The Fabulous Ice Age (2013) – Documentary Review

Director: Keri Pickett
Writer: Keri Pickett
Featuring: Stephanie Andros, Denis Benoit-Eby, Roy Blakey
Rating: NR
Runtime: 71 min

While some documentaries aim to appeal to a wide audience, others are content to cater towards an already existing fan base. Neither strategy deserves more merit or higher recognition than the other, yet the techniques used by these different sorts of films vary substantially. The Fabulous Ice Age (2013) presents the history of the ice show, a very traditional form of entertainment, to an audience that already has an invested interest in this topic, but does not set out to garner new fans. This is therefore a simple and old-fashioned documentary that does not attempt anything new, but provides an educational peek into a foreign world for those who are interested.

The Fabulous Ice Age is a documentary that addresses the topic of touring American ice shows, both past and present. The audience receives both a history lesson as well as a behind the scenes look into a world both wholesome and glamorous that entertained millions during the height of its popularity. The documentary uses interviews with skaters and producers, as well as archival photographs and grainy footage from the historical vault, to convey its story. From Berlin’s famous Charlotte and her “Ballet on Ice” in 1915, right up to Scotty Hamilton’s “Stars on Ice” show that still exists today, this film leaves no stone unturned as it documents the complete history of an art form.

The old fashioned ice shows that this film documents, such as “Ice Capades,” “Ice Follies,” and “Holiday on Ice,” were an important part of American history, and are treated with reverence and respect. The film keeps its topic current as well, by addressing more recent shows such as “Disney on Ice” and “Stars on Ice,” – both of which I attended with youthful enthusiasm – and comparing and contrasting the style and techniques of each one. Many skaters are given the opportunity to tell their own intimate stories through interviews, and it is charming to then see other, younger skaters heap praise upon these individuals who were undoubtedly their childhood heroes. A personal story that resonated particularly well was that of legendary skater Scotty Hamilton, who was able to capture his audience by speaking with emotion and, most importantly, personality to spare.

Although I learned a lot watching this film, I did not become swept up by it as I have by other documentaries. Contrast the recent film Spinning Plates (2012), a wonderful documentary about the restaurant business. Although I did not believe myself to have any interest in this topic before viewing the movie, the film captivated me, and I quickly became personally invested in its story. Spinning Plates did not offer a ground breaking filming approach, but it did cause me to sit up and take notice, and I believe any individual could watch and genuinely enjoy this piece. As a prior fan of figure skating, I probably had a higher tolerance than most for The Fabulous Ice Age. However, the film does not offer much to those without prior interest in the topic, and certainly did not draw me into its world, preferring to keep its audience at arm’s length. I’m not sure if the magic of the historic Ice Show came through in the work, although fans of these performances may wholeheartedly disagree.

The Fabulous Ice Age uses a traditional style to present a traditional topic. This documentary does not do anything new in terms of filmmaking, and will undoubtedly hold little interest for those who do not already have prior investment in figure skating or ice shows; the ice shows themselves may have promised “something for everyone,” but this film does not. Instead, the documentary caters directly to its built-in fan base, which may be quite a shrewd move, as a ground-breaking style and approach would be quite unnecessary for this topic. Those who enjoy ice shows will most certainly love this film with its previously unknown stories and hidden treasures, and those who do not will never be exposed to it; some would consider that to be a win-win situation.