The Cutting Edge Information

The Cutting Edge is a 1992 romantic comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Tony Gilroy. The plot is about a very rich, spoiled figure skater (played by Moira Kelly) who is paired with a has-been ice hockey player (played by D. B. Sweeney) for Olympic figure skating. They face off against a Soviet pair in the climax of the film, which is set at the site of the 16th Winter Olympic Games, in Albertville, France. The film was also shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Plot

Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) is a world-class figure skater training for the 1988 Winter Olympics. She has genuine talent, but years of being spoiled by her wealthy father Jack (Terry O'Quinn) have made her all but impossible to work with. Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney) is an exceptional hockey player with drive, skill, and a full complement of arrogance. His team is also in the Olympics. Just minutes before his match, he and Kate literally run into each other at the arena. Doug suffers an eye injury during that game which damages his peripheral vision, and he is forced to retire from the sport. Later in the Games, Kate falls during a program, costing her pair a chance at the gold medal.

In the lead-up to the next Winter Olympics four years later, Kate has driven out all potential skating partners with her attitude and perfectionism; her coach, Anton Pamchenko (Roy Dotrice), needs to find another replacement. He proceeds to track down Doug, who by now is back home in Minnesota, working in a steel mill, living with his brother and playing in a semi-professional hockey league on the side. Desperate for another chance at Olympic glory, Doug agrees to work as Kate's partner, even though he has a macho contempt for figure skating. However, Kate's snooty, prima donna behavior gets on his nerves immediately. The first few practices between them do not go well. In time, though, their relationship grows warmer, and they learn to work together and become a pair to be reckoned with both on and off the ice.

To everyone's surprise, they advance all the way to the finals in Albertville and look to be one of the top pairs competing for the gold. Everything is going well until they realize that they have fallen in love with each other. Doug and Kate are forced to reconcile these new feelings with their mutual desire to win at all costs.

Cast

• D. B. Sweeney as Doug Dorsey
• Moira Kelly as Kate Moseley
• Roy Dotrice as Anton Pamchenko
• Terry O'Quinn as Jack Moseley
• Dwier Brown as Hale Forrest
• Chris Benson as Walter Dorsey
• Kevin Peeks as Brian Newman
• Rachelle Ottley as Lorie Peckarovski
• Barry Flatman as Rick Tuttle

Music

The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams. The film's theme song "Feels like Forever" was performed by Joe Cocker and written by Diane Warren and Bryan Adams.

Soundtrack

1. "Cry All Night" - Neverland
2. "Streets of Dreams" - Nia Peeples
3. "Ride on Time" - Black Box
4. "Diddley Daddy" - Chris Isaak
5. "Groove Master" - Arrow
6. "Lauretta" - Malcolm McLaren
7. "Love Shack" - Rosemary Butler
8. "I've Got Dreams to Remember" - Delbert McClinton
9. "Auld Lang Syne" - Rosemary Butler & Warren Wiebe
10. "Walking the Dog" - John Townsend
11. "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" - Rosemary Butler & John Townsend
12. "Shame Shame Shame" - Johnny Winter
13. "Turning Circles" - Jay Gruska
14. "The Race" - Yello
15. "Baby Now I" - Dan Reed

Reception

The Cutting Edge was released on March 27, 1992, and grossed $25,105,517 domestically.

The film has a 60% rating (based on 15 reviews) on Rotten Tomatoes. Two decades later, it continues to be broadcast on local television stations across the U.S., particularly around the holiday season, indicating a lasting popularity with viewers.

Sequels

The film was followed by sequels The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold (2006), The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream (2008), and The Cutting Edge: Fire & Ice (2010), each with mostly different casts.