The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (PG-13)

Sequel to popular romantic comedy falls flat.

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Movie details

Studio: Sony Pictures
Directed By: Sean McNamara
Cast: Christy Carlson Romano, Ross Thomas, Stepfanie Kramer
Running Time: 98 minutes
Release Date: 2/7/2006
Video/DVD Release Date: 2/7/2006
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA Explanation: sexual situations, nudity and language.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that for most of this movie, Jackie acts like an adult-sized spoiled brat. She's arrogant, self-centered, and rude to everyone around her -- including her parents, who not only give in to her demands but even at one point surprise her with a lavish vacation. There's lots of flirting between Jackie and Alex, and Alex and his on-again, off-again girlfriend allude to their physical relationship. A nude shower scene shows Alex's full-length backside and an obscured glimpse of his girlfriend's upper body, and later, she sports revealing lingerie. Strong language ("damn," "bitch," and the like) is often used, but it's the movie's presentation of drinking as a way to celebrate, relax, or deal with romantic rejection that is most concerning for its intended teen audience.

Families can talk about how the media can influence viewers' impressions of appropriate behavior. What messages about relationships, drinking, and sexuality did this movie evoke? Were they positive or negative by your own standards? Why is irresponsibility often presented in a positive way in entertainment? Are morals often sacrificed for the sake of entertainment value? Do you think questionable content is designed to intentionally send negative messages to its audience? Are you affected by what you see on TV and in the movies? How so?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

Jackie is a demanding, egotistical drama queen whose appalling attitude is portrayed as an admirable dedication to her goal of winning Olympic gold. Her doting parents seem to bow to her every whim, rewarding her with her own ice rink and impromptu cross-country vacations.

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Drinking (beer, wine, and shots) is common and presented as a way to celebrate, relax, or drown sorrows, mostly without consequence. In one scene, Alex is hung over after a night of binge drinking, but his symptoms are quickly cured by a minute or two in a cold shower.

Violence

Lots of falls on the ice, including one in which Jackie breaks her leg, but her cast is the only sign of any injury. In one scene, two guys grab a man's groin after he mocks the sport of ice skating.

Sex

A shower scene shows Alex's full-length bare backside and a brief glimpse at his girlfriend's upper body (but it's so quick, no pertinent areas are visible). She sports revealing lingerie and alludes to their sexual activity. Jackie emerges from a swim sans her bikini top (again, nothing is shown). Jackie flirts shamelessly with Alex, and they share their first passionate kiss after only a few hours together. Even the movie's soundtrack is suggestive -- one song touts lyrics like "I want to shake it in your face, my big booty."

Language

Multiple uses of "damn," "hell," "bitch," and "ass."

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Emily Ashby

As the talented daughter of Olympic medalists Kate Moseley-Dorsey (Stepfanie Kramer) and Doug Dorsey (Scott Thompson Baker), Jackie (Christy Carson Romano) has her sights set on adding an individual ice skating title to her parents' pairs one. But then a tragic fall halts her plans just months before nationals, and she's left to re-evaluate how she can get back to top form and achieve her goal. When Jackie's chance encounter with extreme in-line skater Alex (Ross Thomas) leads to their joining forces on the ice, the pair must overcome more than inexperience to make it to the Olympics. As competition looms, Jackie and Alex find their uncertain romance puts their skating relationship out of synch, and they struggle to find harmony on and off the ice.

Is it any good?

Sadly, this sub-par sequel does little justice to its parent movie, the popular early '90s romantic comedy The Cutting Edge. The plot is so thoroughly recycled that anyone familiar with the tale's first go-round will have little difficulty predicting the story's development -- right down to the placement of replays of memorable scenes, impossible stunts on the ice, and buzzwords like "toe-pick." And while the main characters are obviously cast as duplicates of the original duo, Jackie and Alex are more obnoxious than endearing in their ongoing power struggle.

But that's not all. Between the tense twists of a love triangle and the beach scenes with scantily clad girls and shirtless surfer guys, it's obvious this movie is geared toward teens, but parents have good reason to be wary of the messages it sends. Alcohol is common in many scenes, strong language is unnecessarily frequent, and there are multiple allusions to sex (including lewd lyrics about shaking a booty in someone's face), and nudity includes a full-length shot of a man's backside. To top it off, Jackie fills the role of ice princess a little too well, coming across as spoiled, demanding, and egocentric. She takes for granted her doting parents, who reward her rude behavior with expensive gifts. All in all, these aren't the best role models.