terrible... so disappointed.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

What I love about this film, is the way it captured the fragility and innocence of youth. I'm not sure that a trained actress could have done that any better than Lynn-Holly.In perhaps her first movie at a tender age, she probably shared the real fear and wonderment of her character. In a sense, as a skater, a new actress, and a new Ice Capade star in real life, she was going through some of the same stuff that her character Lexi was experiencing.I was a person for whom youth was full of wonder, fear and innocence, so I can relate to our protagonist's gentle nature. Her lack of world-wise savvy formed the core of the plot. She had a sheltered childhood punctuated by tragedy, with the premature death of her mother. Suddenly she was thrust into the predatory world of competitive skating and sports media. Add to the mix, romantic peaks and valleys, and abandonment issues.Epic main themes manipulated the emotions of a generation of 70s film watchers, and gladly so. I credit the music here for hitting the tear-jerker grand slam. I also loved the woodsy, "farmie," "ranchie" setting in winter. Ice skaters practice year round in indoor rinks, so theoretically this movie could have been set in summer, but it would have had a totally different feel. Winter MADE this film. The weather fit the sport and personified the freshness of the rosie-cheeked Lexie.I still don't understand exactly what the father, played very aptly by Tom Skerritt, did for a living. Was it a dairy farm, cattle ranch, or what? He asks Robby Benson's character about his dad's cattle ranch. That was the only hint.The Colleen Dewhurst character was supposed to have been a winning skater herself "25 years ago," but if you look up the actress's real age, she would not have been a young woman, even 25 years prior to 1978. To me that was so obvious. 25 plus 16 is 41, and this character was way older than 41.Also, Dewhurst's character hated her life. She bemoans running a crappy bowling alley and skating rink. But I would love to live in a small town and run exactly that kind of business. Sounds like a great life, although you never see the place in full use by the public.We never hear anything about Lynn-Holly's school situation. It is not summer, so presumably she would have to go to school. That was a huge error.Also, we see the older sportscaster guy come up behind her and put his arms around her, kissing her bare neckline, as lovers do. But we had no prior warning that a relationship like this ever existed. They just pull it out of nowhere. She was legally under age, and he was the boyfriend of her coach, yet neither of those issues comes up.We are supposed to assume that they slept together. That was a major part of her personal drama, yet it is left very vague. We are to assume that he only cared about her skating, yet after the accident, he called her several times. It was clear to me that he really did love her, but in a crucial scene, she implies that he was a fair-weather friend. I didn't get that at all.Initially, we have no idea whatsoever that Robby Benson's character plays hockey, or that he is good at it. Then we see him score one goal in a local game, without even knowing that he was on a team. After that goal, he gets a tryout with a pro team. Where did that come from? I understand that it was a plot device to parallel his girlfriend's sporting aspirations, but you have to set it up better than that.I do like how we see that people are not perfect or cardboard in their nature. People in this film act self-centered, grow emotionally, and correct their misdeeds. That is true to life when people mature.I'm not sure why the crowd reacts so emotionally toward the girl in the final scene, if they don't even know that she is blind. (prior to the roses issue.) I guess we are to assume that for whatever reasons, crowds just love this girl on ice. Her prettiness no doubt helped her otherwise unlikely rise to fame, given her mature age for a skater.I'm o.k. with the choice of Robby Benson, although he did not look like a Midwestern farm boy, nor a hockey player. I think he did a splendid job of conveying his character's genuine emotions, including jealousy, love, and confusion. His facial expressions were key to the effectiveness of the drama.Yes, the plot device of showing that people can overcome adversity, using sports as a metaphor is a cliché, but that's o.k. How you execute the plot is more important. While blindness is a bit heavy-handed, some key performances, memorable music, and a frosty setting help tell this story with considerable style and grace.

In a small snowy Iowa town, beautiful blonde Lynn-Holly Johnson (as Alexis "Lexie" Winston) practices her figure skating. Meanwhile, cute wavy-haired boyfriend Robby Benson (as Nick Peterson) plays ice hockey. As the story progresses, we learn these two characters are high school students. Sweet 16-year-old Ms. Johnson is initially coached by gravel-voiced Colleen Dewhurst (as Beulah Smith), a figure skater in her youth (stated as 25 years ago) who runs the local bowling alley and ice rink. Johnson's widower father Tom Skerritt (as Marcus) is not too keen on her competing professionally, but she does anyway. On her way to the top of the rink, Johnson acquires well-known woman's skating coach Jennifer Warren (as Deborah Mackland) and her handsome sport-casting boyfriend David Huffman (as Brian Dockett)... Then, tragedy strikes..."Come on you pansies!" Ms. Dewhurst gets to shriek at a hockey game, "Don't check with your goddamn wrists. Let's have a little blood flow on that ice!" It's fun to see everyone "act" like they are watching ice hockey and figure skating...Too much of this film requires you to figure it out as you go along. We're led to believe Mr. Benson will be focused upon, but his role may have been built up to take advantage of Benson being the biggest box office star in the cast. Benson does play a big role in the third act, however. One of his inserted scenes features Benson lovingly lighted in his tight white briefs. Around this time, we have Johnson in a confused romantic relationship; considering how things turn out, you should consider that Johnson and the sportscaster were closer than it appears - at least, that's how Mr. Huffman and Benson play it out. The relatively minor "Theme from 'Ice Castles' (Through the Eyes of Love)" sung by Melissa Manchester and written by Marvin Hamlisch with Carole Bayer Sager received some award consideration, based mostly on their reputations.***** Ice Castles (12/31/78) Donald Wrye ~ Lynn-Holly Johnson, Robby Benson, Colleen Dewhurst, Tom Skerritt

"Ice Castles" is one of the films I must re-watch by myself. I do not wish others to know that I am a sap for Marvin Hamlisch's emotive score, the kitschy grace of figure skating, a wronged babe fighting back story, and a thick-headed, dumb-about-the- girl, guy theme that resolves itself just before the credits roll. Ice Castles' final course recipe of long-stemmed roses tossed on the ice that can not be seen by the recovering champion, blind skater, Marvin's music, the guy (Robbie Benson), and again the music .... Well the tears need no cue, they just flow. Many of my pals were extras in the scenes filmed at the old Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota and its fun seeing how they looked before they took up golf or became hockey moms. But really, I most like the joyously happy ending -- one that redeems dumb guys like me.For years when Walkman headsets were fashion statements, I went on runs through Central Park and rides on packed New York subway trains plugged into a cassette tape of the sound track.

I would like to say my mother took me to the movies to see this when I was just 11yrs and I thought it was a beautiful movie, sure looking back now its not the best of acting but hey when your just 11 yrs its not an issue I thought & still think Lynn Holly Johnson is beautiful & gracious in this movie lets not forget this is the 70s movie, hair styles are somewhat the past as to why i think Robby Benson has some answering to I love the sound track (through the eyes of love) I can tell you I'm now 37 yrs old I've just managed to collect this movie of my own ,Ive seen this movie 40plus times & still feel the emotion of her moves on the ice & yes its me gives me goose bumps I now have my 5yr old daughter watching it and yes she now wants to ice skate I could be now living my dream through my daughter, I would love to see a sequel to this movie I loved it that much.To all the negative comments are not worth reading as they get shadowed by the positive ones.