Twenty-three-year-old Lisa (Ayla
Kell) is
pregnant and running away from the baby’s father Craig (Lochlyn Munro).
She is travelling on the bus to Denver when she hears that the road
ahead is closed due to snow and is going back the way they came.
But at a diner she overhears Brad
(Brendan Michael Coughlin), a professional snowboarder, talking to his girlfriend on the phone
about his plan to drive over the mountain in his 4 x 4 so she asks for a ride.
They make good progress initially, but a blizzard overtakes them and Brad's
car slams into a snowbank in the middle of the wilderness.
They are forced to seek shelter at the only sign of civilization that
they had seen in the last ten miles, the Rosemont Lodge.
Which was once a vibrant year-round resort, but the Rosemont Lodge had
been closed for nearly 20 years.
Most of the Lodge has been sealed up and only a corner of the main
building shows any sign of habitation.
As they approached the
building they are greeted by the lodge's owner, Josephine
(Grace Zabriskie), who is brandishing a shotgun, and her retainer Abe (Brad Dourif) who persuades her to let them in out
of the snow.
Josephine used to be the heart and soul of the resort, her
personality, and her cooking, were as much of an attraction as were the
hundreds of acres of pristine mountain wilderness but as a result of personal tragedy,
she closed the resort and became a recluse.
However, having Brad
and a heavily pregnant Lisa about the place it has a thawing effect on
Josephine and after she and Abe deliver the baby a bond is formed that has a
lasting effect.
This is a very
enjoyable Christmas tale in which Grace Zabriskie is the absolute star of the
show as Josephine, but Brad Dourif runs a close second as Abe.
