The little gems of the movie are what make it shine. A "Dawson's Creek"-esque subplot gleefully proves more graphic than anything that you'd ever see on the WB, while a fat lawyer, and the town gigolo named Skank, whose promiscuous sexual nature seems to make its way around the tiny town more than once, heat up all the chilly proceedings. A pair of cute little blond kids with potty mouths like you've never heard, the star of the hockey team, who is on trial for shooting a guy from New York City and cameos by some very unexpected stars round out a surprisingly impressive package.

In other cheesy, feel good movies like Air Force One, predictability and corny catch lines pervade the film. Mystery, Alaska has enough quirkiness to avoid the deadly trap; scenes turn the audience upside-down with laughter, jolt them with unexpected sadness, and energize them with pride, enthusiasm and even team spirit. This Florida native seriously considered moving to a small town near the Yukon Territory to take up ice hockey after seeing the movie.