Ice Princess (2005) starring Michelle Trachtenberg, Joan Cusak, Kim Cattrall, Hayden Panettiere
In Ice Princess, a high school physics geek figures out the mathematics behind great figure skating – and tries it to win a scholarship. To her surprise … she actually falls in love with the sport. Can she overcome obstacles? Will she win the scholarship? Will her mother, etc. become whom she wants to be.
Editorial review of Ice Princess (Full Screen Edition) (2005), courtesy of Amazon.com
Like The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Ice Princess is a fairy tale for girls who dream about what they can be. Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is a physics geek who discovers a mathematical formula for those tricky figure-skating jumps that her fellow high schoolers are performing. It’s all part of her plan to nab a juicy college scholarship, but a funny thing happens on the way to Harvard: Casey decides that in the name of research she should try the jumps herself, and she discovers that not only does she have talent, she likes figure skating. Will she throw away her Ivy League dreams in favor of those frilly dresses?
Ice Princess isn’t a movie that will change the world, and it treads lightly on the downsides of the sport (it costs a lot of money, rivalries are bitter, careers are short, and long hours mean less time to party!); there’s also more than one unfortunate reference to how skating makes Casey look “hot.” But just as Casey says: “What’s wrong with wanting to feel strong and graceful and beautiful?”, what’s wrong with a movie that lets people explore their options and make decisions for themselves? The on-ice action is believable, and Trachtenberg is especially appealing in the lead role. With Kim Cattrall as the snarling coach, Joan Cusack as Casey’s anxious mom, Trevor Blumas as the light romantic interest, Hayden Panettiere as the rival, and champion skaters Michelle Kwan and Brian Boitano as themselves.–David Horiuchi
Product Description
From Walt Disney Pictures, the studio that brought you THE PRINCESS DIARIES, ICE PRINCESS is a hilarious and heartwarming coming-of-age story featuring popular teen star Michelle Trachtenberg (TV’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, EUROTRIP). Though a top university, it seems as if she’ll never get the chance to be like the elite skating prodigies she sees at the rink. But when Casey uses her head and follows her heart, she’lshe longs to become a graceful champion figure skater, gawky Casey Carlyle (Trachtenberg) has always been just a brainy high school misfit. And with a strong-willed mother (Joan Cusack—RAISING HELEN) pushing her towardl find herself transformed beyond her wildest dreams! Also starring Kim Cattrall, it’s an uplifting and laugh-packed story your whole family will flip for!
