In a desperate move after choking in their respective sports at the last Olympics, a hockey player and a figure skater team up to try for a second chance at gold. Also, the signature move that ultimately wins them the gold-the death-defying Iron Lotus-is actually physically impossible.Īs beloved as this film is by the figure skating world, its makers took a few liberties with the sport. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star as rivals who band together on the ice after the sport bans them for life as single skaters. In reality, once you're banned, you're out-of any event.

Fierce competition, ostentatious costumes and the occasional bit of sabotage are realities of the sport, and while not on an Olympic level, same-sex pair competition does exist. And here's what the movies got right about skating, and what they got wrong.Īsk any competitive skater, and they'll tell you this movie is surprisingly accurate-to a degree. I've spent the better part of two decades on the ice, skating in competitions, shows and practices, and earned a shelf full of medals and trophies in every discipline of the sport (from singles and pairs to ice dance and synchronized skating). When you spend most of your childhood in an ice rink with figure skates strapped to your feet and daydreams of Olympic gold in your head, you're bound to notice when Hollywood takes liberties with your beloved sport. As the Olympics begin this week, we talk to a competitive skater and movie fan to get her take on how realistic skating movies really are.

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