Ice Princess facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ice Princess
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tim Fywell
Produced by	Bridget Johnson
Screenplay by	Hadley Davis
Story by	Meg Cabot Hadley Davis
Starring	Joan Cusack Kim Cattrall Michelle Trachtenberg Hayden Panettiere
Music by	Christophe Beck
Cinematography	David Hennings
Editing by	Janice Hampton
Studio	Walt Disney Pictures Bridget Johnson Films On The Ice Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date(s)	March 18, 2005 (2005-03-18) (United States)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$25 million
Money made	$25.7 million

Ice Princess is a fun comedy-drama movie from 2005 about a teenager who discovers a new passion. Directed by Tim Fywell, this sports film tells the story of Casey Carlyle. She's a smart student who finds herself drawn to the exciting world of figure skating.

The movie features Joan Cusack, Kim Cattrall, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Hayden Panettiere. It's a heartwarming story about following your dreams, even when they're unexpected!

The Story of Ice Princess

Casey Carlyle is a super smart high school student in Millbrook, Connecticut. She dreams of going to Harvard University and is working on a special science project about physics. One day, while watching figure skating with her best friend, Ann, Casey gets an idea! She realizes that her childhood hobby of ice skating could be the perfect topic for her project. She starts to study how physics makes skaters glide and jump.

As Casey learns more, she decides to try improving her own skating. She uses her scientific knowledge to get better and better. Soon, she's so good that she skips two levels and becomes a junior skater! She even helps other skaters like Gen Harwood, Tiffany Lai, and Nikki Fletcher by using computer programs to improve their moves.

Casey finds herself loving skating more and more. This creates a challenge: how can she balance her schoolwork, her new passion for skating, and her part-time job? Her mom, Joan, worries about Casey's grades and wants her to stop skating. Meanwhile, there's some tension between Casey's mom and Tina, who is Gen's mom and a skating coach.

Tina, who runs the rink where Casey trains, has a very strict plan for her daughter, Gen. During a competition, Tina worries that Casey might do better than Gen. She secretly buys Casey new skates, knowing that skates need to be "broken in" before they can be used well. Because Casey doesn't know this, her performance is full of falls. Casey finds out about Tina's trick and gets very upset. Even though she places fifth, she doesn't qualify for the next big competition called "sectionals." Feeling sad, Casey decides to give up skating and focus on her studies again.

Gen, upset with her mom's actions and the pressure of training, decides to quit skating. This unexpected turn means that Casey can now take Gen's spot in the sectionals! Casey and Gen make up and become friends again. Casey then makes a big decision: she chooses to follow her dream of skating instead of accepting the Harvard scholarship. Her mom, Joan, is not happy about this at first. Casey also makes peace with Tina and asks her to be her coach for the sectionals.

At the sectionals, Casey starts off a bit shaky and falls during a difficult jump. But then, she sees her mom, Joan, arrive in the audience! Inspired by her mom's support, Casey performs beautifully. She and her mom finally understand each other. Casey wins the silver medal, which means she qualifies for the Nationals and might even have a chance to go to the 2006 Winter Olympics! Teddy, Gen's brother, gives Casey flowers to celebrate, and they share a happy moment. In the end, Joan and Tina also become friends, though they still playfully argue about Casey's future in skating and college.

Meet the Cast

Making the Movie: Behind the Scenes

Making Ice Princess was a lot of work for the actors! Trevor Blumas, who played Teddy, even learned how to drive a Zamboni machine, which smooths the ice. He sometimes helped prepare the rink for filming!

Hayden Panettiere, who played Gen, did many of her own amazing skating moves, including a super-fast spin. Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Casey, trained for eight months to learn how to skate for the movie. She worked very long hours on the ice! While she had stunt doubles for the really tricky falls and complex jumps, Michelle learned some special moves herself. She even got a few injuries while practicing, showing how dedicated she was!

The movie was filmed in Toronto, Canada, during the summer of 2004.

The Movie's Impact and Inspiration

Ice Princess has inspired many people! For example, Zahra Lari, a famous figure skater from the United Arab Emirates, said that this movie helped inspire her to pursue her own skating career. Many other skaters have also shared online how the film, and Casey's character, encouraged them to try figure skating.

Music from Ice Princess

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Review scores
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Allmusic

The Ice Princess: Original Soundtrack was released on March 15, 2005. It features fun songs by many artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Aly & AJ, Jesse McCartney, and Raven-Symoné.

Track Listing

• "Reach" – Caleigh Peters
• "If I Had It My Way" – Emma Roberts
• "Get Your Shine On" – Jesse McCartney
• "You Set Me Free" – Michelle Branch
• "Reachin' for Heaven" – Diana DeGarmo
• "No One" – Aly & AJ
• "It's Oh So Quiet" – Lucy Woodward
• "Get Up" – Superchick
• "I Fly" – Hayden Panettiere
• "Just a Dream" – Jump5
• "Bump" – Raven-Symoné
• "There Is No Alternative" – Tina Sugandh
• "Unwritten" – Natasha Bedingfield

Songs Not on the Soundtrack Album

Some songs heard in the movie or trailers were not included on the official soundtrack album:

• "Freak Out" by Avril Lavigne (from the trailer)
• “Doin’ Fine” by Jewel (during the Harwood Skate Club scene)
• "Ray of Light" by Madonna (Casey Carlyle's short program music)
• Instrumental versions of "Trouble" by Pink and "Toxic" by Britney Spears (used for Zoey Bloch's skating programs)
• "Galop infernal (Can-can)" by Jacques Offenbach and the theme from The Pink Panther (used for Nikki Fletcher's skating programs)
• "Summer" from Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons (used for Gen's short program)

Where to Watch Ice Princess

The movie Ice Princess became available on DVD and VHS on July 19, 2005. You can also stream it on Disney+, where it has been available since November 12, 2019.

See also

In Spanish: Ice Princess para niños