Ice Castles, 1978
I woke up, ate a tangerine, and made coffee. When I sat down at my desk and looked at recently downloaded movies, I put on Ice Castles, from the beginning.
You can’t call it cliche’ because it was before many of the others. The Seventies inaugurated the frontal assault of glitch in the movies and on TV; it was now large screen color, with big budgets and action, but without cellphones, computers, or things instantly gratifying or distracting. Jeremy could have been made in 1966. By 1978 Benson was already a star with proven box office appeal. Lynne-Holly Johnson was a nineteen year-old skater who wanted to go commercial. Colleen Dewhurst and Tom Skerrit were dependable, and both are excellent.
There are other movies about physical and mental rehabilitation. Same with minor league hockey and high pressure, high finance figure skating. I even remember one (Julie Benz) with a blind horse winning a competition.
http://every70smovie.blogspot.com/2012/10/ice-castles-1978.html
It is double-barrel coming of age. I’d call it groovy, but that’s today, when I can pause it or even fast forward when it gets too sappy or when Johnson looks like a prima donna. But this time I tried not to do that, and failed just once. I’m glad I hung in there. It is perhaps the last and greatest Robby Benson as teen hero and savior movie, this time in front of a cheering crowd.
As I wrote much earlier, I knew it was going to be about love and, more specifically, love as something we all need. Ice Castles is a fine journey within that theme.
Funky, sure, but worthwhile as a chunk of Robby Benson history. Groovy. And he learned to skate backward for it.
Understated, yet in your face.
But this is where I really have to disagree with Mr. Hanson. Who else could act and skate like that? Lynn-Holly Johnson is fantastic.