest, something she was reluctant to do since her boss has won the last three events. But, its a go. With David helping as her partner and her boss gaining admiration for her underling who pitches in on the cooking line when needed, will Callie win a prize and become a sous chef? Not if the current and very mean sous chef can wreck the prospects! This is quite an usual film for Hallmark, as ice sculpting is not a well known skill. Who knew it went hand in hand with cooking, as chefs are often required to carve a figure as part of food presentation? Its not a likely subject for ten future films but this one is quite nice. The two leads do their jobs well and the supporting cast, plus fine scenery, costumes, direction and a sweet script move the flick along nicely. As still another offering in the growing repertoire of dear Hallmark holiday movies, fans of the genre should seek it out.

Great

[jewelch · 8/10 · 4 December 2020]

I loves this adorable ice sculpturing movie. Well worth watching James Welch Henderson Arkansas 12/3/2020

Didn't leave me ice cold

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 27 April 2021]

Really liked the idea for the story and setting, which at this time was different for Hallmark and their festive efforts. Even if it still sounded formulaic, which is pretty much what one expects from Hallmark anyway. The title was quite cute, refraining too much from being too cheesy like film titles from Hallmark can be in game attempts to be cute and catchy. Have seen Rachel Boston and David Alpay in other things and liked them.

Just like here. While 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' is no classic, of Christmas and overall, it does its job very well and has a lot of charms. Of the Hallmark Christmas films, 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' is one of the better and more refreshing of theirs. The sculpture setting would be used again with them two years later with 'Christmas Festival of Ice', but 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' does the setting much better and is the far better film by quite some way.

'Ice Sculpture Christmas' doesn't succeed in every area. A lot more agreed could have been done with the business conflict subplot and the co-worker character is too cartoonish (a shame too that after the film made a big effort to do things differently to have a character so over the top cliched).

Some of the dialogue could have flowed more naturally and been less corny and some of the music is a little too intrusive (other Hallmark films did this far worse though).

However, 'Ice Sculpture Christmas' looks very nice. The scenery has a real charm to it and it's beautifully photographed. The music generally has a pleasant nostalgia and a lovely Christmassy quality. Boston and Alpay are both strong presences in the lead roles, wholly succeeding in making their characters not just have personality but also likeable ones at that. The supporting cast are well chosen and looked as if they were having fun. The characters, apart from the co-worker, are engaging and worth caring for, also feeling more than typical Hallmark cliches.

Another big selling point here was the chemistry between Boston and Alpay. It was immensely charming and there was nothing lukewarm or disconnected about it, there was no doubt that the two characters cared for each other and the relationship grew at neither a too fast or too slow pace. The direction didn't feel routine and was at ease and in control of the material. The script is light hearted and heart-warming, over-sentimentality being kept at bay. Did appreciate that there were less cliches (i.e. No other halves with unappealing character traits) and that there were attempts to do things differently. The ending is also not too pat, which is a common Hallmark problem but not here.

Overall, well done. 7/10.

correct

[Kirpianuscus · 20 November 2019]

It is a correct Christmas film in Hallmark formula. The love story, the spirit of Christmas. And the precious legacy, the social work, the mix of food and art of ice are, in same measure, real good points. A beautiful film, sure, not different by many others under same mark but source of good feelings and giving a nice story and reasonable performances.

Tolerable

[rebekahrox · 6/10 · 16 November 2015]

This is a slightly above average Hallmance which at least did keep my interest. I liked the ice sculpture theme and the setting in an acclaimed kitchen of a master chef both of which I found educational and interesting. The touch of villainy and rivalry with the sous-chef was balanced by the lack there of with the boyfriend and the wisdom, fairness, and niceness of the head chef. Her romance with our heroine's widowed father added a further touch of piquancy. Rachel Boston is always reliable, though I find her giggle distracting. Her romance with the boy she met briefly in childhood but never forgot was rather dull. Her misunderstanding of his relationship with his work partner was not understandable, so thank-goodness, it was brief. I guess the reason I did not like the romance much was because I did not like the hero. First of all, his lack of height and too handsome face bothered me. I thought his behavior showed a lack of character. He let his partner shoulder all of the responsibility of meeting the very important proposal deadline while he was romancing Rachel. The romance should have waited. She wasn't going anywhere. His stupid arrogant move in entering Rachel in the ice sculpture contest in the first place was just incredibly clueless (and she told him flat out not to and why!). After writing this, Maybe I didn't like it as much as I thought I did!

Entertaining.

[allmoviesfan · 7/10 · 20 December 2023]

Aside from a fairly comical/stereotypical villain out to ruin the heroine's day, Ice Sculpture Christmas had some great characters and some real heart. Not to mention plenty of displays of ice sculpturing, which is quite the art. Rachel Boston is her usual effervescent self as Callie Shaw, a chef in waiting, currently biding her time as a dishwasher at the same country club her father works. There, she runs into David Manning (David Alpay), the son of the King of Wall Street, and the two hit it off and enter - as you might have guessed from the title - an ice sculpture contest, where they will be matched up against Callie's boss at the restaurant, Chef Gloria, played by Brenda Strong.

If you've seen even just one Hallmark movie, you know how this is going to end. Boston and Alpay are great together and it's their chemistry and budding relationship that makes the movie really work. Good supporting cast and wonderful set design.

Your Typical Feel Good Hallmark Movie

[bethanytntsa · 10/10 · 15 November 2015]

The movie overall is great. The main difference between this movie and other Hallmark ones is that the plot line isn't blatantly predictable. The chemistry between the two leads is great, and the entire movie was completely realistic. One of my favorite parts of the movie was the relation of the beginning, where the lead characters are shown as kids, to the present day. It really gets the viewer thinking about what would transpire between them, which will come later. It also shows the good side of humanity with the character of David. There is little hostility in the movie among characters, as this is replaced by self vs self conflicts sprinkled around. I would certainly recommend if looking for a fun and slightly romantic Christmas movie to remind us all about the spirit of Christmas.

The ice sculpture is interesting the story a little annoying

[phd_travel · 5/10 · 11 September 2016]

This Christmas movie is about a chef who starts a dishwasher (Rachel Boston). She runs into a rich guy (David Alpay) she met a long time ago as a kid. They enter a competition for best ice sculpture and the ice sculpting is quite interesting to watch if you ever wondered how they are made or who makes them. They're a cute couple with their big eyes looking at each other with attraction.

There are some annoying parts of the story. When she gets angry with him for little it's a bit annoying. And referring to him as Princeton gets old fast. The way they enter the competition is kind of too fake. The back stabbing chef rival is quite a realistic thing though.

This is one of those Hallmark movies that is a little annoying but not the worst of the lot.

One of Hallmark's Best

[pagirl-83804 · 10/10 · 15 November 2015]

I fell in love with this Movie the minute I watched it. It just grabbed me in a way that made me feel Love had blossomed from the beginning to the end; so much so, I had to special order it from WalMart.

I have watched and purchased a lot of Hallmark Films. With the Christmas Season in the air, they are playing non-stop. A few others I have purchased and I hope you love are: A Boyfriend for Christmas, Snow Bride, A Very Merry Mix-up, A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, 12 Men of Christmas, The Christmas Shoes, Home by Christmas,Debbie Macomber's: Trading Christmas, and The Holiday.

These all may not be Hallmark Movies, but are great Holiday Movies to help you enjoy your Christmas.

These are just a few I wish to mention.

Zero Chemistry Produces One of Hallmark's Worst

[jqdoe · 2/10 · 16 December 2016]

Many, many problems with this movie. The lead actress was visibly quite a bit too old for the character she was playing. As someone who worked in the kitchen of an elite country club with a Cordon Bleu trained chef, I can promise you that the portrayal of that environment in this movie was laughable. And the whole ice sculpturing angle was never fleshed out and seemed to be nothing more than a gimmick.

But the biggest problem was that there was ZERO chemistry between the two love interests. None. For the first three quarters of the movie I kept waiting and thinking they were going to introduce another man to be her love interest, because she did not seem to have the slightest interest in the guy one way of the other. He seemed to just bore her and frankly I still have no idea how all of a sudden with about 25 minutes left, with nothing leading up to it and for no apparent reason other than the impending end of the movie demanding it, she suddenly decided that she loved him. And when it happened . . . it was totally unconvincing.

There are soooooooooo many better Hallmark Christmas movies. In fact . . . every single one that I have ever seen (at least a dozen) are much better than this one. Give this one a pass and try another instead.

Very Well Done

[docm-32304 · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

First off, we love Rachel Boston and the extreme perkiness she brings to her movies in this genre. This movie was well written, very well cast and acted and a real team effort to produce a quality film within it's category. Highly recommend

Stupid stupid stupid

[ante_predator · 1/10 · 23 December 2018]

This is by far one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. I feel sorry for the people that lost their precious time to watch this stupid thing. In my defense I've been forced because it was only thing playing on my two hour train ride.

Great movie

[dianamarinelli · 8/10 · 2 February 2021]

Overall a great Christmas movie with excellent performances and storylines

A very good, enjoyable, and original Christmas movie

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 4 October 2022]

The Christmas season is probably the narrowest specific genre of filmmaking. And that makes it the toughest for originality, new angles and interesting stories. There can be and usually are comedy and drama within it. Some Christmas-themed movies have been set in wartime, some in Westerns, and some as musicals. The most prominent genre within the genre though is romance, followed closely by family. The holiday films that are the best are those that have different and interesting plots, and that have good screenplays and a cast that performs spot on.

I always look for DVDs around the end of the year with Christmas themes. Most are watchable, even those that are so much alike. The casts, settings, and details are always different enough that they are watchable. For me, only about one in about seven score as very good movies - those I would rate 8 or higher.

So, I was pleased to come across one such movie already this year. "Ice Sculpture Christmas" fits the bill all around. It's set in a northern or western city with a private club - a quite fancy and large country club of sorts. Callie Shaw's dad, Frank, has been the property manager who every year wows the members and patrons with his seasonal decorations of the place - especially at Christmas. Callie has just returned from three years of studying and graduating from culinary school in Europe. She is happy that her dad was able to land her a dishwasher job in the club kitchen. She just wants a job to be around Chef Gloria, a prominent chef there. David Manning is working for the investment firm of his dad, Ellis Manning. They are members of the club.

Each year, this club hosts a big ice sculpture competition, with a big cash prize for the winner. It's for teams of two to compete. That forms the basis of the plot after Callie and David meet at the club. This is the second time - they had met there when they were young children. Callie's mother died when she was 15, and Frank still misses her especially around the holidays. But his work at the club, and having Callie back home, and with a plan to make his late wife Anna's dream come true -- Anna's Angels, keep him buoyed.

All of this comes together with some humor, and some devious and devilish behavior by the one villain in the film. But this time it's not a guy, but an aid to Chef Gloria, Jen.

The screenplay is excellent and the two leads are so genuine and believable that one can't help but enjoy the film and get into their story. Rachel Boston and David Alpay are so natural that they never come across as acting. There's not a stiff moment for either one. The rest of the cast are good, but the only other one who has a natural persona as though she's really living in this story is Brooke - David's associate numbers cruncher and planner in his dad's firm. Aliyah O'Brien handles that role superbly. It's not hard liking Callie's dad, Frank, or Chef Gloria, after getting past her suspicious first scene, but Paul McGillion and Brenda Strong have twinges of acting about them. Leanne Lapp plays the conniving Jen, and she's okay, but almost hammy in her expressions. The rest of the cast, in smaller parts, are very good and natural.

This is a good story with a very entertaining and fun plot and some amusing and fun scenes - carried mostly by Rachel Boston's Callie and David Alpay's David. The whole family should enjoy this 2015 Hallmark TV film over the yearend holidays.

Here are some favorite lines.

Chef Gloria, "Then I remembered something my grandmother used to say. Things come to us not when we want them, but when we're ready."

Brooke, "Zack, listen, I am type A and you are type... apathetic at the moment."

David Manning, "What happened?" Callie Shaw, "I forgot who I could trust. And it won't happen again."