Ice Castles
| Ice Castles | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Donald Wrye |
| Produced by | John Kemeny |
| Written by | Gary L. Baim Donald Wrye |
| Starring | Lynn-Holly Johnson Robby Benson Tom Skerritt |
| Music by | Marvin Hamlisch |
| Cinematography | Bill Butler |
| Editing by | Michael Kahn Melvin Shapiro Maury Winetrobe |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 31, 1978 |
| Running time | 108 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ice Castles is a 1978 American romantic drama, starring Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson.
It is the story of Alexis, a young figure skater, and her rise and fall from super stardom. Tragedy strikes when, following a freak accident, Lexie loses her sight, leaving her to hide away in the privacy of her own despair. She eventually perseveres and begins competing in figure skating again.
The work was filmed on location in Colorado and Minnesota. Its theme song "Through the Eyes of Love." was made famous by Melissa Manchester. The director, Donald Wrye, filmed a remake of the movie in 2009.[1] The movie, starring Taylor Firth, was released as a direct-to-DVD title on February 9, 2010, shortly before the 2010 Winter Olympics.[2]
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[edit] Plot summary
Alexis "Lexie" Winston (Lynn-Holly Johnson) is a young girl from a small town who dreams of becoming a champion figure skater. Her high-school sweetheart, Nick (Robby Benson), dreams of being a hockey player.
Coached by a family friend & former skater, Lexie enters a regional championship despite her father's protests. There, she is discovered by an elite coach (Jennifer Warren) who sees her potential despite a lack of training and qualifications at an advanced age for figure skaters. Despite initial protests from her father (Tom Skerritt) Lexie moves from her home in Waverly, Iowa to train at the legendary Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is not well received by the other girls because of the attention lavished on her natural talent, but she proves herself and qualifies for the next level. Lexie's life is drastically changed; she becomes a star, alienates her high school sweetheart and begins dating an older man.
Feeling uncomfortable at a party, Lexie leaves and goes to the rink nearby to skate in her dress clothes. In plain view of party goers & coach, she jumps and as she lands, trips on a set of tables & chairs on the edge of the ice, causing her to fall and hit her head. This accident causes a blood clot in her brain, costing her her eyesight. The doctor is uncertain if her injury is permanent. In the midst of feeling sorry for herself, she and Nick rediscover their love for each other. With help from Nick, her father Marcus and original coach Beulah, Lexie begins to realize that she can still fulfill her dreams with Nick's reverse psychology & tough love, learns how to skate blind and competes once again, skating a flawless program that merits an enthusiastic standing ovation from the crowd.
[edit] Cast
- Actor (character)
- Robby Benson as Nick Peterson
- Lynn-Holly Johnson as Alexis Winston
- Colleen Dewhurst as Beulah Smith)
- Tom Skerritt as Marcus Winston
- Jennifer Warren as Deborah Mackland
- David Huffman as Brian Dockett
- Diane Reilly as Sandy
- Craig T. McCullen as Doctor
- Kelsey Ufford as Ceciel Monchet
- Leonard Lilyholm as Hockey Coach
- Brian Foley as Choreographer
- John-Claude Bleuze as French Coach
- Theresa Willmus as Annette Brashlout
- Diana Holden as X-ray technician
- Michelle McLean as Skater
- Carol Williams as Television producer
[edit] Differences between theater version and subsequent releases
In the original theater version, Alexis falls down during her first competition, then gets back up and completes her routine. This is what causes her to receive low scores. All subsequent releases of this movie have removed the scene where she falls down, making her low scores inexplicable, as she appears to have done a flawless routine.
In the scene after Lexie skates beautifully, Beulah (Colleen Dewhurst) says it best, "They couldn't believe their eyes!! They think you're a flash in the pan." The audience starts stomping their feet to get Lexie back on the ice, where they threw flowers to show her how much she was loved.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010) |
- ^ "Firth to star in Ice Castles", Hollywood Reporter, April 6, 2009
- ^ IMDB: Release information on "Ice Castles" (2010).
