In a small snowy Iowa town, beautiful blonde Lynn-Holly Johnson (as Alexis "Lexie" Winston) practices her figure skating. Meanwhile, cute wavy-haired boyfriend Robby Benson (as Nick Peterson) plays ice hockey. As the story progresses, we learn these two characters are high school students. Sweet 16-year-old Ms. Johnson is initially coached by gravel-voiced Colleen Dewhurst (as Beulah Smith), a figure skater in her youth (stated as 25 years ago) who runs the local bowling alley and ice rink. Johnson's widower father Tom Skerritt (as Marcus) is not too keen on her competing professionally, but she does anyway. On her way to the top of the rink, Johnson acquires well-known woman's skating coach Jennifer Warren (as Deborah Mackland) and her handsome sport-casting boyfriend David Huffman (as Brian Dockett)...
Then, tragedy strikes...
"Come on you pansies!" Ms. Dewhurst gets to shriek at a hockey game, "Don't check with your goddamn wrists. Let's have a little blood flow on that ice!"
It's fun to see everyone "act" like they are watching ice hockey and figure skating...
Too much of this film requires you to figure it out as you go along. We're led to believe Mr. Benson will be focused upon, but his role may have been built up to take advantage of Benson being the biggest box office star in the cast. Benson does play a big role in the third act, however. One of his inserted scenes features Benson lovingly lighted in his tight white briefs. Around this time, we have Johnson in a confused romantic relationship; considering how things turn out, you should consider that Johnson and the sportscaster were closer than it appears - at least, that's how Mr. Huffman and Benson play it out. The relatively minor "Theme from 'Ice Castles' (Through the Eyes of Love)" sung by Melissa Manchester and written by Marvin Hamlisch with Carole Bayer Sager received some award consideration, based mostly on their reputations.
***** Ice Castles (12/31/78) Donald Wrye ~ Lynn-Holly Johnson, Robby Benson, Colleen Dewhurst, Tom Skerritt
Then, tragedy strikes...
"Come on you pansies!" Ms. Dewhurst gets to shriek at a hockey game, "Don't check with your goddamn wrists. Let's have a little blood flow on that ice!"
It's fun to see everyone "act" like they are watching ice hockey and figure skating...
Too much of this film requires you to figure it out as you go along. We're led to believe Mr. Benson will be focused upon, but his role may have been built up to take advantage of Benson being the biggest box office star in the cast. Benson does play a big role in the third act, however. One of his inserted scenes features Benson lovingly lighted in his tight white briefs. Around this time, we have Johnson in a confused romantic relationship; considering how things turn out, you should consider that Johnson and the sportscaster were closer than it appears - at least, that's how Mr. Huffman and Benson play it out. The relatively minor "Theme from 'Ice Castles' (Through the Eyes of Love)" sung by Melissa Manchester and written by Marvin Hamlisch with Carole Bayer Sager received some award consideration, based mostly on their reputations.
***** Ice Castles (12/31/78) Donald Wrye ~ Lynn-Holly Johnson, Robby Benson, Colleen Dewhurst, Tom Skerritt