Family Corner #3: “Ice Princess”

A cozy 2000s Disney movie for families to enjoy. This is why you should not miss Ice Princess.

Summary

Casey Carlyle is a shy and nerdy teenager, whose excellence in physics class makes her eligible for a full Harvard scholarship. To earn it, she is tasked with a summer project on the subject, something with a “personal” touch. She finds the answer in her childhood hobby: ice skating. Casey decides to observe real skaters’ movements to pinpoint the physics behind them and find ways to improve their technique and jumps. That leads her to become involved with skaters Gennifer, Nikki, and Tiffany, as well as with Tina Harwood, Gen’s mother and skating coach.

Committed to her project, Casey eventually starts to work part-time to pay for her own skating lessons, as a way to apply all she has learned and finds herself enjoying it more and more. Some time later, she participates in a recital with the rest of her class (all young children), and to her surprise, she qualifies to compete at a junior level.

Now fully invested in skating, Casey works even harder to afford all the expenses to a regional competition, plus the extra hours of training, all behind her mother’s back. Joan, Casey’s mom, puts a lot of pressure on her daughter to get the scholarship, for they would not be able to afford tuition otherwise. It is only a matter of time for Casey to arrive at the crossroads: should she go for the safer option or take a risk? Should she please her mom or follow her passion?

Discovering Your Call in Life

I may have watched this film a million times growing up—on DVD, but also on Disney Channel. I did artistic roller skating during most of my childhood, and while it is not exactly the same sport, in my mind, I could be like Casey. And after the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg a few weeks ago, Ice Princess has acquired a new layer of nostalgia for me.

Leaving aside the impossibility of achieving a junior level in just a few months (this is still a children’s movie after all), I love how the film emphasizes the value of hard work, and that achieving your dreams implies making sacrifices. Casey does not have it easy; we see her struggle to balance her training with her studies, while also taking on different jobs to afford the competitions.

Parents and Children

The relationship between mother and daughter is also important for the plot. Joan sees Harvard as a way to secure Casey’s future, and maybe also as the fulfillment of her own frustrated dreams, so she strongly disapproves of anything that could be a distraction from that objective. That is why Casey spends most of the movie doing things behind her back, but at the same time, she longs for her mom’s approval and support.

Something similar happens with Tina, who trains Gennifer to have the skating career she could not, even though her daughter has no real interest in it, and only wishes for a normal teenage life. The story offers us an opportunity to reflect on how the pressures and expectations of parents can strain the relationship with their kids.

As a plus, Ice Princess has a great soundtrack. Casey’s performances to “Ray of Light” and “Reaching For Heaven” are incredibly emotional moments. And while Michelle Trachtenberg and Hayden Panettiere’s skating may not be perfect in the eyes of a professional, the film manages to convey the beauty and complexity of the sport to young eyes.

In short, this is a delightful family-friendly movie, with themes that also can make it appealing for pre-teens.