Ice Castles (1978)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Donald Wrye

Writers:

Gary L. Baim (screenplay)
Gary L. Baim (story)

Release Date:

31 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The story of a girl who refused to forget she was once a champion.

Plot:

A young girl is on top of the world until a tragic accident dashes her hopes and dreams of becoming a world-class figure skater...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Figure Skater | Cigarette Smoking | Blindness | Legs

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Robby Benson	...	Nick Peterson
Lynn-Holly Johnson	...	Alexis Winston
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Beulah Smith
Tom Skerritt	...	Marcus Winston
Jennifer Warren	...	Deborah Machland
David Huffman	...	Brian Dockett
Diane Reilly	...	Sandy
Craig T. McCullen	...	Doctor
Kelsey Ufford	...	Ceceil Monchet
Leonard Lilyholm	...	Hockey Coach
Brian Foley	...	Choreographer
Jean-Claude Bleuze	...	French Coach
Teresa Willmus	...	Annette Brashlout
Diana Holden	...	X-Ray Technician
Michelle McLean	...	Skater

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-12 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Lynn-Holly Johnson says she was repeatedly pressured to do a nude scene in this film, which she refused to do. She says this incident makes her laugh and say "if you only knew!" whenever someone tells her what a great family film this movie was.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Robby Benson's character arrives to help Lexie skate blind for the first time, her winter clothing and hair keep changing. We are led to believe it is all one "session/lesson" yet first her hair is hanging free with a red scarf around her neck, then her hair is all tucked up under a red hat, then the hat is a cream color.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Nick pulls his truck up to Beulah's Star Ice Castle Lanes, or, depending on how you read the marquee sign, Beulah's Ice Castle Star Lanes]
Nick Peterson: Hey, Charlie.
Charlie: Hi, Nick.
Nick Peterson: How ya doin'?
Charlie: Beats the hell out of me. Hey, what are *you* doin' home?
Nick Peterson: Beats the hell out of me.
Charlie: Hey, Beulah, rack 'em up! Come on!
Nick Peterson: Howdy, Les.
Les: Hey! Nick, what the hell are *you* doin' here?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Everybody Loves Raymond: Alone Time (#4.20)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

MIDNIGHT BLUE

Lynn-Holly Johnson Worth Seeing

This is far from a believable story: a top ice skater losing her sight and then becoming even a better skater after becoming blind! I don't think so.

However, the girl - "Alexis Winston," played by Lynn-Holly Johnson - is such a beautiful and sweet person that she alone makes the movie worth watching. Johnson was an accomplished skater in her own right, so she makes the skating scenes look realistic.

The bad news was the character, "Beulah Smith," portrayed by Colleen Dewhurst, an annoying butch-like foul-mouthed woman, the opposite of Johnson. Her bad mouth prevents this from being a good family film, which it could have been. She isn't the only offender, but is, by far, the worst....and all of it was unneeded, but that's Hollywood in the 1970s for you. Familiar '70s actor Robby Benson plays Johnson's boyfriend, but he's not all that likable, either.

This is mainly Johnson's film. She never really was that much of an actress, but her other qualities and talents overcame that shortcoming.