Jack Frost

The theory is that if more than two writers are credited with a screenplay, a sick film has needed doctoring. "Jack Frost," which had four writers toy with a borrowed plot, would seem to be proof.

Jack (Michael Keaton) is a musician who's "due for a break." His Jack Frost Band lives on the road, hoping for a miracle — a record deal. Back home in Medford, a tiny town with such sweet values it might give Martha Stewart withdrawal symptoms, his wife Gabby (Kelly Preston) and son, Charlie (Joseph Cross), miss him terribly. But they're tired of his many broken promises.

On a rare few days off, Jack and Charlie build a snowman and Jack gives his son a harmonica he bought the night Charlie was born. He tells him, "No matter where I am, if you play this, I'll hear it."

But Jack's band gets a chance at his dream — an audition with the head of a record company. Predictably, he's forced to break his word again. Charlie gets angry and gives him back his harmonica. En route to his big gig, Jack has a twinge of guilt. He realizes how much Gabby and Charlie mean to him and he botches the deal in order to return home. The roads are icy and the snow is thick and Jack crashes and dies.

A year passes and Charlie, in his grief, is withdrawn and sullen. He recalls how he and Jack built a snowman. Charlie builds another and then finds the harmonica. He plays it and suddenly, Jack Frost is nipping at his toes. Jack comes back in a snowman's body and he's intent on being a true father and making up for all his past mistakes.

Unfortunately, "Jack Frost" is a sloppily written rehash of just about every other film where a dad disappoints his son due to a career. It tiredly yanks from "E.T." with yet another scene where a kid and an alien spy each other and scream. It also attempts to mirror the innocence of classics such as "It's A Wonderful Life." Worse, the film copies already recycled films, "City of Angels," "Ghost" and "Michael," by striving to demystify death and loss.

Not a frame of the film rings true. There isn't one emotion, thought or response that hasn't been lifted from some other source. And Michael Keaton acts so irresponsibly smug and cool it's hard to believe he'd ever have a catharsis, no matter how he comes back to earth.

Finally, "Jack Frost" just plain looks and feels worn out and cheesy. Even cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs' distinct visual talent can't mask the bad special effects in the ridiculous snowboarding segments.