TMC: Skating To New York

I spent some time this week looking for obscure hockey movies that likely never hit the theatre like Goon or Slap Shot nor would be overly popular on streaming services. To say there are a few might be an understatement, but my thought was that there may be a gem or two in the mix that should have a little more attention paid to them. As a result, Teebz's Movie Club has been born and will run through August as I take in more and more of these movies! Today, TMC is proud to review the 2013 film Skating to New York, directed by Charles Minsky! This coming-of-age tale about five teenage boys is less about hockey than I would have liked, but it feels a bit like The Sandlot in its portrayal of the friendship and adventure these five young men undertake.

Admittedly, Skating to New York starts out with hockey where Casey, our main protagonist, is the goaltender for the local hockey team called the Cubs. Instead, the five friends, following a loss, decide that they'll be the first people to skate across Lake Ontario to New York in the dead of winter!

Adapted from a novella by Edmond Stevens, Skating to New York doesn't really examine any of the relationships outside of the five boys who attempt to cross the lake, and the development of these characters are rather one-dimensional based on some early situations.

Rudy, for example, is the tallest, but he's quick to anger and blame others like his father as shown at the hockey game. I would have liked Minsky to have provided a little more backstory on the remaining three boys, but that's not included in the telling of Skating to New York.

Their journey to New York on skates sees the five boys encounter various hardships - unfrozen lake water, food and water needs, and self-doubt in being able to accomplish the feat of reaching New York. Through each ordeal, friendships are tested and, in most cases, stronger bonds are formed between the young men. Seeing the young men deal with some of these problems by working together and relying on each other for teamwork lies at the heart of Skating to New York.

If there is one major positive that Minsky accomplishes in Skating to New York, his experience as a cinematographer shines through in his sweeping panoramic shots of the boys on the lake to expose how alone they are on this journey. These shots might be telling in that these boys feel alone with their individual problems, needing to come together to overcome their respective issues. If that wasn't the intention, it still bears mentioning that Minsky's cinematography mind has produced a visually beautiful film.

While I fully admit that Skating to New York isn't a hockey movie, five hockey-playing teens crossing Lake Ontario sounds like something every pond-hockey teen has through of when faced with an open expanse of frozen water.

Aimed for a teenage audience, the PG-13 rating seems appropriate considering some of the insults the boys trade with one another. It's not going to win any Academy Awards nor will it be on a lot of people's Top-100 movies selections for any year. However, if you're a fan of movies like The Goonies or The Sandlot, you might warm up to Skating to New York!

Teebz's Rating: ★★★☆☆



Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!