Still powerful and well told with strong performances all around. I see a lot of reviews grousing and nitpicking over silly things like the language which was fine and authentic to me. Some people just have to spoil things and find reasons to complain. I was pleased it holds up as well as it does but then simple, well told stories with strong emotional cores are timeless and this is one of them. I enjoyed it as much now as I did when I was a kid and it first came out. A classic.
58 Reviews
Before Blades of Glory there was Ice Castles
Chase_Witherspoon22 May 2011
Johnson plays fictitious figure skater Alexis Winston, whose widower father (Skerritt) reluctantly allows master coach (Warren) to take her to the big city for a chance to demonstrate her unique talents and compete in the national titles. She leaves behind her boyfriend (Benson) and local skate rink owner (Dewhurst) and is soon consumed by the trappings of high profile sport and fair-weather friends, wooed by a much older newscaster (Huffman) and forced to endure the spotlight of TV in addition to her rigorous training schedule. But just as she's about to reach the heights of success, she's felled prematurely in a shocking accident that robs her of her sight, and it seems, her dream. With the aid of family and 'true' friends, she attempts an audacious comeback.
Set to the backdrop of Melissa Manchester's commanding theme song ("Looking Through the Eyes of Love"), "Ice Castles" is the "Flashdance" of the late seventies, with generally strong performances by the cast. Johnson's maturity belies her age, underrated Jennifer Warren delivers a strong performance as the perfectionist coach, while Dewhurst has a couple of intense scenes to display her range, notably where she confronts Johnson in the attic where she's apparently given up on life in favour of a shallow existence of self pity.
Typical feel-good movie is elevated by Dewhurst's performance and the Oscar-nominated theme song (the rest of the soundtrack isn't bad either, e.g. "Midnight Blue" and "A Fifth of Beethoven"), but probably attempts to milk too much sympathy as films of this ilk often do from the audience. One of those films you probably wouldn't seek to watch, but nevertheless find yourself engaged to the end in spite of yourself.
Set to the backdrop of Melissa Manchester's commanding theme song ("Looking Through the Eyes of Love"), "Ice Castles" is the "Flashdance" of the late seventies, with generally strong performances by the cast. Johnson's maturity belies her age, underrated Jennifer Warren delivers a strong performance as the perfectionist coach, while Dewhurst has a couple of intense scenes to display her range, notably where she confronts Johnson in the attic where she's apparently given up on life in favour of a shallow existence of self pity.
Typical feel-good movie is elevated by Dewhurst's performance and the Oscar-nominated theme song (the rest of the soundtrack isn't bad either, e.g. "Midnight Blue" and "A Fifth of Beethoven"), but probably attempts to milk too much sympathy as films of this ilk often do from the audience. One of those films you probably wouldn't seek to watch, but nevertheless find yourself engaged to the end in spite of yourself.
A Good Movie!!
lori-10511 June 2010
While I do agree with some of the other reviewers...a lot of unnecessary cussing...I believe that is Hollywood's version of showing rough and tough small town Midwesterners, so it was easy to overlook for me. Because I was raised in small town Minnesota...where this was filmed...I can attest that in fact, some of the edgier people in the town I grew up in did talk like that on occasion, so I guess it wasn't too far from the truth. That said, I think overall, the plot and emotions in this movie are a lot deeper than what is thrown on screen before us these days!! And for the reviewer who said that continuity was off when Lexie changed caps and coats...I think you missed out on a subtle hint the director was trying to show in time passing...as Lexie also became a stronger skater with every costume change in the sequence. Obviously, she didn't do it the moment she got up on her skates, so I think you missed out. Someone also mentioned that the 'Live Televised Broadcast' was a goof because there was no audience...but it was not a goof! It was televised on live camera on Christmas Eve, according to the plot line. Did not specify it was to be before an audience. News broadcasts are always live, and they don't have an audience, either. Nor do I think Robby Benson sounds remotely from Brooklyn, but that's another story altogether. Over all, I like this film a lot! Of course, Robby Benson was my big crush since Ode to Billie Joe, so I am a bit biased, but I think even without him, it would be a pretty good piece of film work. I give it a 7 out of 10!!
Memories...
laura.g11 February 2001
I loved this movie when it came out and I still love it all these years later-flaws and all.
First of all, the book was so great in it's depiction of competetive skating and the machinations that sometimes go on behind the scenes. That said, the movie was actually a pretty good adaptation.
But, probably the main reason I loved this movie was because I was there when they filmed many of the Broadmoor World Arena scenes. It was my home rink, and it's a blast to see old coaches, old skating friends. And to see the World Arena, which sadly was torn down a few years back. A sad day...
I remember that practice times were a mess because of the shooting schedule-some of us had our practice time in between scenes-lights and all! I remember watching the scene where the "French" skater falls in the middle of a show-and watching the skater playing that part throwing herself onto the ice, over and over again. Ouch! I remember Lynn-Holly seeming a bit nervous; Robby Benson as a bit shy, but very nice (and patient-when introduced, I couldn't remember my name!); David Huffman was very cute and Jennifer Warren was friendly, charming, modest and gorgeous! She didn't know how to skate very well and came out with some of us to learn! She became something of a rink rat while there!
Having been there for some of that, it changes one's perspective a bit, but still, I feel myself drawn into the story-and I cry at the end just like everyone else.
First of all, the book was so great in it's depiction of competetive skating and the machinations that sometimes go on behind the scenes. That said, the movie was actually a pretty good adaptation.
But, probably the main reason I loved this movie was because I was there when they filmed many of the Broadmoor World Arena scenes. It was my home rink, and it's a blast to see old coaches, old skating friends. And to see the World Arena, which sadly was torn down a few years back. A sad day...
I remember that practice times were a mess because of the shooting schedule-some of us had our practice time in between scenes-lights and all! I remember watching the scene where the "French" skater falls in the middle of a show-and watching the skater playing that part throwing herself onto the ice, over and over again. Ouch! I remember Lynn-Holly seeming a bit nervous; Robby Benson as a bit shy, but very nice (and patient-when introduced, I couldn't remember my name!); David Huffman was very cute and Jennifer Warren was friendly, charming, modest and gorgeous! She didn't know how to skate very well and came out with some of us to learn! She became something of a rink rat while there!
Having been there for some of that, it changes one's perspective a bit, but still, I feel myself drawn into the story-and I cry at the end just like everyone else.
It Works Despite It's Shortcomings
loveout26 June 2005
Most will either love Ice Castles or hate it. Perhaps hate is a little harsh but it gets the point across. For a film with numerous shortcomings it has achieved somewhat of a cult following. So much so that Columbia Tristar decided to release it in DVD format several years ago.
What's wrong with the movie? For a film partially intended to appeal to the teenage crowd, it is unnecessary to have any foul language. Yet Ice Castles is sprinkled with four letter words from the beginning to the end. It doesn't advance the plot one iota and it's inclusion in the film is a mystery. Perhaps the producer thought a "G" rating would doom it at the box office and added the harsh language to get a "PG". Whatever the reason it degrades the film.
Many of the lines the actors speak seem to be more or less mumbled and hard to understand. Not sure if this is a sound problem or simply bad acting.
There is a severe lack of continuity in some scenes. For instance Lexie is first wearing a green jacket in the segment where she is learning to skate on the pond after becoming blind. Suddenly she is wearing a blue jacket in the next scene and just as suddenly goes back to the green jacket! Not to mention her being bare-headed and then is seen wearing a beige hat and then back to being bare-headed again! The producer must have been blind too!!
The original film was 115 minutes according to a New York Times review in 1979. However, the VHS and DVD versions are about 108 minutes. Where are the missing 7 minutes and why were they not included?
Nevertheless, despite these and other faults, the film works due in large part to Marvin Hamlisch's stirring music and Lynn-Holly Johnson's beautiful skating. It is a three-hankie the first time you see it and has inspired many young hopefuls to take up the sport. A must-see if you like films that turn tragedy into victory.
What's wrong with the movie? For a film partially intended to appeal to the teenage crowd, it is unnecessary to have any foul language. Yet Ice Castles is sprinkled with four letter words from the beginning to the end. It doesn't advance the plot one iota and it's inclusion in the film is a mystery. Perhaps the producer thought a "G" rating would doom it at the box office and added the harsh language to get a "PG". Whatever the reason it degrades the film.
Many of the lines the actors speak seem to be more or less mumbled and hard to understand. Not sure if this is a sound problem or simply bad acting.
There is a severe lack of continuity in some scenes. For instance Lexie is first wearing a green jacket in the segment where she is learning to skate on the pond after becoming blind. Suddenly she is wearing a blue jacket in the next scene and just as suddenly goes back to the green jacket! Not to mention her being bare-headed and then is seen wearing a beige hat and then back to being bare-headed again! The producer must have been blind too!!
The original film was 115 minutes according to a New York Times review in 1979. However, the VHS and DVD versions are about 108 minutes. Where are the missing 7 minutes and why were they not included?
Nevertheless, despite these and other faults, the film works due in large part to Marvin Hamlisch's stirring music and Lynn-Holly Johnson's beautiful skating. It is a three-hankie the first time you see it and has inspired many young hopefuls to take up the sport. A must-see if you like films that turn tragedy into victory.
Excellent film that's very romantic, touching and moving
Catherine_Grace_Zeh27 November 2005
Lynn-Holly Johnson and Robby Benson give smashing performances as an aspiring Olympic ice skater and her loving boyfriend. ICE CASTLES is an excellent film that's very romantic, touching and moving. It's a love story that ultimately tests the boundaries of true love. The music is good, too, especially "Through The Eyes Of Love," which is the song that plays over the opening credits. If you're wondering who's it's by, it's by Melissa Manchester. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that everyone involved in this film did an outstanding job. In conclusion, if you like love stories that are happy and sad at the same time, this is definitely a movie to see. You will really be touched by it.
Sweet and Charming.
wammysu18 January 2022
I can't help myself, I love this movie. It is a little heavy-handed in the awe shucks dept. But so are a lot of films of that Era. There is one thing that bugs me though. This is supposed to be a family film right? So then why is a 16 yr old girl making out with a 30 something newscaster and that's ok!!? Then she hooks back up with her 19-20 yr old boyfriend ! I guess it just stands out more now.
A shameless wallow for romance-buffs...
moonspinner5517 October 2009
Director Donald Wrye also penned this tearjerker concoction, a refugee from "The Other Side of the Mountain" school of script-writing. One of those "you can overcome any obstacle" dramas wherein a pretty (though not plucky) heroine finds success and love despite an incredible hardship. Real-life figure skater Lynn-Holly Johnson plays a recently blinded young woman who must be coaxed back onto the ice by boyfriend Robby Benson (who berates her like a cruel taskmaster when she initially balks). Baleful, heavy-handed treatment of the kind of material television was churning out on a regular basis in 1978 (and still today!). Johnson is attractive, and the theme song "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" is memorable, but otherwise "Ice Castles" is about as emotionally involving as a bad night at the Ice Capades. *1/2 from ****
Brilliant film that doesn't get the respect it deserves
elisereid-2966626 March 2020
Too often, Ice Castles gets passed off as a "chick flick" or a "popcorn movie", not worthy of serious cinema buffs. I'm glad to see that there are others out there who disagree with that, but it seems we're still in the minority.
I first saw this film at the age of seven, without any prior knowledge of what it was about, or its themes. And this, I'm convinced, is the way it should be-the hour of buildup prior to the infamous "accident" scene shouldn't seem like a buildup to a plot point, but as a natural progression of events. But because the marketing campaign of the film gave away this plot point in the trailers, people went in waiting for the accident to happen, not seeing or hearing or feeling what was going on on the screen.
It's a shame that Lynn-Holly Johnson didn't have much of a career after this film, other than the one James Bond movie and the also-underrated The Watcher in the Woods, because she makes a strong impression here with a difficult part. But even so, she is overshadowed by the truly incredible supporting performances, especially Colleen Dewhurst and Tom Skerritt. Dewhurst manages to disappear from the movie for a half-hour, and then when she resurfaces, she gets the most emotionally shattering scene in the picture, and runs with it. Skerritt plays a conflicted, troubled man who wants his daughter to be happy, but at the same time is haunted by the memory of her mother. (When you know his other movies, you know what a terrific range he has!)
A lot of attention has been drawn, especially from people looking for a "family" viewing experience, to the large amount of swearing the characters do. But it makes sense when you accept that these are blue collar, farm community folks, so it almost would seem unnatural for them *not* to swear. I, personally, found it much more problematic that Johnson's character-who is sixteen at the start of the film-seems to have an unspoken romantic relationship with an older man, the TV reporter. This aspect of the story is so underplayed that one might not notice it on a first viewing, but it troubles me to look at it now, and in a way it spoils an otherwise stellar film.
The ending that just about every review mentions is marvelous, not only in the performances, but in the unspoken talents involved too-the camerawork and editing. It has just the perfect amount of silence and pauses to milk the material for all it's worth. The editing, which in most cases is an invisible task when watching a final cut, is superlative throughout the film, but you only notice it when you start to pick it apart, as I have. In many places, if shots had gone on for two frames more or less than they do, the effect would be gone. The music is also wonderful, and the editing moves to it perfectly. (The remake, made by the same director, was an interesting exercise because it wasn't half as impactful because they were trying for a faster pace-just goes to show you how important editing is in the filmmaking process).
I first saw this film at the age of seven, without any prior knowledge of what it was about, or its themes. And this, I'm convinced, is the way it should be-the hour of buildup prior to the infamous "accident" scene shouldn't seem like a buildup to a plot point, but as a natural progression of events. But because the marketing campaign of the film gave away this plot point in the trailers, people went in waiting for the accident to happen, not seeing or hearing or feeling what was going on on the screen.
It's a shame that Lynn-Holly Johnson didn't have much of a career after this film, other than the one James Bond movie and the also-underrated The Watcher in the Woods, because she makes a strong impression here with a difficult part. But even so, she is overshadowed by the truly incredible supporting performances, especially Colleen Dewhurst and Tom Skerritt. Dewhurst manages to disappear from the movie for a half-hour, and then when she resurfaces, she gets the most emotionally shattering scene in the picture, and runs with it. Skerritt plays a conflicted, troubled man who wants his daughter to be happy, but at the same time is haunted by the memory of her mother. (When you know his other movies, you know what a terrific range he has!)
A lot of attention has been drawn, especially from people looking for a "family" viewing experience, to the large amount of swearing the characters do. But it makes sense when you accept that these are blue collar, farm community folks, so it almost would seem unnatural for them *not* to swear. I, personally, found it much more problematic that Johnson's character-who is sixteen at the start of the film-seems to have an unspoken romantic relationship with an older man, the TV reporter. This aspect of the story is so underplayed that one might not notice it on a first viewing, but it troubles me to look at it now, and in a way it spoils an otherwise stellar film.
The ending that just about every review mentions is marvelous, not only in the performances, but in the unspoken talents involved too-the camerawork and editing. It has just the perfect amount of silence and pauses to milk the material for all it's worth. The editing, which in most cases is an invisible task when watching a final cut, is superlative throughout the film, but you only notice it when you start to pick it apart, as I have. In many places, if shots had gone on for two frames more or less than they do, the effect would be gone. The music is also wonderful, and the editing moves to it perfectly. (The remake, made by the same director, was an interesting exercise because it wasn't half as impactful because they were trying for a faster pace-just goes to show you how important editing is in the filmmaking process).
love and tragedy
dav07dan0228 June 2005
Director: Donald Wrye, Script: Donald Wrye, and Gary Baim, Cast: Robby Benson, Colleen Dewhurst, Tom Skerritt, Lynn Holly-Johnson
This is the movie every girl who was in Junior high in the late seventies will vividly remember! The story about a young skater from a small Iowa town trying to make the Olympics against all odds and the tragedy that befalls her. Although a little sappy and often clichéd, this move is still enjoyable to watch. I know it is one of my wife's favorites and she wasn't even born yet when this film came out!
Colleen Dewhurst owns a small bowling alley with a skating rink in it and she coached young Lexie. Tom Skerritt played Lexie's father. They wore both excellent in their respective parts. In my opinion, they are both very underrated actors. Robby Benson did fine as Lexie's boyfriend. He has been in many movies but I am not familiar with much of his work. As for Lynn Holly-Johnson, well she certainly has talent. She is a real skater and her looks and skating ability worked for this movie. She does get a little whiny though. In the film she did the following year, The Watcher in the Woods, one can see her limitations as an actress. I see her more as a skater than an actress. However, I have not seen her in any of her later movies.
I have been to the Waverly, Cedar Falls area in Iowa where this movie was filmed and it is a beautiful area. It made a great setting for this film. I especially liked the winter scenes. This movie also had a very good musical score by Marvin Hamlisch. Of course, we all remember the theme song written by Hamlish and Carol Bayer-Sager and sung by Melissa Manchester. Donald Wrye has done many made for T.V. movies. I remember a movie done by him called Born Innocent which starred Linda Blair. Her follow up film to The Exorcist. This was a very depressing and downbeat movie. One last comment I would like to make about Ice Castles is the film's content. It would have made a great family movie but their was too much swearing and the content of the relationships would not make this film appropriate for small children. I thought I might add this because this is a film young girls would like. Evidently, Lynn Holly-Johnson was asked to do a nude scene but she refused. To bad---She was kind of cute!
This is the movie every girl who was in Junior high in the late seventies will vividly remember! The story about a young skater from a small Iowa town trying to make the Olympics against all odds and the tragedy that befalls her. Although a little sappy and often clichéd, this move is still enjoyable to watch. I know it is one of my wife's favorites and she wasn't even born yet when this film came out!
Colleen Dewhurst owns a small bowling alley with a skating rink in it and she coached young Lexie. Tom Skerritt played Lexie's father. They wore both excellent in their respective parts. In my opinion, they are both very underrated actors. Robby Benson did fine as Lexie's boyfriend. He has been in many movies but I am not familiar with much of his work. As for Lynn Holly-Johnson, well she certainly has talent. She is a real skater and her looks and skating ability worked for this movie. She does get a little whiny though. In the film she did the following year, The Watcher in the Woods, one can see her limitations as an actress. I see her more as a skater than an actress. However, I have not seen her in any of her later movies.
I have been to the Waverly, Cedar Falls area in Iowa where this movie was filmed and it is a beautiful area. It made a great setting for this film. I especially liked the winter scenes. This movie also had a very good musical score by Marvin Hamlisch. Of course, we all remember the theme song written by Hamlish and Carol Bayer-Sager and sung by Melissa Manchester. Donald Wrye has done many made for T.V. movies. I remember a movie done by him called Born Innocent which starred Linda Blair. Her follow up film to The Exorcist. This was a very depressing and downbeat movie. One last comment I would like to make about Ice Castles is the film's content. It would have made a great family movie but their was too much swearing and the content of the relationships would not make this film appropriate for small children. I thought I might add this because this is a film young girls would like. Evidently, Lynn Holly-Johnson was asked to do a nude scene but she refused. To bad---She was kind of cute!
35 years between viewings
irishm25 December 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this in the theater when it came out. Then I saw it this afternoon on streaming. I remember kind of liking this one as a teen, but still there was something about it that nagged at me through the years and convinced me not to go to any great trouble to see it again. Today I was reminded what that was: the characters are such unpleasant people. Yeesh. I'm glad I don't have friends or family like this.
The dad has his head in the sand and will do just about anything to prevent his only child from taking a brave risk to better herself. The boyfriend is a self-centered jerk and a quitter who drops out of medical school and semi-pro hockey in the first 30 minutes of the film, and who also seems to resent Lexie's potential to succeed in life, the same potential he himself has squandered twice already. And the ice rink owner is a shrieking harpy. I don't think too many ice rink owners are Care Bear types, really, but Beulah did altogether too much screaming and cussing. (Funny thing: from seeing the film in the theater, I remembered Colleen Dewhurst as "the fat lady"... guess what? 35 years later I see she wasn't at all fat. She was a middle-aged woman. She looked... ahem... rather like I do now. "Stupid" clothes and all.) The one exception to the unpleasantness is Lexie herself; I thought Lynn-Holly Johnson played her very believably, with great exuberance while skating and credible depression after the accident. She was a joy to watch on the ice... I'm not a sports or skating fan at all, but I streamed it twice just to watch her skate. Wow. The film would have been a total zero without her.
There are confusing plot issues: what about that boyfriend of Lexie's new trainer, who not only gravitates from the trainer to Lexie herself, but the trainer doesn't seem to care or even notice? And continuity issues: towards the end, see Tom Skerritt on the pond wearing boots, then skates, then boots again, while helping Lexie regain her skating ability. And as I said, just too much nastiness between the characters: okay, I get that Robbie Benson (who is in serious need of an eyebrow waxing) wants Lexie not to feel sorry for herself, but the way he screams "Shut up!" at her when she asks for help getting up is really not going to help matters any.
I wouldn't have bothered with this one again if not for Lynn-Holly Johnson; she made the whole film and she was a joy to watch. If I had a flower, I'd throw it.
The dad has his head in the sand and will do just about anything to prevent his only child from taking a brave risk to better herself. The boyfriend is a self-centered jerk and a quitter who drops out of medical school and semi-pro hockey in the first 30 minutes of the film, and who also seems to resent Lexie's potential to succeed in life, the same potential he himself has squandered twice already. And the ice rink owner is a shrieking harpy. I don't think too many ice rink owners are Care Bear types, really, but Beulah did altogether too much screaming and cussing. (Funny thing: from seeing the film in the theater, I remembered Colleen Dewhurst as "the fat lady"... guess what? 35 years later I see she wasn't at all fat. She was a middle-aged woman. She looked... ahem... rather like I do now. "Stupid" clothes and all.) The one exception to the unpleasantness is Lexie herself; I thought Lynn-Holly Johnson played her very believably, with great exuberance while skating and credible depression after the accident. She was a joy to watch on the ice... I'm not a sports or skating fan at all, but I streamed it twice just to watch her skate. Wow. The film would have been a total zero without her.
There are confusing plot issues: what about that boyfriend of Lexie's new trainer, who not only gravitates from the trainer to Lexie herself, but the trainer doesn't seem to care or even notice? And continuity issues: towards the end, see Tom Skerritt on the pond wearing boots, then skates, then boots again, while helping Lexie regain her skating ability. And as I said, just too much nastiness between the characters: okay, I get that Robbie Benson (who is in serious need of an eyebrow waxing) wants Lexie not to feel sorry for herself, but the way he screams "Shut up!" at her when she asks for help getting up is really not going to help matters any.
I wouldn't have bothered with this one again if not for Lynn-Holly Johnson; she made the whole film and she was a joy to watch. If I had a flower, I'd throw it.
Great!!
tinttara196629 January 2008
I loved this movie when it came out and just watched it again on TV tonight.
Brings back a lot of memories of my time as a skater, not best, but OK.
I was reading about the goofs in the movie and well anyone who is paying attention will realize that:
The skating on the pond is not a goof, it is taking place over several days. There is no way any one will feel safe on skates again after such an ordeal. It takes time to rebuild your confidence. Any person who is a skater will realize that. So please take take that part out of the goofs.
I gave it a 10/10 cause when you think back to the 70's making movies was not as technically easy as it is now a days with all the computer enhancements.
I like the actors all did a very excellent job.
Brings back a lot of memories of my time as a skater, not best, but OK.
I was reading about the goofs in the movie and well anyone who is paying attention will realize that:
The skating on the pond is not a goof, it is taking place over several days. There is no way any one will feel safe on skates again after such an ordeal. It takes time to rebuild your confidence. Any person who is a skater will realize that. So please take take that part out of the goofs.
I gave it a 10/10 cause when you think back to the 70's making movies was not as technically easy as it is now a days with all the computer enhancements.
I like the actors all did a very excellent job.
Sappy but a good watch
jdogletree4 May 2022
You can definitely consider this film sappy or an early Hallmark movie wannabe. However, this sweet inspiring story is a good watch. A romance, some drama, and overcoming an incredible obstacle makes for a great rainy day movie.
Over the top (and off the cliff)
ray-2806 June 2005
This is a movie that leaves you wondering what it would have been in the hands of competent talent.
The story is contrived, the acting horrid, and I'm still wondering how Robbie Benson ever had such a following. Lynn Holly Johnson is barely capable, somewhat nice looking, but does little with the material given her. The only reason she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb for her poor performance is that the cast was all thumbs as well, and sore thumbs at that.
That said, I still tune in on cable when I see this movie because the story is a can't-miss (even this group couldn't mess it up): a late-starting figure-skater who begins to catch up to her more experienced peers goes blind while practicing, thus ending her career aspirations for the only thing she's ever done well in her life. From there, the usual assortment of skeptics and cheerleaders assume their usual positions, complete with predictable plot twists and a classic "chick flick" climax.
I did not see this movie when it first came out, but having seen it, I now have an appreciation for what a female would have to go through if she found herself held captive through a showing of "Road House."
The story is contrived, the acting horrid, and I'm still wondering how Robbie Benson ever had such a following. Lynn Holly Johnson is barely capable, somewhat nice looking, but does little with the material given her. The only reason she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb for her poor performance is that the cast was all thumbs as well, and sore thumbs at that.
That said, I still tune in on cable when I see this movie because the story is a can't-miss (even this group couldn't mess it up): a late-starting figure-skater who begins to catch up to her more experienced peers goes blind while practicing, thus ending her career aspirations for the only thing she's ever done well in her life. From there, the usual assortment of skeptics and cheerleaders assume their usual positions, complete with predictable plot twists and a classic "chick flick" climax.
I did not see this movie when it first came out, but having seen it, I now have an appreciation for what a female would have to go through if she found herself held captive through a showing of "Road House."
Depressing Yet Good
jonpd22 November 2002
I am not going to lie, this film is utterly depressing. The dreary atmosphere and the sad love story come together and make our tears flow. Simple story concerning a young girl who vows to become a professional ice skater, the boy she loves, and the tragedy that follows. Good performances from Skerritt and Dewhurst as usual, average from Benson and the rest of the cast. The finale is a real tearjerker, featuring the wonderful Melissa Manchester song. Though the film is somewhat predictable and extremely corny, it is still a good little film made with good intentions. 7/10
Great skating, great locations, great music. Rubbish story and actors.
seivadch13 April 2019
To be honest the only reason to watch Ice Castles is to enjoy Lynn-Holly Johnson's skating. Although her routines not maybe the most technically difficult. She certainly knows how to present them. She shines through as a real person, who knows what she is doing.
The other, established, actors are totally useless, Tom Skerritt, mumbles a lot, Colleen Dewhurst shouts a lot and Robby Benson's character is a complete hypocrite. Jennifer Warren & David Huffman play characters worthy of ridicule in a Jackie Collins book.
However the outdoor location scenes on the frozen lake are nice as is the score by Marvin Hamlisch, best known for his work on 'The Spy Who Loved Me.'
One particular point of interest for me was how they would treat Lynn's character's blindness. Having coached a blind swimmer and talked at length about their problem, I can vouch for the 'Looking through frosted glass' effect. N.B. this is not the only type of blindness.
As is mentioned in the trivia section Lynn was supposed to be the skating double of another actress? That didn't work so Lynn was made the lead and then pressured into doing the other girl's nude scene which she refused, repeatedly. However no one seems to know who this other girl was, but it perhaps explains the amount of cursing that other reviewers keep referring to. QED - the film was not meant to be a family weepy, but a harder exposé.
And, maybe, an excuse for the film industry to exploit a talented 19 year old athlete. Look who is the monkey now.
The other, established, actors are totally useless, Tom Skerritt, mumbles a lot, Colleen Dewhurst shouts a lot and Robby Benson's character is a complete hypocrite. Jennifer Warren & David Huffman play characters worthy of ridicule in a Jackie Collins book.
However the outdoor location scenes on the frozen lake are nice as is the score by Marvin Hamlisch, best known for his work on 'The Spy Who Loved Me.'
One particular point of interest for me was how they would treat Lynn's character's blindness. Having coached a blind swimmer and talked at length about their problem, I can vouch for the 'Looking through frosted glass' effect. N.B. this is not the only type of blindness.
As is mentioned in the trivia section Lynn was supposed to be the skating double of another actress? That didn't work so Lynn was made the lead and then pressured into doing the other girl's nude scene which she refused, repeatedly. However no one seems to know who this other girl was, but it perhaps explains the amount of cursing that other reviewers keep referring to. QED - the film was not meant to be a family weepy, but a harder exposé.
And, maybe, an excuse for the film industry to exploit a talented 19 year old athlete. Look who is the monkey now.
Wonderful Movie
dawnm518 February 2007
Everyone seems to knock the acting of Robby Benson and Lynn Holly Johnson in this movie. I thought they had great chemistry together and were very believable as the guy with hockey dreams and the untapped ice skating talents of his girlfriend, than the jealousy he feels when she almost reached the dreams he feels he will miss out on for himself.
Not to mention the supporting talents of Tom Skerritt and Colleen Dewhurst. How can anyone dislike this movie? Sure it makes you cry---that's almost the best part of the movie. There are only three movies that I'm guaranteed to cry at...Ice Castles, The Way We Were and Terms of Endearment.
Not to mention the supporting talents of Tom Skerritt and Colleen Dewhurst. How can anyone dislike this movie? Sure it makes you cry---that's almost the best part of the movie. There are only three movies that I'm guaranteed to cry at...Ice Castles, The Way We Were and Terms of Endearment.
Captures the Innocence of Youth
dansview23 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
What I love about this film, is the way it captured the fragility and innocence of youth. I'm not sure that a trained actress could have done that any better than Lynn-Holly.
In perhaps her first movie at a tender age, she probably shared the real fear and wonderment of her character. In a sense, as a skater, a new actress, and a new Ice Capade star in real life, she was going through some of the same stuff that her character Lexi was experiencing.
I was a person for whom youth was full of wonder, fear and innocence, so I can relate to our protagonist's gentle nature. Her lack of world-wise savvy formed the core of the plot. She had a sheltered childhood punctuated by tragedy, with the premature death of her mother. Suddenly she was thrust into the predatory world of competitive skating and sports media. Add to the mix, romantic peaks and valleys, and abandonment issues.
Epic main themes manipulated the emotions of a generation of 70s film watchers, and gladly so. I credit the music here for hitting the tear-jerker grand slam.
I also loved the woodsy, "farmie," "ranchie" setting in winter. Ice skaters practice year round in indoor rinks, so theoretically this movie could have been set in summer, but it would have had a totally different feel. Winter MADE this film. The weather fit the sport and personified the freshness of the rosie-cheeked Lexie.
I still don't understand exactly what the father, played very aptly by Tom Skerritt, did for a living. Was it a dairy farm, cattle ranch, or what? He asks Robby Benson's character about his dad's cattle ranch. That was the only hint.
The Colleen Dewhurst character was supposed to have been a winning skater herself "25 years ago," but if you look up the actress's real age, she would not have been a young woman, even 25 years prior to 1978. To me that was so obvious. 25 plus 16 is 41, and this character was way older than 41.
Also, Dewhurst's character hated her life. She bemoans running a crappy bowling alley and skating rink. But I would love to live in a small town and run exactly that kind of business. Sounds like a great life, although you never see the place in full use by the public.
We never hear anything about Lynn-Holly's school situation. It is not summer, so presumably she would have to go to school. That was a huge error.
Also, we see the older sportscaster guy come up behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her bare neckline, as lovers do. But we had no prior warning that a relationship like this ever existed. They just pull it out of nowhere. She was legally under age, and he was the boyfriend of her coach, yet neither of those issues comes up.
We are supposed to assume that they slept together. That was a major part of her personal drama, yet it is left very vague. We are to assume that he only cared about her skating, yet after the accident, he called her several times. It was clear to me that he really did love her, but in a crucial scene, she implies that he was a fair-weather friend. I didn't get that at all.
Initially, we have no idea whatsoever that Robby Benson's character plays hockey, or that he is good at it. Then we see him score one goal in a local game, without even knowing that he was on a team. After that goal, he gets a tryout with a pro team. Where did that come from? I understand that it was a plot device to parallel his girlfriend's sporting aspirations, but you have to set it up better than that.
I do like how we see that people are not perfect or cardboard in their nature. People in this film act self-centered, grow emotionally, and correct their misdeeds. That is true to life when people mature.
I'm not sure why the crowd reacts so emotionally toward the girl in the final scene, if they don't even know that she is blind. (prior to the roses issue.) I guess we are to assume that for whatever reasons, crowds just love this girl on ice. Her prettiness no doubt helped her otherwise unlikely rise to fame, given her mature age for a skater.
I'm o.k. with the choice of Robby Benson, although he did not look like a Midwestern farm boy, nor a hockey player. I think he did a splendid job of conveying his character's genuine emotions, including jealousy, love, and confusion. His facial expressions were key to the effectiveness of the drama.
Yes, the plot device of showing that people can overcome adversity, using sports as a metaphor is a cliché, but that's o.k. How you execute the plot is more important. While blindness is a bit heavy-handed, some key performances, memorable music, and a frosty setting help tell this story with considerable style and grace.
In perhaps her first movie at a tender age, she probably shared the real fear and wonderment of her character. In a sense, as a skater, a new actress, and a new Ice Capade star in real life, she was going through some of the same stuff that her character Lexi was experiencing.
I was a person for whom youth was full of wonder, fear and innocence, so I can relate to our protagonist's gentle nature. Her lack of world-wise savvy formed the core of the plot. She had a sheltered childhood punctuated by tragedy, with the premature death of her mother. Suddenly she was thrust into the predatory world of competitive skating and sports media. Add to the mix, romantic peaks and valleys, and abandonment issues.
Epic main themes manipulated the emotions of a generation of 70s film watchers, and gladly so. I credit the music here for hitting the tear-jerker grand slam.
I also loved the woodsy, "farmie," "ranchie" setting in winter. Ice skaters practice year round in indoor rinks, so theoretically this movie could have been set in summer, but it would have had a totally different feel. Winter MADE this film. The weather fit the sport and personified the freshness of the rosie-cheeked Lexie.
I still don't understand exactly what the father, played very aptly by Tom Skerritt, did for a living. Was it a dairy farm, cattle ranch, or what? He asks Robby Benson's character about his dad's cattle ranch. That was the only hint.
The Colleen Dewhurst character was supposed to have been a winning skater herself "25 years ago," but if you look up the actress's real age, she would not have been a young woman, even 25 years prior to 1978. To me that was so obvious. 25 plus 16 is 41, and this character was way older than 41.
Also, Dewhurst's character hated her life. She bemoans running a crappy bowling alley and skating rink. But I would love to live in a small town and run exactly that kind of business. Sounds like a great life, although you never see the place in full use by the public.
We never hear anything about Lynn-Holly's school situation. It is not summer, so presumably she would have to go to school. That was a huge error.
Also, we see the older sportscaster guy come up behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her bare neckline, as lovers do. But we had no prior warning that a relationship like this ever existed. They just pull it out of nowhere. She was legally under age, and he was the boyfriend of her coach, yet neither of those issues comes up.
We are supposed to assume that they slept together. That was a major part of her personal drama, yet it is left very vague. We are to assume that he only cared about her skating, yet after the accident, he called her several times. It was clear to me that he really did love her, but in a crucial scene, she implies that he was a fair-weather friend. I didn't get that at all.
Initially, we have no idea whatsoever that Robby Benson's character plays hockey, or that he is good at it. Then we see him score one goal in a local game, without even knowing that he was on a team. After that goal, he gets a tryout with a pro team. Where did that come from? I understand that it was a plot device to parallel his girlfriend's sporting aspirations, but you have to set it up better than that.
I do like how we see that people are not perfect or cardboard in their nature. People in this film act self-centered, grow emotionally, and correct their misdeeds. That is true to life when people mature.
I'm not sure why the crowd reacts so emotionally toward the girl in the final scene, if they don't even know that she is blind. (prior to the roses issue.) I guess we are to assume that for whatever reasons, crowds just love this girl on ice. Her prettiness no doubt helped her otherwise unlikely rise to fame, given her mature age for a skater.
I'm o.k. with the choice of Robby Benson, although he did not look like a Midwestern farm boy, nor a hockey player. I think he did a splendid job of conveying his character's genuine emotions, including jealousy, love, and confusion. His facial expressions were key to the effectiveness of the drama.
Yes, the plot device of showing that people can overcome adversity, using sports as a metaphor is a cliché, but that's o.k. How you execute the plot is more important. While blindness is a bit heavy-handed, some key performances, memorable music, and a frosty setting help tell this story with considerable style and grace.
Lynn-Holly Johnson is hot
TheOldGuyFromHalloween316 April 2021
Their love destroyed; their love redeemed
gkearns10 March 2002
Warning: Spoilers
There are SPOILERS in this review. I found out why I liked this film so much when it first came out twenty-plus years ago: it was a good movie. Most reviewers followed the movie's publicity hype and assessed the movie on a linear structure: the story of a girl who with the help of her lover surmounts overwhelming obstacles to achieve a dream. And I can see how they might on such a basis view it as a failure. But then the linear structure was not the goal of the story in the first place. If you really look at what's happening in the movie, you'd also have to redefine "dream" before it makes any sense in the story that's actually told. In the end, the "A story with dream" may have little to do with ice skating.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD) Grooming Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson) for the next Olympics is a major challenge for Deborah (Jennifer Warren), the world class figure skating trainer. Most girls start their trek by the time they're seven, devoting another decade to shaping their art and learning their figures and the skills of competing before they're considered ready for the big time. At sixteen Lexie is considered by many to be already over the hill. Through Deborah's demanding tutorship, television personality Brian's (David Huffman) television hype, and Lexie's determination and natural talent, amazing progress is made; sponsors are even lining up to back her run for the gold. What no one considers, least of all Deborah and Brian, is that skill isn't the only thing skaters become enured to by starting their training early in life. There's the give and take in the community of skaters, the learned knowledge of the ways of judging, the back-biting, the dog-eat-dog mentality that girls around the business since early childhood take for granted, but that for Lexie is a whole new world of naivete. In order to compensate for those years of rugged experience, a girl in Lexie's position will need to have strong props. Lexie's props? She's never been out of Waverly, her Iowa home town. Her mother is dead. Her father looks on Lexie as a surrogate for his dead wife, and refuses even to come to the bus depot to wish her well on her journey. Her beloved Nick leaves her at every important turning point in her life. Beulah (Colleeen Dewhurst), Lexie's home town mentor, is the only one who has ever treated Lexie with respect, but even she has an agenda. She wants desperately for Lexie, through her skating, to get away from the trap of small town America - which she herself was never able to do. So time after time we see a basically fragile Lexie totally confused by what she experiences in her new life. At a major Christmas television special in New York where all the world-recognized girl skaters will be putting on an exhibition, all the girls are stunned by the public emotional collapse on the ice of the French champion, but quickly get on to the next stage of the show; however, Lexie stands open-mouthed and frozen by what she has seen on the TV monitor. At the required cocktail receptions, Lexie doesn't understand why all the sponsors want to touch her and crowd her. It is not a hidden intention of the director and author that we should know that LEXIE HAS NO PROPS. After the exhibition, when Nick is cold to her on the telephone, Brian takes advantage of the obviously vulnerable girl - but he is incapable of support; what he calls love, yes; but support? no. So when she reaches the height of her quest, the gold medal at the sectionals, and sees Nick coming towards her, she is for the moment in seventh heaven, but when he sees Brian hugging her, the guy who always walks away from a struggle turns his back on her - a door slam that Lexie is no longer able to cope with. (SPOILERS)Depressed and alone, she leaves the victory reception, goes to the hotel ice rink, and does the only thing she has confidence in for herself, she skates - and falls - and hurts her head - and is permanently blinded. Now she has nothing. She returns to the farm and vegetates. Even her father has reached the end of his self-centeredness, and confesses to Beulah that he doesn't know what to do, that Lexie will die if not checked on her nothing course. Most viewers of this movie think that the climax is the big moment, when, totally blind, she skates the best performance of her life. I don't think so. I found the actual turning point - the climax, if you will - comes when after Marcus' plea, Beulah looks for Lexie and finds that she has crawled to the attic, and in the dark there she is putting on her mother's clothes (shallow movie?). The ensuing sometimes violent confrontation is as down and rough dramatic as you'd want. (MORE SPOILERS) But Lexie decides to put on the skates again. This time Nick, who has also learned a lesson, is a true helpmate - not doing things for her, but encouraging her to do what she can do ... and not walking out on her. After a long arduous re-learning period, Lexie goes again to the sectionals - this time with all her props in place: Beulah, Nick, and her father. The scene of the happy foursome in the car going to the sectionals could easily have been the last scene for its resolution of the story.
(MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD) Grooming Lexie (Lynn-Holly Johnson) for the next Olympics is a major challenge for Deborah (Jennifer Warren), the world class figure skating trainer. Most girls start their trek by the time they're seven, devoting another decade to shaping their art and learning their figures and the skills of competing before they're considered ready for the big time. At sixteen Lexie is considered by many to be already over the hill. Through Deborah's demanding tutorship, television personality Brian's (David Huffman) television hype, and Lexie's determination and natural talent, amazing progress is made; sponsors are even lining up to back her run for the gold. What no one considers, least of all Deborah and Brian, is that skill isn't the only thing skaters become enured to by starting their training early in life. There's the give and take in the community of skaters, the learned knowledge of the ways of judging, the back-biting, the dog-eat-dog mentality that girls around the business since early childhood take for granted, but that for Lexie is a whole new world of naivete. In order to compensate for those years of rugged experience, a girl in Lexie's position will need to have strong props. Lexie's props? She's never been out of Waverly, her Iowa home town. Her mother is dead. Her father looks on Lexie as a surrogate for his dead wife, and refuses even to come to the bus depot to wish her well on her journey. Her beloved Nick leaves her at every important turning point in her life. Beulah (Colleeen Dewhurst), Lexie's home town mentor, is the only one who has ever treated Lexie with respect, but even she has an agenda. She wants desperately for Lexie, through her skating, to get away from the trap of small town America - which she herself was never able to do. So time after time we see a basically fragile Lexie totally confused by what she experiences in her new life. At a major Christmas television special in New York where all the world-recognized girl skaters will be putting on an exhibition, all the girls are stunned by the public emotional collapse on the ice of the French champion, but quickly get on to the next stage of the show; however, Lexie stands open-mouthed and frozen by what she has seen on the TV monitor. At the required cocktail receptions, Lexie doesn't understand why all the sponsors want to touch her and crowd her. It is not a hidden intention of the director and author that we should know that LEXIE HAS NO PROPS. After the exhibition, when Nick is cold to her on the telephone, Brian takes advantage of the obviously vulnerable girl - but he is incapable of support; what he calls love, yes; but support? no. So when she reaches the height of her quest, the gold medal at the sectionals, and sees Nick coming towards her, she is for the moment in seventh heaven, but when he sees Brian hugging her, the guy who always walks away from a struggle turns his back on her - a door slam that Lexie is no longer able to cope with. (SPOILERS)Depressed and alone, she leaves the victory reception, goes to the hotel ice rink, and does the only thing she has confidence in for herself, she skates - and falls - and hurts her head - and is permanently blinded. Now she has nothing. She returns to the farm and vegetates. Even her father has reached the end of his self-centeredness, and confesses to Beulah that he doesn't know what to do, that Lexie will die if not checked on her nothing course. Most viewers of this movie think that the climax is the big moment, when, totally blind, she skates the best performance of her life. I don't think so. I found the actual turning point - the climax, if you will - comes when after Marcus' plea, Beulah looks for Lexie and finds that she has crawled to the attic, and in the dark there she is putting on her mother's clothes (shallow movie?). The ensuing sometimes violent confrontation is as down and rough dramatic as you'd want. (MORE SPOILERS) But Lexie decides to put on the skates again. This time Nick, who has also learned a lesson, is a true helpmate - not doing things for her, but encouraging her to do what she can do ... and not walking out on her. After a long arduous re-learning period, Lexie goes again to the sectionals - this time with all her props in place: Beulah, Nick, and her father. The scene of the happy foursome in the car going to the sectionals could easily have been the last scene for its resolution of the story.
a bit of melodrama magic
SnoopyStyle6 April 2020
Figure skater Alexis Winston (Lynn-Holly Johnson) and hockey player Nick Peterson (Robby Benson) are hometown sweethearts in rural Iowa. She has natural talents but her father (Tom Skerritt) refuses to let her go. With former skater friend Beulah Smith (Colleen Dewhurst)'s help, she attends the regional competition where her inspired skate catches the attention of coach Deborah Mackland (Jennifer Warren) despite Lexie's advanced age of 16. As she climbs the skating world, she drifts further away from her roots until a tragedy threatens to take away her gift.
Mackland's complaint about the triple is silly but working behind the scenes makes sense. The skating is relatively realistic since Johnson was a pretty good skater. That does bring into focus of the casting of Lexie. She has to be both a good skater and a good actress. Johnson falls a bit short on both ends. She's also twenty. 16 is too old to be trained. By being twenty, she looks way too old and the outrage for being too old at 16 is diluted. As for Nick breaking up with Lexie, it needs to be more than a kiss at the podium. He should catch them kissing behind the stadium before the competition. It needs to be a passionate kiss rather than a kiss which could be excused. He needs to have an overwhelming cause to be heartbroken. That would lead directly into her accident. Also, Brian should be a social climber who abandons her after the medical tests. That would leave the way wide open for Nick's return. One can feel the acting power rev up with the return of Skerritt and Dewhurst. The second half is the better half. Her handicap makes the movie almost magical and elevates it beyond a simple sports movie. There are a few missteps and Johnson's acting has its limits. However, it's a touching melodrama and there's that iconic theme.
Mackland's complaint about the triple is silly but working behind the scenes makes sense. The skating is relatively realistic since Johnson was a pretty good skater. That does bring into focus of the casting of Lexie. She has to be both a good skater and a good actress. Johnson falls a bit short on both ends. She's also twenty. 16 is too old to be trained. By being twenty, she looks way too old and the outrage for being too old at 16 is diluted. As for Nick breaking up with Lexie, it needs to be more than a kiss at the podium. He should catch them kissing behind the stadium before the competition. It needs to be a passionate kiss rather than a kiss which could be excused. He needs to have an overwhelming cause to be heartbroken. That would lead directly into her accident. Also, Brian should be a social climber who abandons her after the medical tests. That would leave the way wide open for Nick's return. One can feel the acting power rev up with the return of Skerritt and Dewhurst. The second half is the better half. Her handicap makes the movie almost magical and elevates it beyond a simple sports movie. There are a few missteps and Johnson's acting has its limits. However, it's a touching melodrama and there's that iconic theme.
it's probably not every professional skater who stars in a romantic drama, a horror flick, and a James Bond movie
lee_eisenberg12 June 2020
Lynn-Holly Johnson came to my attention when my fourth grade class watched the horror movie "Watcher in the Woods"; it contained no violence or nudity or anything like that, so it was considered appropriate for school (it was also the first movie in which I ever saw Bette Davis; it also starred Carroll Baker and David McCallum, but they didn't register in my mind until several years later). Johnson played the older daughter of a family that moves to an eerie manor where a girl mysteriously disappeared some decades earlier; the movie was pretty much what you'd expect, although I did find Johnson quite hot. It wasn't until several years later that I learned that she was a professional skater.
So now I've seen a more prominent movie starring her: Donald Wrye's "Ice Castles", in which she gets to show off her main talent. Damned if she wasn't a master at figure skating. The story itself is kind of maudlin but I did enjoy seeing Johnson doing her stuff. At the very least, it was appropriate to cast an actual skater in the role. The depiction of the coach is enough to give anyone misgivings about professional sports.
In the end, it's not a masterpiece, but a respectable look at the vicissitudes of pursuing one's dream, especially when tragedy strikes. Carole Bayer Sager's Oscar-nominated theme song will never be one of my favorites, but it does fit the mood. Worth seeing.
So now I've seen a more prominent movie starring her: Donald Wrye's "Ice Castles", in which she gets to show off her main talent. Damned if she wasn't a master at figure skating. The story itself is kind of maudlin but I did enjoy seeing Johnson doing her stuff. At the very least, it was appropriate to cast an actual skater in the role. The depiction of the coach is enough to give anyone misgivings about professional sports.
In the end, it's not a masterpiece, but a respectable look at the vicissitudes of pursuing one's dream, especially when tragedy strikes. Carole Bayer Sager's Oscar-nominated theme song will never be one of my favorites, but it does fit the mood. Worth seeing.
I love this movie!
KvMauB11 November 2004
I know it is kind of sappy and hackneyed, but Ice Castles is one of my favorite films of all time. I try to watch it at least once a month, and it still makes me cry. Honestly, Ice Castles might have changed my life, as it inspired me to skate. I wanted to be a part of that beautiful, graceful world. Lynn Holly Johnson skated so wonderfully in this movie. I tried for years to duplicate her arms on that Camel Spin she does in the Fifth of Beethoven program. Oh! and that theme song "Through the Eyes of Love" is great too. It inspired me to play the piano also! I guess I still consider this one of my "guilty pleasures" as I do not widely admit that I am such a fan of this obscure 70s movie.
A Good flick
McDanielClanof428 July 2005
I first saw this movie around the time we got cable back in 1982. Not only did I become obsessed with watching this film (Along with "Oh Heavenly Dog" and "Victor/Victoria") but I thought I would surely marry Robby Benson. The movie isn't sophisticated or mind boggling, but it is a romantic, good hearted, and honestly written movie. Ice Castles focuses on the story. It stays true to the form of movies I enjoy watching. It was a tear jerker of a movie when I was 8 and it still is today, partly because of the song "Looking Through The Eyes of Love". I can go grocery shopping today and hear the song overhead and will well up with tears. I instantly get this profound image of Robby Benson in one of the movies most pivotal scenes. Once anyone sees this movie then can they understand why I wanted to marry him. It's a quality picture and a nice time to spend watching the tube, especially on a chilly fall day with hot chocolate.
Looking Through the Ice of Love
wes-connors18 September 2011
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
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