Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quiet, charming docu about small-town Alaska.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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Where to Watch
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Classic
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
CLASSIC documents how in 2016 the small town of Nenana, Alaska, celebrated the 100th anniversary of their annual Ice Classic. Every spring, a wooden structure called The Tripod is built and put out on the 40-inch-thick ice that covers the town's river. The Tripod is then connected through a system of weights and pulleys that will stop a clock from running as soon as the Tripod has moved 100 feet downriver when the ice finally melts. The townspeople then sell tickets to people all over Alaska, and around the world, and on those tickets people mark the day and time to the minute that they think the clock will stop. Everyone who guesses correctly splits the pot, which usually runs upwards of $300,000. The filmmakers explore the history of the event, what life is like in Nenana, what it takes to put on such a huge event every year, and what the 100-year-old tradition means to the community.
Is It Any Good?
This quiet, thoughtful documentary about a small town's big event carefully and gently builds suspense about the ice melt as it reveals the charm of the people involved and the place where they live. Although a lot of focus is put on Cherrie, the event manager, and Dennis, the enigmatic president of the Ice Classic's board of directors, a diverse array of interesting and sometimes quirky people are also interviewed about what the Classic means to them. There's no particular kid or teen appeal, but viewers of any age who enjoy learning about other places, interesting people, beautiful scenery, and other cultures will enjoy it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Classic shows a diverse community. Why is it important to see different kinds of people represented in media?
Have you seen any other documentaries? Do you like them? How is watching a documentary different from watching movies that are fictional?
What character strengths and life skills do the people who run and work for the Ice Classic show? What about the people who buy tickets?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 26, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : April 20, 2021
- Cast : Cherrie Forness , Dennis Argall
- Director : Tim Kaminski
- Studio : Freestyle Digital Media
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Friendship , History
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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