Themes: Opposites Attract, Fish Out of Water, Starting Over
Main Cast: D.B. Sweeney, Moira Kelly, Roy Dotrice, Terry O'Quinn, Dwier Brown
Release Year: 1992
Country: US
Run Time: 101 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Can a rough and tumble hockey player and a snooty ice dancer find love and a gold medal at the same time? That's the burning (or more appropriately freezing) question in this romantic drama. Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) is a world-class figure skater training for the Olympics; she has genuine talent, but years of being spoiled by her wealthy family have made her all but impossible to work with. Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) is a hockey player with drive, skill, and a full complement of arrogance; his team is also on the fast track to the Olympics. Unfortunately, an eye injury suffered during a game affects Doug's peripheral vision enough to put him on the bench for the rest of the season. At the same time, Kate's colossal ego scares off yet another skating partner, and her coach, Anton (Roy Dotrice), needs to find a replacement as soon as possible. Desperate to stay in Olympic competition, Doug agrees to try working as Kate's partner, even though he has a hockey player's macho contempt for figure skating. Needless to say, the first few practices between Kate and Doug do not go well, but in time they learn to work together and become a pair to be reckoned with both on and off the ice. The Cutting Edge was released within a few months of the 1992 Winter Olympic Games. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Paul Michael Glaser's formulaic romance sports movie is more entertaining than it has any right to be. The story of a spoiled-princess figure skater partnered with a washed-up, working-class hockey player in hopes of competing for an Olympic doubles title, it works over every cliché about mismatched lovers and long-shot athletes, but still manages to hold one's interest. To the extent that it works, credit must go to stars, Moira Kelly and D.B. Sweeney, who bring a passionate commitment to these stock parts, along with an evident athleticism that must have kept the use of stunt people to a minimum. Veteran stage actor Roy Dotrice and The Stepfather (1987) star Terry O'Quinn also add something distinctive. Glaser moves the story at along brisk pace, the skating routines are well-done, and although the denouement is visible from a distance, one can still admire the professionalism of the film's execution. The film was a modest hit, yet no one involved seems to have benefited but first-time writer Tony Gilroy, who has gone on to a very successful career. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
Chris Benson - Walter Dorsey; Judy Blumberg - Nationals Commentator; Robin Cousins - Nationals Commentator; Barry Flatman - Tuttle; Graham Harley - Official; Rachelle Ottley - Lorie; Jo Jo Starbuck; John Jenkins - 3rd Olympic Pair; Arthur Roswell - Assistant Costumer; Robert Buck - Butler; Chick Roberts - Drunk; Edwin Stephenson - Costumer; Dick Grant - Olympic Commentator; Scott MacDonald - 2nd Nationals Pair; Peter Messaline - International Reporter; Roger Periard - French Official; R.D. Reid - Calgary Cop; Kirsten Kieferle - Woman in Bar; Jon Robinson - 1st Olympic Pair; Michael Hogan - Doctor
Credit
Marci Liroff - Casting, Robin Cousins - Choreography, Dean O'Brien - Co-producer, Cynthia Sherman - Co-producer, William Ivey Long - Costume Designer, Paul Michael Glaser - Director, Michael Polakow - Editor, Patrick Williams - Composer (Music Score), Becky Mancuso - Musical Direction/Supervision, Timothy R. Sexton - Musical Direction/Supervision, David Gropman - Production Designer, Daniel Davis - Production Designer, Elliot Davis - Cinematographer, Robert W. Cort - Producer, Ted Field - Producer, Karen Murphy - Producer, Steve Shewchuk - Set Designer, David Lee - Sound/Sound Designer, Kevin Reynolds - Screenwriter, Tony Gilroy - Screenwriter
Kate Moseley is a world-class figure skater training for the 1988 Winter Olympics. She has genuine talent, but years of being spoiled by her wealthy father have made her all but impossible to work with. Doug Dorsey is an exceptional hockey player with drive, skill, and a full complement of arrogance. His team is also in the Olympics. Just minutes prior to his match, he and Kate "literally" run into each other at the arena. Doug suffers an eye injury during that game which damages his peripheral vision, and he is forced to retire from the sport. Later in the Games, Kate falls during a program, costing her pair a chance at the gold medal.
In the lead-up to the next Olympics four years later, Kate has driven out all potential skating partners with her attitude and perfectionism; her coach, Anton Pamchenko, needs to find another replacement. He proceeds to track down Doug, who by now is back home in Minnesota, working in a steel mill and playing in a semi-pro hockey league on the side. Desperate for another chance at Olympic glory, Doug agrees to work as Kate's partner, even though he has a macho contempt for figure skating. However, Kate's snooty, prima donna behavior gets on his nerves immediately. The first few practices between them do not go well. In time, though, their relationship grows warmer, and they learn to work together and become a pair to be reckoned with both on and off the ice.
To everyone's surprise, they advance all the way to the finals in Albertville and look to be one of the top pairs competing for the gold. Everything is going well until love suddenly raises its head. Doug and Kate are forced to reconcile these new feelings with their mutual desire to win at all costs.
