Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Best for Ages: 7+
Ages 3 - 7: Red
Ages 8 - 12: Green
Ages 13 - 17: Green
Violence Amount: Green
Violence Portrayal:
Green
Fear: Green
Illegal / Harmful: Green
Language: Green
Nudity: Green
Sex: Green
Review:
Casey (Michelle Trachtenberg), a brainy teen-ager,
decides to do a summer physics project on
figure skating to enhance her college applications.
Her mother (Joan Cusack) hoping it will help
her get into Harvard, encourages her. Three
skaters train in her town and Casey is soon
drawn into their lives and passion for skating.
The figure skating coach, Tina (Kim Cantrell)
is a former Olympic skater who never accomplished
her dream and is training her daughter, Gen
(Hayden Panetierre), to follow in her footsteps.
Casey's and Gen's mothers are pushing their
daughters, but in different directions and
are not considering what their girls might
really want to do. All the girls become friends
and help each other out. The relationships
of the four skaters are refreshing because
there is no backbiting and nastiness as one
might expect. The girls cheer one another
on and are loyal and supportive. Casey's mother
knows nothing about Casey's entry into skating
and when she finds out she is furious. She
thinks Casey is wasting her time and her brains.
Gen, on the other hand, wants to quit skating
and live a normal life, much to her mother's
disappointment. There are some good lessons
to be learned in this movie and they are presented
in an entertaining manner. There are also
several strong female characters. What are
your child's passions? Does she feel that
you push her in one particular direction?
How can you work together to discover and
realize her passions?
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She
graduated from the University of
Minnesota with a double major in
sociology and psychology. Married
with a family, she has remained
in the Minneapolis area.
Linda has been a lover of movies
since she was a small child. This
love of film eventually brought
her to the point in life where
she is now, a film critic. She
was featured on WCCO radio for
three years on the “Dark
in the Morning” show with
Dark Star.
In December of 2001, Linda became
the film critic for the syndicated
“Ruth Koscielak Show”.
Linda sees over 150 movies a
year and has had the opportunity
to interview a number of directors
and actors when they are in town.
She has also appeared on a public
access show called the "Cinema
Judge" and has ventured into
writing for "Cinestar"
magazine in September 2002. The
Twin Cities movie magazine is
available, for free, at most local
Blockbuster's and local movie
cheaters.
As one of the few female reviewers
in the Twin Cities area, she brings
a unique point of view to her
reviews. Linda has raised two
children, a boy and a girl, and
knows what they like in movies
and what is appropriate. Hopefully,
her reviews will help your family
in choosing where to next spend
your movie-going dollar.
Linda
Thomas is a native Minnesotan. She
graduated from the University of
Minnesota with a double major in
sociology and psychology. Married
with a family, she has remained
in the Minneapolis area.
