movie shark deblore Film Critic to the Culver City Observer and over 132 Publications Worldwide including: The Observer, Inc., John Schimmenti, Inc., CCN, Inc., Santa Monica Observer, Inc., Beacon-Times, Inc., Columbus-Register, Inc., and a Host of Others
Ice Princess
by
debbie lynn elias
Going through winter sports withdrawal
thanks to the NHL strike and no Olympics? Yearning for the crisp sound
of a well sharpened blade sliding through the ice? Need a little bit of
glitz and glamour? Well, look no further than the big screen because
Disney has the cure for those winter sports blues thanks to its newest
release, "Ice Princess."
Casey Carlyle is a physics whiz (aka
nerd). With her nose deep in the books, she is a straight-A student
destined for Harvard; that is until a physics project takes her straight
to the local ice skating rink. Surrounded by her classmates, some of
whom are competitive skaters in training for Nationals, Casey is
suddenly and surprisingly opened up to the world of skating. Although
interested in the sport and its technical execution, not until she dons
her own pair of skates in a beginner’s class does she find that not
only does she have an affinity for the sport, but like all champion
skaters, ice running through her veins. Always considered the "ugly
ducking", gliding over the ice, Casey sees herself as beautiful,
elegant and graceful - no longer a wallflower nobody. But despite Casey’s
happiness and newfound love (not to mention extraordinary innate
talent), her oh-so-strict mother fights Casey tooth and nail, deeming
skating frivolous and demanding Casey’s attentio! ns be focused on her
education and mom’s ultimate goal - Harvard. Adding more fuel to mom’s
fire is the fact that Casey entered the skating world behind her back.
What makes this film more than just a cut
and dried stereotypical "sports" movie (beyond the fact that
skating movies are few and far between) is the attention paid by
screenwriter Hadley Davis and director Tim Fywell to detail, character
development, the internal strife and conflict of not only an athlete but
the dynamic between an athlete, obsessive parent and coach, the
authenticity of the actual skating. Real issues are addressed in
not-so-cookie-cutter form with a refreshing honesty in the
self-examination and expression of teenaged girls. Based on the story by
Meg Cabot (also the author of "The Princess Diaries" series),
a full compliment to the work of Davis and Fywell comes from the
casting.
Michelle Trachtenberg is dynamic as
Casey. Already an accomplished actress with a fan base that spans from
Disney "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", Trachtenberg expands her
appeal even further as the very likeable Casey. Able to run the
emotional gamut from A to Z, her ability to convey Casey’s inner
conflicts blended with her external emotions adds layers of
believability and empathy to the character. Perhaps even more winning is
Trachtenberg’s skating. Wanting to really impress upon the "hard
work brings good results" message in the film, be it scholarly or
skating, she trained for over three months in order to skate the
majority of scenes herself. Self-described as being "very
flexible", it is indeed Trachtenberg out there on the ice
performing technicals such as such eagles, spins and one-legged
maneuvers which the layperson commonly associates with professional
competitive skaters. Additionally, her dynamic with Joan Cusack as Casey’s
overwrought, over demanding and ! educationally possessed mother is
incomparable. This is one child actress making the teen transition with
no problems at all.
As for the supporting cast, as with
Trachtenberg, you couldn’t do any finer than Cusack in the role of
Joan Carlyle. Emotionally gifted, she really "sells" the part
and provides some joyous reactionary moments that are not only
surprising, but gratifying. Likewise, Hayden Panettiere as classmate and
skater Gen Harwood is delightful. As with the chemistry between
Trachtenberg and Cusack, so is that between Panettiere and Kim Cattrall
who serves not only as Gen’s mother, but her skating coach as well.
And let’s not forget some class act cameos by Olympians Brian Boitano
and Michelle Kwan.
Fywell’s direction is at its finest
when paired with Janice Hampton’s editing of not only skating
montages, but the "behind the scenes" activities of the
skating world, not to mention some superb training sequences including
actual spills on the ice. Evidence of the care put into this project is
the knowledgeable portrayal of ice skating and an evenly balanced
portrayal of the beauty of the sport and the hard work and natural
ability necessary to succeed in the sport.
Similar in its charm to "The
Princess Diaries", "Ice Princess" is a delight. Both
entertaining and enchanting, I’ve got to score this a Perfect 10.
Casey Carlyle: Michelle Trachtenberg Joan
Carlyle: Joan Cusack Gen Harwood: Hayden Panettiere Tina Harwood: Kim
Cattrall
Directed by Tim Fywell. Written by Hadley
Davis based on a story by Meg Cabot. A Walt Disney Pictures release.
Rated G. (92 minutes)
