The algorithm recently recommended that I watch the third The Cutting Edge movie, Chasing the Dream. It’s a little strange to suggest a deep cut like that, but since I’m on my umpteenth rewatch of Timeless (starring Matt Lanter, among others) and recently finished Off-Campus, it’s a little less crazy. Time travel and ice sports, I get it. So I did what one naturally does – I spent some time this morning and watched it.
The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream is an ABC Family-era sports movie that aired on the channel in 2008. It’s about a beloved pretty-boy ice skater (Matt Lanter) who loses his skating partner Celeste (Sarah Gadon) to injury and has to find a new partner (Francia Raisa) to skate at a big international competition.
Someone on Letterboxd described the film as “a solid good bad movie,” and that’s not an inaccurate description. This is a well-made TV movie and, for what it is, is really enjoyable. The story is predictable, but we’re not watching it to be shocked. We want gorgeous heroes we can root for, for them to overcome the villains, and for a love story along the way. The TV movie delivers on all those fronts.
I have no idea what the ice skating capabilities are of Lanter and Raisa, but they pulled it off really well in this sequel. Both actors seemed comfortable on the ice, and while maybe it’s a little far-fetched to believe them (or at least Zack) as an elite athlete in the sport, their skills never took away from the movie. From watching the credits, skating doubles were used at times. It was obscured well, so kudos are in order for the editing by James R. Symons and cinematography by Pierre Jodoin. On my second watch of the film, I did notice the double for Lanter, but it was only because I was really looking for it. Interviews with the leads after the movie suggest that they trained in ice skating for this for about a month, which makes the movie all the more impressive.
Lanter and Raisa also have enough chemistry together to make the love story believable, but not uncomfortable for an ABC Family movie. They are from different worlds, and there’s a delightful little spin on the trope with their backgrounds; Zack is the figure skater while Alex is the abrasive hockey player. In addition to the different worlds trope, Chasing the Dream leans heavily into the Cinderella dynamic. Zack is handsome and rich and has everything that money can buy, although he’s massively lonely. Alex, on the other hand, has everything money can’t buy, a loving family, but lacks the capital to pursue her dreams. It’s satisfying to see them realize their love for each other by the end of the movie.
What really does stand out in this TV movie is the music. Music supervisor Christopher Mollere deserves a special mention for that. It’s hard to go wrong when you have a skating sequence to OneRepublic’s “Apologize.”
It may be tempting to compare this to another famous figure skating film, Ice Princess, which came out three years before this one. While both are aimed at a family audience, tonally they’re very different. The love story here between Zack and Alex really anchors this film. It’s completely dissimilar to the love story between Teddy and Casey in Ice Princess. The ages are also way off; Zack and Alex are full-on adults in The Cutting Edge 3.
Bright and Halyard are very over-the-top villains in this film – at some points, the disdain Bright (played by Benjamin Hollingsworth) has for Zack is almost cartoonish. It’s unhinged and tropey, and half the time you expect someone to say “..and your little dog, too!” Jason Bright outright wishes for Zack and Alex to fall and also instigates a fight. There’s no question about whose side the audience should be on when it comes to Bright. Zack’s agent Brian (played by Stefano DiMatteo) does a good job of being hateable too. He’s a slimy character that backstabs Zack (and Celeste) in a way that’s so believable.
This film is the second sequel to the original The Cutting Edge (1992), starring D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly. I haven’t seen that film, but there were enough subtle callbacks to it that made the story feel more filled out. Christy Carlson Romano plays Zack and Alex’s new coach. She’s the daughter of a legacy character from that first film and a main character from the second film, Going for the Gold. The script by Randall M. Badat and Susan Estelle Jansen layers that in flawlessly.
Some of the scenes may not be appropriate for very young ages. At the very start of the movie, Zack is in his skivvies watching TV. Celeste shows up, and the duo has a tame discussion about the night’s activities. In this scene, we’re given the impression Zack is a playboy and that his skating partner and former romantic partner Celeste is fine with it. But that scene is it for spice in the film.
The final thought I’ll leave you with today – ice skating in jeans. Knowing how unforgiving that material is, I’m left with so many questions. But I guess it was worth it to chase the dream… and pull off the Pamchenko.
And one last thing: Justice for Celeste.
The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream is available to rent or purchase at the digital retailer of your choice.
Learn more about the film at the IMDB site for the title.
You might also like…
