On Edge (2001/I)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Karl Slovin

Writers:

Karl Slovin (writer)
Laura Wolf (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Tagline:

"Spinal Tap" on ice!

Plot:

Wendy, Veda, and J.C. are part of Southern California's thriving figure skating community - the bottom part...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Figure Skating | Figure | Ice Skating | Ice

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jason Alexander	...	Zamboni Phil
Tai Babilonia	...	Regionals Judge #5
Andrew Bilgore	...	Chanel 127 Cameraman
Jennifer Birchfield-Eick	...	Mother #2
Kirk Blada	...	Wendy's Brother
Tracey Brown	...	Skater
Gia Buonaguro	...	Waitress (as Gia Bonaguro)
Yule Caise	...	Police Officer #1
Peter Carruthers	...	Regionals Judge #1
Lina Chmiel	...	Curvaceous Skater
Marsha Clark	...	Irate Mother
Steven Cousins	...	Regionals Judge #3
Veronica Cruz	...	Coutnee Chin
Jennifer Darling	...	Mother #3
Viveka Davis	...	Patsy Cain
Cohen Duncan	...	3rd Dramatic Skater
Susan Fakuda	...	Audrey Chin
Carole Fortini	...	Sailor Skater
Randy Gardner	...	Regionals Judge #2
Ron Geren	...	Jackson
John Glover	...	Yuri Moskivin
Joy Gohring	...	Tattle Tail Skater
Meta Golding	...	Julie Johnson
Chrisha Gossard	...	Tiffany Bernstein
Jason Graae	...	Bradley Bryce
Sharie Green	...	Skater
Sharie lee Green	...	Skater
Kathy Griffin	...	Karen Katz
Scott Hamilton	...	Ricky Medford
Bonnie Hellman	...	Cheerful Skate Mom
Amy Hill	...	Bullhorn Woman
Chris Hogan	...	Prof. Robinson
Jamie Isley	...	Homely Skater
Jennifer Itoh	...	2nd Dramatic Skater
Michael Jackman	...	Dramatic Skater's Coach
Hitomi Kadono	...	Sato Hakawa
Marsha Kramer	...	Skate Mother #2
Natasha Kuchiki	...	Pirate Skater
A.J. Langer	...	J.C. Cain
Wallace Langham	...	Jimmy Hand
Ashley Lencek	...	Molly Brown
Megan Lencek	...	Mary Brown
Eli Russell Linnetz	...	Boy (as Eli Linnetz)
Sabrina Lloyd	...	Becky Brooks
Meganne Macias	...	Tammy
Wendie Malick	...	Mildred Tilman
Sean Moran	...	Dan Wodinski
Taylor Neff	...	Skater
Caitlan O'Connor	...	Wendy's Sister
Megan Paul	...	Cindy
Ken Perkins	...	Police Officer #2
Robert Peters	...	Businessman #1
Suzie Plakson	...	Janet Bellamy
Alex May Pruett	...	Younf Veda
Carol Rippy	...	Skate Mother #1
Stacie Rippy	...	Jody James
Sara Robertson	...	Dramatic Skater
Willie Rosenblatt	...	Tiffany's Father
Bob Rumnock	...	Businessman #2
Cheri Rae Russell	...	Aggressive Skater
Giuliana Santini	...	Attractive Woman
Eric Slovin	...	Duffy
Jose Solano	...	Gigolo
Barret Swatek	...	Veda Tilman
Lou Thornton	...	Buffy Burke
Andy Umberger	...	Angry Father
Lita Wen	...	Tiffany's Mother
Marissa Jaret Winokur	...	Wendy Wodinski
Wendy Worthington	...	Joannie Wodinski
Kristi Yamaguchi	...	Regionals Judge #4

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and drug content.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | USA:PG-13 (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (2003)

Filming Locations:

Culver Ice Arena - 4545 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Angel Ark Productions

Trivia:

Two of the five regional judges, Peter Carruthers and Kristi Yamaguchi, were Olympic medalists. Carruthers won the pairs silver medal in 1984 with his sister Kitty, while Yamaguchi won the 1992 ladies' gold. Two others, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, were the favorites at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics before withdrawing due to Randy's injury, as discussed in the movie.

Movie Connections:

References "Hard Copy" (1989)

Satire on a shoe string!

O.K. I never would have know about this movie had it not been for a friend. She knew I would like it and I really did. Maybe you have to have a daughter involved in a competitive sport like figure skating or horseback riding to see the humor of it all but to me the whole movie was brilliantly funny. Satire on a shoe string! Reminiscent of Christopher Guest (Best in Show 2000, Waiting for Guffman 1996 ), who I totally admire...it had my full attention. It's basically a pseudo-documentary drama-soap opera-comedy about young Southern California girls competing at a local then regional championship in figure skating.

There's a remarkable cast involved. Jason Alexander was highly convincing as a Ice Surface Engineer...i.e. Zamboni driver who has the scoop on all the poop. Then we have a really hammy Scott Hamilton playing a psycho skating judge who rants about the chaste and lofty ideals at the heart of the sport. God, he's so awful to look at (yellow teeth, thrift store clothing) that it's almost painful to watch him. His voice is drippingly saccharine all the while spewing complete nonsense. If nothing else he really nailed the gay figure skating persona in this judge. You just gotta love him.

There are some other well known figure skating personalities involved also...Tai Babilonia, Peter Caruthers, Steven Cousins, Randy Gardner, and Kristi Yamaguchi all play the part of the five regional judges. We all know judges can be arbitrary and vindictive not to mention down right blind, so it must have been a hoot for this group of professionals to get some deserved revenge however slight, by acting like their one time nemesis's.

All three lead rolls were perfectly cast and it would seem they must have had a lot of fun both on and off set. A.J. Langer as J.C.Cain, who raises Cain as a trailer trash Tonya Harding type. Marissa Winokur was the greatest as Wendy Wodinski,an overweight skater who has all the right moves but not the right grooves. She will remind you of Ricki Lake in ‘Hairspray' 1988. And Barret Swatek as Veda Tilman,the perfect ice princess.

I could never tell if the movie was low budget or made to look low budget but it was incredibly realistic whichever the case may be and supplemented the overall plausibility of a mocumentary. The music was campy and diverse also aiding in the over all cogency of the humor. I really enjoyed this movie. Worth a fun rent.