Ice Castles

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Hey, Charlie.

-Hi, Nick.

-How you doing?

Beats the hell out of me.

What are you doing home?

Beats the hell out of me.

Hey, Beulah, rack 'em up. Come on.

Howdy, Les.

Hey, Nick!

What the hell are you doing here?

Beats the hell out of me.

Straighter.

Get your head up.

Your back will follow along.

Are you on your tracings?

Pretty much.

"Pretty much" ain't good enough.

Your threes aren't good enough.

Nick!

That was the fastest premed course

in history.

-What are you doing home?

-I couldn't stay away from my girls.

-The hell you say.

-What did they do, kick you out?

I quit.

What did you go and do

a dumb thing like that for?

None of your goddamned business.

Well, at least we all know

what not to talk about.

-Want to go home?

-ln a while. Her figures are lousy.

For once in her life she's going to show

what she can really do.

-No big deal.

-Yeah, it is.

I got to go home and face the folks.

I'll see you later.

Anything'll be fun after the folks.

-Rat.

-Bozo.

Come on, go, go.

Hang on!

Watch out for the limb.

So, Bozo, what are you doing home?

I told you it's none

of your goddamn business.

What do you think you are, special?

Hey, let's see if I've lost my touch.

You were scared.

I was not.

Don't give me that.

Let me see. Take off your gloves.

No.

I want it.

All right.

Sweaty palms.

Sweaty palms?

-You were scared shitless.

-Oh, come on!

It's healthy to sweat just before you die.

Come on, Nick, skate! Go!

Set it up!

Come on!

Hey, Junior, your skate's untied.

Hey, Junior!

Jesus, Nick, this ain't the NHL, you know.

The only kid suicidal enough for hockey.

Good to hear someone say something nice

about that kid, finally.

Come on, Daddy.

Get in there!

Get it!

Come on, you pansies! Get in there!

No!

Don't check with your goddamn wrists.

Let's have a little blood flow on that ice.

Come on, Nicky, go.

Come on, go for it!

Hey, Nick, your old man sell off

those Holsteins yet?

Yep.

What's he going to do?

He's going to crossbreed with polar bears

and spend the rest of the winter in Hawaii.

He'll leave you in charge

of the farm while...

...he's off in old Waikiki?

Me and Mike, the half-wit.

Oh, well, two of a kind.

Well, if we're through with that,

there's something I'd like to discuss.

What's more important than finding out

what old Buddy here...

...is doing home in the middle

of his first year?

Lexie's competition.

Well, subject closed.

Well, I'm glad to see

at least you have an open mind.

Lexie's a fine skater.

But there's a big difference.

Seven counties go on in this competition.

This is a big-time thing.

It's worse than being professional.

Little country girl go up there,

they'll eat her alive.

I just don't want you to get hurt, honey.

Marcus Winston, you are so full of bull

that it boggles the mind.

Where the hell are you coming from?

You're what's hurting her.

Let her be.

She's good.

She's got more natural talent

than anyone I've ever seen.

And that includes those girls

at the Olympics.

Let me go, Daddy.

I know it's scary, but I really want to do it.

Christ, Marcus, it's one competition.

-She's too young.

-I'm too old.

It's already too late.

If I wait any longer

there won't be any chance at all.

For what?

For me.

Just for me.

You're killing her.

You're going to hold her so tight,

you're going to suffocate her to death.

-She's going to hate the hell out of you.

-What would you know?

You run this goddamn broken-down

bowling alley and ice-skating rink...

...in this crummy, small town.

And you wear those goddamn

stupid-looking clothes.

You think you're some kind of character?

How do you know? What do you know?

I won the regionals.

Twenty-five years ago.

It's a little loose here.

I'll just take a tuck in.

It's pretty.

Well, of course, I was a lot bigger.

Don't laugh.

Even then.

It looks all right, huh?

Bea...

...thank you.

It was a good-luck dress.

Come on, get down.

Let's put on the collar.

Daddy?

Hey, Dad?

On your way, babe?

Yes.

They'll be here any minute.

I'll be back in a couple of days.

Three at the most.

Well, I guess that's your ride.

Wish me luck.

Please, Dad.

Yeah, sure, honey.

Hell, knock 'em dead.

Do you know who's judging?

-Smile.

-You're joking.

She sold herself--

I hate this.

Did you ever see her?

Who's that girl over there in the blue?

I never saw her.

Do you know her?

I love her little collar.

She's probably wearing it

to cover her hickies.

'Bye.

Sandra Miller.

Pretty good.

You've still got a chance, though.

For God's sake,

anything you're not sure of, don't try.

Why?

These judges are sticklers for perfection.

I've been watching them all evening.

5.5, 5.7...

...5.6, 5.7, 5.6.

I don't stand a chance...

...making up enough points.

I might as well--

You just have a ball.

Final skater of the evening,

ladies and gentlemen...

Have a ball.

...Alexis "Lexie" Winston,

from Waverly, Iowa.

Let's give her a real warm welcome.

The scores are 5.2, 5.0...

...4.8, 5.0, 5.2.

Those bastards!

They didn't believe it.

They couldn't believe their eyes.

They want you, Lexie.

They want you to circle the ice.

Go, go, go!

Ladies and gentlemen, let me give you

the final standings once again.

In first place,

from Des Moines Skating Club...

...Sandra Miller.

Second, Amy Styler, from Caro, Illinois.

Third, Susan Blackley,

Chicago Skating Club.

-What's going on? Where are we?

-Don't wake up, baby.

What are you doing here, Marcus?

I live here.

-They threw me flowers, Daddy.

-'Bye, she was great.

They threw me flowers.

Are you her coach?

Yeah.

You do good work.

How old is she?

Look, Miss Machland, let's start over.

I know who you are...

...and we both know

that Lexie's training has been lousy.

She's had work in figures?

She's a natural talent.

She's very impressive.

You want to train her?

I want to find out what her goals are.

You think she's that good?

She looked good.

Of course, it was only a regional.

You want to train her.

I want to train her.

Now...

...how old is she?

Sixteen.

I'm sorry to have wasted your time.

She's very quick.

Pardon?

I mean, I've seen her see someone

on television, you know, like...

...Dorothy Hamill or someone.

And she can pick up those moves.

But the figures....

She's too old.

Figures are only 30 percent

of the score now.

Yes, they are, aren't they?

Well, now, you said she's too old.

What's the point in putting her through

all that trouble?

I said that normally the best skaters

are well-trained much younger.

Six or seven, yeah, well...

...Iooks like you're a decade late,

Miss Machland.

Lexie can do it, Marcus.

I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so.

-I can't afford to waste my time.

-Good to hear. Who can?

I appreciate your coming by.

Damn it, Marcus,

give her a chance to be something.

She is something.

Are you afraid she might make it?

What would happen

if she became a champion?

She'd probably leave here.

Come back only for Christmas.

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