The Cutting Edge film series consists of American sports-romance films,[1][2][3][4] including one theatrical film and three made-for-television movies which were later released straight-to-home video media. Based on characters and an original story written by Tony Gilroy, the plot centers around the unlikely pairing of differing ice sports athletes, for Olympic title pairs figure skating. Beginning as nothing more than argumentative team collaborations, the featured couples become romantically involved.
| The Cutting Edge | |
|---|---|
 Official home video release, boxset collection artwork | |
| Based on | The Cutting Edge by Tony Gilroy |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | 1992–2010 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | >$3,000,000 (Total of 1 film)[a] |
The first film, characterized as a romantic comedy in genre, was met with mixed critical reception. The acting was praised, though some identified the mashup of genres as jarring while stating, "There is essentially not an original moment in the entire film, and yet it's skillfully made and well-acted."[5] Sweeney and Kelly agreed during the making of the first installment to only appear in sequels together, though both actors declined the continued attempts by the studios to feature the actors in the sequels which followed.[6][7]
The three made-for-television sequels, which are categorically romantic dramas, were met with varying degrees of mixed critical reception with a common critique being that they are derivatives of the original film. Going for the Gold was criticized for being "geared toward teens", while being praised for the leads;[8][9] Chasing the Dream was praised for being "actually kind of fun", with positive reception for Francia Raisa's acting and the film's direction, choreography, and cinematography;[10][11] while the final installment, Fire and Ice, was met with mixed reception: criticism pointed at being perceived as a cash-grab, while praise was received for believable on-screen chemistry between the leads and for a "touching story".[12][13]
Over the decades which followed their initial release, the series has accumulated a fanbase; while modern analyses rank the first two installments among the greatest Olympic Games movies,[14][15][16][17][18][19] and romantic comedies of all-time.[20]
Films
edit| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cutting Edge | March 27, 1992 | Paul Michael Glaser | Tony Gilroy | Robert W. Cort, Ted Field and Karen Murphy | |
| The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold | February 7, 2006 | Sean McNamara | Dan Berendsen | David Brookwell, Sean McNamara, David Buelow and David Grace | |
| The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream | March 16, 2008 | Stuart Gillard | Randall Badat | Susan Estelle Jansen & Randall Badat | Irene Litinsky |
| The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice | March 14, 2010 | Stephen Herek | Holly Brix | ||
The Cutting Edge (1992)
editTalented and confident figure-skating prodigy Kate Moseley is denied a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics, after missing her footing and taking a fall. In the following months, as she drives away partner after partner, her coach named Anton searches for a replacement so that she will be ready for the next Olympic games. Anton decides to attempt to pair her with an unorthodoxed teammate; an arrogant former-Olympic hockey star named, Doug Dorsey. Reluctantly working together, they soon realize that the two athletes had briefly encountered years before. The duo's combative collaboration begins to turn into chemistry. As they grow closer in the rink, their relationship becomes romantic in their personal lives.[21]
The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (2006)
editJackie Dorsey is the daughter of 1992 Winter Olympics Gold medalists, Kate Moseley and Doug Dorsey. Growing up under their tutelage, Jackie develops dreams of her own and decides that she will compete and win her own Olympic gold medal. Her dreams seem to come to an abrupt end, after suffering a career threatening injury. As she recovers and strives to overcome her traumatic experience, she is paired with a new skating partner named Alex Harrison. Talented in his own right, the couple find that their respective stubbornness and pride creates a difficult environment. As they begin to trust each other, their relationship changes and becomes romantic in nature. Working together their dreams of becoming Olympic champions, gets closer to becoming a reality.[9]
The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream (2008)
editWhen talented Zack Conroy's pair-skating partner suffers an injury, he is tasked with finding someone to replace her. He accidentally discovers the skilled female hockey player, Alejandra "Alex" Delgado. Though Alex has not had figure skating lessons since childhood, she proves to be a quick study. With the help of coach Jackie Dorsey, Zack and Alex learn to work through their differences, in life and on the rink, so they can reach their goal of competing in Paris.[11]
The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice (2010)
editThe career of figure skating all-star, Alejandra "Alex" Delgado, comes to a standstill after her partner and boyfriend, Zack Conroy, suffered an injury. As their athletic relationship diminishes, so too does their relationship. Following their breakup and experiencing heartbreak, Alex turns to working as an ice skating teacher. Her competitive nature and passion for pairs figure skating rekindles, when an unexpected opportunity arises. Egotistical "bad boy" of speed skating James McKinsey, whose uncontrolled personal life gets him banned from the national team, works with his promotion team to start a career in pairs figure skating. Tempted by the chance at another world title, Alex agrees to work with him. Initial practices prove that their personalities are opposites, though their work-ethic is a match. As they become more familiar with each other, their argumentative clashes escalate until their tumultuous determination becomes personal. As their relationship becomes romantic, they work even harder to reach their life's goals of a championship title.[13]
Main cast and characters
edit| Character | Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cutting Edge | The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold |
The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream |
The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice | |
| Doug Dorsey | D. B. Sweeney | Scott Thompson Baker | ||
| Kate Moseley-Dorsey | Moira Kelly | Stepfanie Kramer | ||
| Jaclyn "Jackie" Dorsey | Christy Carlson Romano | |||
| Alex Harrison | Ross Thomas | |||
| Zach Conroy | Matt Lanter | Referenced | ||
| Alexandra "Alex" Delgado | Francia Raisa | |||
| James McKinsey | Brendan Fehr | |||
Additional crew and production details
edit| Film | Crew/Detail | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Cinematographer | Editor(s) | Production companies |
Distributing companies |
Running time | ||
| The Cutting Edge | Patrick Williams | Elliot Davis | Michael E. Polakow | Interscope Communications | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 96 minutes | |
| The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold |
John Coda | Mark Doering–Powell | Jeff W. Canavan | First Family Entertainment, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, MGM Television |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, ABC Family |
94 minutes | |
| The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream |
Robert Duncan | Pierre Jodoin | James R. Symons | MGM Television | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment, ABC Family, The CW Network |
92 minutes | |
| The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice |
Bennett Salvay | Seth Flaum & Anthony Markward | ABC Family Original Movies, MGM Television, Muse Entertainment Enterprises |
ABC Family, Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
87 minutes | ||
Reception
editBox office and financial performance
edit| Film | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Video sales gross |
Budget | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All-time North America |
All-time worldwide |
North America | |||
| The Cutting Edge | $25,105,517 | — | $25,105,517 | #3,319 | #4,585 | information not available | information not available | [22][23][24] |
| The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold | — | — | — | — | — | information not available | $3,000,000 | [25][better source needed] |
| The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream | — | — | — | — | — | information not available | information not available | |
| The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice | — | — | — | — | — | information not available | information not available | |
| Totals | $25,105,517 | 25,105,517 | x̅ 829[b] | x̅ 1,146[c] | >$3,000,000 | |||
- ^ These figures are based on the available numbers for the theatrical film. Though there are a total four movies released, there is no financial information publicly available for the other releases.
- ^ This is an approximate average, based on the all-time standing of each theatrically released film.
- ^ This is an approximate average, based on the all-time standing of each theatrically released film.
Critical and public response
edit| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|
| The Cutting Edge | 56% (34 reviews)[26] | A−[27] |
| The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold | —[28] | — |
| The Cutting Edge: Chasing the Dream | —[29] | — |
| The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice | —[30] | — |
References
edit- ^ Lewis, Hilary (March 17, 2017). "How Well Do You Know 'The Cutting Edge'?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Bierly, Mandi (March 8, 2010). "'The Cutting Edge 4': Brendan Fehr is 'the Bad Boy of Speed Skating'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Dillman, Constantia (July 23, 2024). "45 Facts About The Movie The Cutting Edge". Facts.Net. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Wiggan, Alex (3 February 2023). "What is the order of the Cutting Edge movies?". It's a Stampede!. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (March 27, 1992). "Reviews: The Cutting Edge". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Polowy, Kevin (March 25, 2022). "'The Cutting Edge' at 30: D.B. Sweeney talks toe picks, the Pamchenko and how the figure skating rom-com changed his life". Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Busis, Hillary (February 7, 2014). "'Cutting Edge' star D.B. Sweeney on making a toe-picking classic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Cohn, Angel (2006). "The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold". TV Guide. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Ashby, Emily (2006). "The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold". Common Sense Media. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Moss, Marilyn (March 12, 2008). "The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ a b Bannon, Anne Louise (2008). "The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream". Common Sense Media. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ Carpenter, Edwin L. (2011). "The Cutting Edge: Fire and Ice". Dove.com. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Ashby, Emily (2011). "The Cutting Edge: Fire & Ice". Common Sense Media. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
- ^ Bullock, Karl (February 7, 2018). "2018 Winter Olympics: Movies You Should Binge Before the Pyeongchang Games Begin". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Sorokach, Josh (March 17, 2017). "Today Is The 25th Anniversary Of The Greatest Day In Sports Movie History". Decider. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ The Hollywood Reporter staff (3 July 2012). "Going for Gold: 10 Medal-Worthy Olympics Movies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Murrian, Samuel R. (August 2, 2024). "We Ranked the 14 Best Olympics Movies of All Time, Just in Time for the Paris Summer Games!". Parade. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Bean, Travis (June 29, 2024). "The 20 Greatest Olympic Movies Of All Time". Forbes. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Freedman, Adrianna (July 25, 2024). "The 17 Best Olympic Movies to Get You Ready for the 2024 Games". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ The Ringer Staff (April 18, 2022). "The 50 Best Rom-Coms Since 1970". The Ringer. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Variety Staff (December 31, 1991). "The Cutting Edge". Variety. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge (1992) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
- ^ Canavese, Peter. "The Cutting Edge (1992) [* 1/2]". GrouchoReviews.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold". February 7, 2006 – via IMDb.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ "Cutting Edge 2: Going for the Gold (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "The Cutting Edge: Fire & Ice (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes.