While You’re Waiting: Princesses, Castles and Champions
Joan Cusack plays mom to Casey (Michelle Trachtenberg) in Disney's "Ice Princess."
On the children's television program "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood," Mr. Roger's used to sing a little song about waiting. It went like this, "Let's think of something to do while we're waiting. While we're waiting for something to do..."
Watching skating movies might be a great way for figure skating fans to pass the time while they count down the days to the opening ceremony of the 2010 U.S. National Skating Championships.
Ever since Norwegian skaer Sonja Henie gracefully glided in to the national spotlight, Hollywood has filled both big and small screens with movies about ice skating.
These flicks offer romance, memorable music, and lots of ice time.
Here's a short list to get you started:
From 1936 to 1945 skating wonder Sonja Henie starred in 10 films, featuring titles like Iceland, Sun Valley Serenade and Thin Ice. The plots may also be thin, but Henie is a joy to watch on the ice.
Remember ABC After School Specials? These made-for-TV films reached their zenith in the 1970's and included the following skating movies:
The Skating Rink (1975) Take a stuttering boy, add a former figure skater and throw in an abandoned factory converted to a skating rink. What do you get? A feel-good movie about the power of self-confidence.
Champions: A Love Story (1979) This movie garnered praise and secured Jimmy McNichol's spot as a teen heartthrob. There's skating, there's death; there's romance and a satisfying conclusion. What more could you want?
Alas, "Champions" was overshadowed by "Ice Castles," also released in 1979. This is probably the penultimate figure skating movie and fueled the ambitions of many wannabe skaters. Starring Robby Benson and Lynn-Holly Johnson, "Ice Castles," tells the story of a beautiful, talented skater who pursues her Olympic dream. A tragic fall blinds her--- Robby Benson re-enters her life and the rest is movie history.
The Cutting Edge (1992) Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, this romantic-comedy tells the story of a spoiled rich figure skater (played by Moira Kelly) who is paired with a washed-up hockey player (D.B. Sweeney). They compete in the pairs final in the 16th Winter Olympics.
The film spawned the following sequels featuring different casts: The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (2006) and The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (2008).
The Ice Princess (1998) Starring real-life 1984 Olympic champion Katarina Witt, this movie gives a new spin to a classic fairy tale. Think Cinderella on ice.
For a tongue-in-cheek glimpse into the skating world try this mockumetary On Edge (2001). Billed as a chronicle of "dreams, trysts and bad hair," the film follows the path of three unlikely Olympic hopefuls including the 200 pound Wendy (Marissa Jaret Winokur). Jason Alexander plays Phil, the Zamboni Guy, and skaters Randy Gardner and Tai Babilonia as appear as Regional judges.
Then there's the 2005 Disney movie Ice Princess. This film tells the unlikely tale of Casey, (Michelle Trachtenberg), a teenage physics genius who applies her special skills to the world of figure skating. Michelle Kwan and Brian Boitano make appearances.
And no list would be complete without mentioning Blades of Glory (2007). However, watching Will Ferrell and Jon Heder leap, twirl and waltz around the rink may make skating fans even more impatient for January 14 and the start of the 2010 U.S. Championships.
Sources: http://figureskating.about.com/od/figureskatingmovies/tp/movies.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/m http://www.film.com/, http://www.skatelog.com/movies/henie.htm