ICE PRINCESS
An uplifting underdog story about talent, sacrifice, and courage.
Should You Watch It?
Ice Princess is a warm, accessible family film about discovering your gifts and pursuing them with discipline. Its skating story celebrates sacrifice, honest competition, love, compassion, and overcoming adversity. The movie also offers a positive picture of using intelligence and entrepreneurship rather than cheating to reach a goal.
The film is not flawless. Some plot devices are improbable, the story can become corny, and the mother’s feminism and Casey’s dishonesty are not fully challenged. Still, the movie’s uplifting heart and strong performances make its shortcomings easy to forgive.
If you want an encouraging sports story with a positive moral center, Ice Princess is worth the trip.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESCasey Carlyle is a shy, brainy teenager who secretly dreams of becoming an Olympic ice-skating champion. To help pursue her mother’s goal of getting into Harvard, Casey develops a science project about the physics of skating.
Her research reveals that her book smarts may help her become a skating prodigy. Soon, Casey is taking secret lessons from the tough mother of another skater while trying to navigate friendship, fierce competition, and her mother’s disapproval.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means Ice Princess is an entertaining film with noticeable imperfections. Michelle Trachtenberg is absolutely adorable as Casey, and her energetic performance, along with solid work from the rest of the cast, helps make up for the script’s shortcomings.
The movie can be unbelievable and corny, with some improbable plot devices and even repetitive acting. But it remains an engaging and uplifting look at competitive ice skating, and its fairy-tale momentum carries the story to a triumphant finish.
The Worldview
Ice Princess strongly values discipline, sacrifice, compassion, honest competition, and overcoming adversity. Casey discovers a talent that motivates her deeply, then pursues it with passion. The movie also encourages people who have focused only on themselves to consider the needs of others, expressing the idea that love means thinking of others.
The film presents a positive view of entrepreneurship and productive work. Casey uses her physics knowledge to help other skaters and pays for her skating pursuits without cheating. That is a constructive message for children and teenagers.
The movie does not completely rebuke the mother’s feminism, though it makes clear that she is wrong to disdain ice skating and its possibilities for her daughter. Casey’s deceit also is not strongly rebuked enough. The film’s understanding of love is compatible with Scripture: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral viewpoint with positive capitalist content where teenager becomes an entrepreneur and sells her knowledge of physics to pursue her dreams, but mother’s feminism and political correctness are not fully rebuked, though her feminism is clearly wrong about the “sexism” of women’s ice skating; a few references to ice skaters’ butts and one light profanity; no violence, unless one counts falling down on the ice while skating; no sex but high school girls kiss guys two or three times; no nudity; teenagers have party where they drink out of cups but it is not clear whether they are drinking any alcohol; no smoking; and, cheating clearly rebuked and lying not rebuked strongly enough.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Casey discovers a gift she had been afraid to pursue. How can you recognize and faithfully develop the abilities God has given you?
Romans 12:6–8 · 1 Peter 4:10Casey uses her knowledge to help other skaters and to fund her own goals. What does it look like to use your work and intelligence for the good of others?
Romans 12:10 · Philippians 2:3–4The film does not strongly rebuke Casey’s lies. Why is honesty important even when you believe your goal is good?
Ephesians 4:25 · Proverbs 12:22The movie connects love with thinking about other people. How can your family practice that kind of love this week?
Romans 13:10 · 1 Corinthians 13:4–7The Final Word
Ice Princess is an adorable, uplifting family film with a strong moral center, even if its plot can be corny and its treatment of lying is incomplete. For an encouraging story about talent, discipline, compassion, and honest effort, choose WORTH THE TRIP.
