Sure, he adapted the Bourne series, Stephen King?s Dolores Claiborne, 2009?s State of Play, and earned Oscar nods for writing and directing his own politically-tinged thriller, Michael Clayton ? but any chat with The Bourne Legacy co-writer/director Tony Gilroy would be remiss without discussing his very first screenplay, amirite? So without further ado, take a triple lutz down memory lane with Movieline and Gilroy as he recalls the joy of seeing his first produced script come to life. That?s right, lovers of Olympian sports sagas and ?90s-era romance: we?re taking Gilroy back to The Cutting Edge.
Gilroy earned his first credit with the 1992 romantic dramedy, about a high maintenance figure skater (Moira Kelly) and an ex-hockey star (D.B. Sweeney) who reluctantly pair up to compete in the XVI Olympic Winter Games. Despite underperforming at the box office, The Cutting Edge was a ?90s staple that went on to enjoy a popular home video/cable afterlife, like so many films of the decade; the opposites-attract Taming of the Shrew-on-ice set-up proved so rich that ABC Family resurrected the brand 14 years later, spawning three more sequels, and was memorably spoofed in the Will Ferrell vehicle Blades of Glory.
For most fans, the phrase ?toe pick? vividly conjures the feisty chemistry between Kelly?s Kate Moseley and Sweeney?s Doug Dorsey. And though he subsequently launched full-bore into more heady, decidedly Tony Gilroy-esque terrain (2009?s Duplicity, perhaps, comes closest), Gilroy lit up when we brought up arguably his most cherished early work.
So, we've got to talk about The Cutting Edge, a movie I loved and watched more times over than I can recall.
Tony Gilroy: [Laughing] Were you a skater?
No, but I was a girl!
Gilroy: And there?s only one kiss in…
Elena Lyons Elisabeth Röhm Elisha Cuthbert Eliza Dushku Emilie de Ravin Emma Heming Emma Stone Emma Watson
