The cutting edge (Moira Kelly, DB Sweeney)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly eleven years since we watched the DVD of ‘The cutting edge’. We remembered that it was about ice skating, but nothing much else. Indeed, we briefly confused it with the film ‘Ice Princess’, which we saw in 2021.

This film opens at the 1988 winter Olympics, but starts with two separate storylines. Kate (Moira Kelly) is a wealthy and very spoiled figure skater. She has trained extensively, on her private rink, and is strongly encouraged by her father (Terry O’Quinn). But her arrogant attitude has lost her several different skating partners. During her performance, her current partner drops her, meaning they lose their chance of a gold medal. She doesn’t really do solo skating, so her trainer Anton (Roy Dotrice) has to find someone else to be her partner. 

Meanwhile, Doug (DB Sweeney), a young man from a much more impoverished background, is a champion ice hockey player. He is also playing in a match at the Olympics, although he arrives late after a night with a girl. It’s clear that he’s rather arrogant, too, confident in his abilities. But there’s an accident during the game, giving him a head injury, which leads to permanent damage to his peripheral vision. 

This means he can no longer participate in competitive ice hockey. His brother Walter (Chris Benson) wants him to help in the family business and he does so, playing ice hockey in a local league but hoping for more. His brother has little patience with his ambitions and doesn’t understand his need to skate. 

Unsurprisingly, Anton tracks down Doug, and invites him to try working with Kate. Doug rather looks down on figure skating, but he’s willing to give it a go. He’s shocked at the magnificence of Kate’s family home and her private rink, and rather scathing at what he is expected to do. He struggles at first with the figure skating boots, and doesn’t like Kate laughing at him when he falls down. They have a lot of conflict, but he’s persuaded to stay… 

Most of the film charts their progress as Doug realises just how strong and flexible he has to be for figure skating. He and Kate have a lot of arguments but evidently she needs someone with a strong character who is willing to stand up for her. And he’s full of determination and courage. 

There are scenes at the US national competition where Kate and Doug just scrape a place at the next winter Olympics. And then they work on a new routine which includes a dangerous and unusual move which takes them a long time to perfect. Even then they’re not sure that they’re going to include it…

Alongside this, rather inevitably, Doug and Kate realise they find each other very attractive. It’s kept as a low-key part of the story, which contributes to the film's PG rating, despite some bad (though not ‘strong’) language in places. We see Doug in a ‘morning-after’ role more than once with other women, but there’s nothing explicit. 

In a sense there isn’t much of a storyline: without the skating it would be a very predictable romance with two people clashing strongly and gradually realising they are attracted to each other. But the ice dancing makes this a different and very watchable film, with some humour as well as some exceptional skating. It’s also interesting to see how the two principals gradually mellow - just a little - realising they have to rely on and trust each other.  

I wouldn’t class it as one of my favourite films, but I’m glad we decided to watch it again, and expect we’ll get it out to see again in another decade or so. Cheesey? Undoubtedly, but the figure skating pulls it out of the ordinary.  According to the IMDb site, neither of the main actors could skate at all, so they had to undergo three months of extensive training prior to filming. I assume that some of the most advanced skating must have been done by stunt doubles although it's not mentioned anywhere that I can find. 

Recommended for teens and adults if you like films about ice skating with a bit of romance thrown in.

Review copyright 2024 Sue's DVD Reviews