Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the movie has some tense confrontations, some mild language ("that pretty much blew") and a few kisses. There is a brief shot of a painful-looking wound.
Families who see this movie could talk about the most important advice that Casey gets from Gen. Why does Casey decide to trust Tina? How does Casey decide what is most important to her? What does she learn from her mother and what does she learn from Tina? They could also discuss the mothering styles of Joan and Tina. How are they alike, how are they different, and what do they have in common with your family?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Nell Minow
When you hear the premise -- brainy but shy girl dreams of being champion figure skater, has anything-to-win coach, likes cute Zamboni driver -- you may think that there won't be any surprises. But there are, and they're all nice ones.
The first surprise is the characters, who rise above the usual bland, interchangeable stick figures for movies of this kind. Michelle Trachtenberg brings a nice shy spirit to Casey, the aspiring scientist/skater, and she has able support from the always-engaging Joan Cusack as her mother and the nicely flinty Kim Cattrall as the coach. But the nicest surprise is that after a spate of "mean girl" movies, this one gives us a character who competes with Casey who is honest, loyal, and supportive.
This is a story of a girl with a dream, but it's also the story of two mothers with dreams for their daughters, both based on dreams of their own that didn't come true.
Casey's mother wants her daughter to become a brilliant scholar. She also wants Casey to dress in sensible (dowdy and middle-aged) clothes. She doesn't like the "twinkie little outfits" that figure skaters wear and admits that "no matter how old the rest of us get, we will still always hate the prom queen."
Tina (Cattrall) was once a figure skating champion who made a mistake that cost her a chance at an Olympic gold medal. She wants her daughter Gen (Hayden Panettiere) to get the gold medal she could not have. And when Gen tells her that she wants more than skating in her life, she doesn't listen. Both mothers have to learn that their daughters are entitled to their own dreams. The daughters have to learn that, too.
The story had an assist from The Princess Diaries author Meg Cabot, which may be why it feels like it should be called "Ice Princess Diaries." But the formula is nicely played out, with sincerity and sweetness enough to inspire the young viewers to come up with some dreams of their own.
Families who enjoy this movie may also enjoy The Princess Diaries. Older viewers will enjoy some other ice skating movies like The Cutting Edge and Ice Castles. This story has a lot in common with the classic children's book, Skating Shoes, part of the Shoes series by Noel Streatfeild, well worth reading aloud at bedtime.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSome kissing. |
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ViolenceSome tense scenes. A brief shot of a painful-looking wound. |
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LanguageNone, although there are a few "shut ups," "that blew," and some talk about "looking hot." |
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Social BehaviorDiverse characters, strong women. |
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CommercialismMention of Nike. |
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