A study in foreplay…

I couldn’t believe it took me so long to finally come across the 1992 romcom cult classic The Cutting Edge. The film followed the romantic formula to a T, sure, and yet, it did not feel overdone with clichés. The story was raw and real, woven together with sharp banter and powerful athleticism. You can’t help but root for the leads to fall helplessly in love on the ice. Lovable tropes and compelling character archetypes aside, I’m a strong believer that you can’t simply rely on them alone and hope the romance lands. What is the cherry on top that brings the romance together? Freaking foreplay. Let’s get into it.

* spoilers beyond *

Kate and Doug clearly got the chemistry; they bicker, push, and pull at each other (read more about romantic chemistry in my blog!), but it is foreplay that translates their chemistry into deep intimacy and desire. There are three aspects to foreplay: physical, verbal, and emotional.

Let’s get physical

Utilizing the forced proximity trope, Kate and Doug are bound together as skaters and forced to find common ground (ice?) if they wish to compete well and convince everyone they at least tolerate each other. During their training sessions, their different skating background manifests in their disjointed physical contact. Doug is used to power and speed from hockey while Kate excels at elegance and musicality. As they struggle through practice together, they forge onward to meet halfway for they both have something valuable at stake. They inevitably push through their stinging touches to find trust and connection with each other.

“Toe Pick!”

From the moment they laid eyes on each other, they were quite happy spewing scathing insults back and forth. Kate shows off her superiority over Doug with the recurring "toe pick” comment, reiterating that Doug will always be a fumbling oaf on ice and will never be good enough for her. Doug eventually gets the hang of the toe pick and volleys the same comment back at Kate along with a new skating challenge. As they one-up each other, proving their ability to keep up with each other, the insults shifts into begrudging motivation and soon, their verbal jabs mellow out into playful teasing, softening into honesty and vulnerability.

Follow one’s passion

During one of their competitions, they lost points for their apparent lack of emotional connection. Though they had respect and trust for each other, they were missing passion. There is a pivotal scene where Kate announces her decision to walk away from the sport. She realizes she is no longer passionate about the sport and the gold medal she has been chasing since she was a child. She realizes by skating with Doug that she is passionate about love, about being understood, about Doug. She knows that if he doesn’t feel the same way toward her, they will never win. So, she decides to walk away to protect herself from continuing disappointment and to protect her heart. This powerful scene reveals the last missing piece to Kate and Doug’s romance in a way that had me sobbing through my popcorn.

❧

Writing this blog has got me itching to rewatch The Cutting Edge. Such a fantastic example of foreplay and romantic chemistry done right. That being said, after you guys watch it, watch Blades of Glory.‍ Trust me. 😂 Until next time, happy writing! 🌷