The Cutting Edge (1992)

[Kat12]

0.00 star(s) Rating: 0.00/5 0 Votes

Title: The Cutting Edge (1992)

Tagline: The King of the Rink is about to meet America's Ice Queen.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director: Paul Michael Glaser

Cast: D. B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly, Roy Dotrice, Terry O'Quinn, Dwier Brown, Chris Benson, Kevin Peeks, Barry Flatman, Rachelle Ottley, Steve Sears, Nahanni Johnstone, Michael Hogan, R.D. Reid, Dick Grant, Melanie Miller, Robin Cousins, Chick Roberts, Arthur Rowsell, JoJo Starbuck

Release: 1992-03-27

Runtime: 101

Plot: Two former Olympians, one a figure skater and the other a hockey player, pin their hopes of one last shot at Olympic glory on one another. That is, of course, if they can keep from killing each other in the process...

 

[Kat12]

Can't believe we don't have a thread on this one! Who hasn't tripped over their own skates and said, "Toe pick!" on the way down?

 

[skylark]

I have a soft spot for D.B. Sweeney, so I'll re-watch this every 5 or 10 years. It's been a while.

 

[Kat12]

I need to watch it again, too. I remember having a slight crush on him when I first saw it, and then watched clips again and he's sort of adorable (I have never seen or heard of him in anything else, though...). And Moira Kelly was just lovely-- likeable even though she played a jerk.

The whole movie is just so unlikely, but somehow you can't help loving it... or at least I can't. I dunno, was it really the iconic skating movie of the 90s, or did I just think it was?

 

[Amei]

I need to watch it again, too. I remember having a slight crush on him when I first saw it, and then watched clips again and he's sort of adorable (I have never seen or heard of him in anything else, though...). And Moira Kelly was just lovely-- likeable even though she played a jerk.

The whole movie is just so unlikely, but somehow you can't help loving it... or at least I can't. I dunno, was it really the iconic skating movie of the 90s, or did I just think it was?

I think it was.

 

[Kat12]

I've never been sure... just how much time is supposed to pass in the movie? It always feels like it's just a few months from "Doug first puts on figure skates" to "they're competing with high-level jumps and then winning the gold medal at the Olympics," but that can't be and I don't think it's what was intended...

 

[skylark]

I need to watch it again, too. I remember having a slight crush on him when I first saw it, and then watched clips again and he's sort of adorable (I have never seen or heard of him in anything else, though...). And Moira Kelly was just lovely-- likeable even though she played a jerk.

The whole movie is just so unlikely, but somehow you can't help loving it... or at least I can't. I dunno, was it really the iconic skating movie of the 90s, or did I just think it was?

If you have the time and inclination, do check out Memphis Belle, he's one of the stars. It was made in 1990, so as you can plainly see, I'm way out of date on D.B. Sweeney. In addition, it's entirely worthy of its own thread. It's a WWII movie, fictionalized but based on a true story about the crew of an American bomber. Also stars Eric Stoltz, Tate Donovan, Harry Connick, Jr. and several other stars. IIRC, Harry even sings!

I think I'm going to have to re-watch this one soon too!

 

[skylark]

I've never been sure... just how much time is supposed to pass in the movie? It always feels like it's just a few months from "Doug first puts on figure skates" to "they're competing with high-level jumps and then winning the gold medal at the Olympics," but that can't be and I don't think it's what was intended...

I think you're right, there's supposed to be more time passing. But it would be interesting to know exactly when the time passage happens. Does anyone else miss the melodramatic screen summaries from the 30s & 40s? Maybe even 50s? i.e. "Five Months Later .... "

 

[Kat12]

Since I've not seen it in probably 10-15 years, I had to read at IMDB to refresh my memory on exactly how it goes. So, beginning of the movie is supposed to be the Olympics. I think it says it's 2 years later that the two start skating together? But I'm not sure if they say when their first competition is (I would have to go back and read yet again... is it the Olympic qualifiers, or before that?)? Olympics in two years? Okay, maybe, since he's already good on the ice, and we'll assume he didn't stop skating, just playing on elite teams. But the events of the movie just don't *feel* like two years to me (honestly, as a kid I just sort of assumed it was a few months and it wasn't until I got older and logic kicked in that I was like, "wait, no way was it that short").

I feel like there are ways they could have made it seem like more time had passed, like via other events in the movie, without having to have a big "8 months pass..." splash screen... Even a montage of things like showing his/their improvement (and how much work he would have to put in, not only on their "pairs skating" time but also his personal "learning to be a figure skater" time), showing changes of seasons or alleged events in the world (I don't think they'd have to stick to actual history; they could show some generic things), possibly slightly changing the appearance of one or both (I mean, in that amount of time, it's possible someone might've changed a hairstyle, etc.).

And even the change in their relationship. I mean, for most of it, it seemed like they still could barely stand each other, and I think that's what made it seem short-- how can you spend hours a day with someone (in close proximity and having to work closely as a team, no less) and still be on the basic level of "cold and snarky," without either starting to get along better or saying "forget it, bye"? I guess we're just supposed to think that both A. wanted to skate badly enough that they'd put up with it and B. were too stubborn to walk away?

 

[Amei]

Since I've not seen it in probably 10-15 years, I had to read at IMDB to refresh my memory on exactly how it goes. So, beginning of the movie is supposed to be the Olympics. I think it says it's 2 years later that the two start skating together? But I'm not sure if they say when their first competition is (I would have to go back and read yet again... is it the Olympic qualifiers, or before that?)? Olympics in two years? Okay, maybe, since he's already good on the ice, and we'll assume he didn't stop skating, just playing on elite teams. But the events of the movie just don't *feel* like two years to me (honestly, as a kid I just sort of assumed it was a few months and it wasn't until I got older and logic kicked in that I was like, "wait, no way was it that short").

I feel like there are ways they could have made it seem like more time had passed, like via other events in the movie, without having to have a big "8 months pass..." splash screen... Even a montage of things like showing his/their improvement (and how much work he would have to put in, not only on their "pairs skating" time but also his personal "learning to be a figure skater" time), showing changes of seasons or alleged events in the world (I don't think they'd have to stick to actual history; they could show some generic things), possibly slightly changing the appearance of one or both (I mean, in that amount of time, it's possible someone might've changed a hairstyle, etc.).

They did reference time passing a bit: when they first met it was snowing so we can assume winter, additionally while they are doing their initial training by running together there was snow on the ground and the first time Doug went to go see his family after a New Years Eve party. Plus when they argued in the elevator after nationals she told him to get out of the way he said 'he's been practicing that move for a year and a half'.

He also referenced in the movie to his brother about training 15 hours a day - which is certainly possible when you are being bankrolled by a wealthy parent and you are not a teenager in school. So that kinda explains that he was able to get up to speed at the sport.