Mandy Griffiths
)
A Mandy Moment Movie review rewind: What movie combines Valentine’s Day and the Winter Olympics better than… “The Cutting Edge”
Tagline: The King of the Rink is about to meet America’s Ice Queen.
It must have been a midday movie when I was growing up, because I definitely would not have rented this from the video store. Yes, it’s that old, 1992 to be exact. While it didn’t make my list of Most Iconic Films of the 90s, it has stayed with me as one of my all-time favourite romantic comedies. I know, random, but stay with me.
Sure the lead actors didn’t exactly go on to become America’s Sweethearts. Moira Kelly is probably most famous for voicing adult Nala in “The Lion King”, before heading to politics land in the first season of “The West Wing” where her character became famous for…disappearing without a trace, heretofore known as going to “Mandyville” (mythical place where characters go when the writers can’t be bothered explaining where they’ve gone). Yeah, her character was Mandy.
D. B. Sweeney, I see from IMDB, was most recently in “Taken 2” and has a recurring on “Two and a Half Men”, so all very respectable, but I’m telling you, “The Cutting Edge” was their opus. A perfect storm of onscreen chemistry, opposites attract hate-you-til-I-love you banter, and all the tension and drama ice skating at the Olympics brings.
And the film is nothing but tension. Kate (Moira Kelly) is a rich, beautiful, talented and ice cold bitch who has scared all her potential ice skating partners away following near-miss Gold medal at the Calgary Olympics. At the very same Olympics, party boy Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) kisses goodbye his budding ice hockey career following an eye injury in a vicious game against West Germany. But manly man Doug loves to skate, and will do anything to get back on the rink…or will he.
Will they make it back to the next Olympics (yes), will they hate each other at first sight (yes), will they fall in love (yes). Is it fun to watch anyway (yes).
Here’s a sneak peek:
Seriously, even if you don’t care about Valentine’s Day, if you don’t care about the Winter Olympics, spare a little time for this oft-forgotten 90s gem.
Unless you hate romantic comedies, in which case, yeah, just watch the Olympics.
