If Minnesota is the Texas of High School sports in the snowy Plains, then Hermantown, MN is the Allen, Texas of high school sports. Hockey, to be precise.
Call it ‘Friday Night Ice.’
I only pay attention to NHL Hockey during the playoffs and the Stanley Cup , but as someone once said, slightly hyperbolically, “Every movie is just a version of ‘Rocky.’”
Okay, maybe that’s stretching just a bit, but it’s true that many sports docs involve the “road to the big game” and this doc, written and directed by Tommy Haines, is no exception. What draws in a viewer like me, though, is not the sport, but the human story.
Here, Haines obviously had lots and lots of personal time with the high school athletes and some of their families during their senior year. The filmmaker’s one paragraph pitch says it best: “ in rival communities—one emerging dynasty, one with a fabled past—skate for a last chance to etch their names into local lore.”
To be honest, it takes a while before we start to really care about the guys as individuals. Senior year is such a fraught time for a guy – the closest he’s ever been to manhood, but still pulled by the distractions of school, girls, parents who may or may not understand. When those elements finally take hold, including the Mom of one athlete who has terminal cancer and another who is this close to getting a pro hockey contract (Matt Biondi) and the enormous pressure that puts on someone; elements that create a more dramatic arc and give the film a surprisingly touching tone.
Yes, you know the pattern well if you’ve ever watched a sports film, fictional or not. But this particular setting in the unforgiving and brutally cold North Country of Minnesota is different because the individual stories are unique to it.
It’s funny to watch high school players signing autographs and taking selfies with fans, but that’s how important the sport is to them – many having played since they could walk. To drop into this small town and spend a little time was an enjoyable experience.
Stay for the “where are they now” credits and try not to get a lump in your throat.
OPENS IN 130+ MOVIE THEATERS 9/9 & 9/16
INCLUDING 55+ MOVIE THEATERS ACROSS MINNESOTA AND A OVER DOZEN MORE MIDWEST THEATERS
OPENS NATIONALLY SEPTEMBER 16 INCLUDING ATLANTA, CHICAGO, CINCINNATI, COLUMBIA, DETROIT, KANSAS CITY, MIAMI, LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, PHOENIX, PITTSBURGH,WASHINGTON, DC AND MORE
MINNESOTA OPENINGS
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL AREA (SEPT. 9)
ALEXANDRIA, MN – MDWAY MALL
ANDOVER, MN – ANDOVER 10
BAXTER, MN – LAKES 12
BEMIDJI, MN – BEMIDJI 10
CHAMPLIN, MN – CHAMPLIN 14
COLD SPRING, MN – QUARRY CINEMA
DELANO, MN – DELANO WEST 5
DUNDAS, MN – CANNON VALLEY 10
EAGAN, MN – EMAGINE EAGAN 15
EAST BETHEL, MN – EAST BETHEL 10
EDINA, MN – AMC SOUTHDALE CENTER 16
ELK RIVER, MN – MARCUS ELK RIVER 17
HASTINGS, MN – MARCUS HASTINGS 9
HUDSON, MN – HUDSON 12
HUTCHISON, MN – CENTURY 9
LAKEVILLE, MN – LAKEVILLE 21
MARSHALL, MN – MARSHALL 6
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – HIGHLAND 2
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MSP FILM AT THE MAIN
MONTEVIDEO, MN – MILLENNIUM THEATER
MONTICELLO, MN – MONTICELLO 12
MOOSE LAKE, MN – LAKE THEATRE
OAKDALE, MN – MARCUS OAKDALE 7
OWATONNA, MN – NORTHWOODS 10
PEQUOT LAKES, MN – SUNSET 5
PLYMOUTH, MN – PLYMOUTH GRAND 14
PLYMOUTH, MN – WILLOW CREEK 12
RED WING, MN – RED WING CINEMAS 8
ROGERS, MN – ROGERS 18
ROSEMOUNT, MN – MARCUS ROSEMOUNT 10
ROSEVILLE, MN – AMC ROSEDALE 14
SAINT PAUL, MN – HIGHLAND 2
SAUK CENTRE, MN – MAIN STREET 6
ST. MICHAEL, MN – ST. MICHAEL CINEMA
WACONIA, MN – WACONIA 6
WAITE PARK, MN – MARCUS PARKWOOD
WHITE BEAR LAKE, MN – WHITE BEAR TOWNSIP 17
WILMMAR, MN – GOLDEN TICKET KANDI 6
WOODBURY, MN – WOODBURY 10
DULUTH / SUPERIOR AREA (SEPT. 9)
CLOQUET, MN – PREMIERE
DULUTH, MN – MARCUS DULUTH 11
DULUTH, MN – WEST THEATRE
ELY, MN – ELY’S HISTORIC STATE
GRAND RAPIDS, MN – GRAND RAPIDS 8
HERMANTOWN, MN – MARCUS LAKES 10
HIBBING, MN – HIBBING 8
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, MN – CINE 5
VIRGINIA, MN – CINEMA 6
ROCHESTER AREA (SEPT. 9)
ROCHESTER, MN – MARCUS ROCHESTER GALAXY 14
ROCHESTER, MN – CINEMAGIC STADIUM 12
ROCHESTER / ALBERT LEA, MN – MALL 7
ARIZONA OPENINGS
PHOENIX / CHANDLER – HARKINS CHANDLER FASHION 20 (SEPT. 16)
PHOENIX – ARROWWHEAD FOUNTAINS 18 (SEPT. 16)
PHOENIX / MESA – SUPERSTITION SPRINGS 25 (SEPT. 16)
PHOENIX / SCOTTSDALE – HEARKINS SHEA 14 (SEPT. 16)
CALIFORNIA OPENINGS
LOS ANGELES / RIVERSIDE, CA – GALAXY MISSION GROVE
FLORIDA OPENINGS
MIAMI / DEERFIELD BEACH – DB CINEMAS (SEPT. 16)
GEORGIA OPENING
ATLANTA / HIAWASSEE – FIELSTONE 6 (SEPT. 16)
ILLINOIS OPENINGS
CHICAGO / FRANKFORT – EMAGINE FRANKFORT 10 (SEPT. 16)
CHICAGO / OTTAWA – ROXY 6 (SEPT. 16)
CHICAGO / PORTAGE – EMAGINE FRANKFORT 10 (SEPT. 16)
MACOMB, IL – RIALTO CINEMAS (SEPT. 16)
PEORIA – WILLOW KNOLLS 14 (SEPT. 16)
PEORIA / MORTON – MORTON (SEPT. 16)
INDIANA OPENINGS
BROWNSBURG – BRONWSBURG 8 (SEPT. 16)
FT. WAYNE / HUNTINGTON – HUNTINGTON 7 (SEPT. 16)
LEBANON – LEBANON 7 (SEPT. 16)
NILES – WONDERLAND (SEPT. 16)
NOBLESVILLE – EMAGINE NOBLESVILLE (SEPT. 16)
WEST LAFAYETTE – WABASH LANDING 9 (SEPT. 16)
IOWA OPENINGS
SIOUX CITY / OKOBJI, IA – GREAT LAKES 7 (SEPT. 16)
IOWA CITY, IA – FILMSCENE (SEPT. 23)
MICHIGAN OPENINGS
BAY CITY, MI – BAY CITY 10 (SEPT. 16)
DETROIT / CANTON – EMAGINE CANTON 10 (SEPT. 16)
DETROIT / NOVI – EMAGINE NOVI 7 (SEPT. 16)
DETROIT / OXFORD – OXFORD 7 (SEPT. 16)
DETROIT / PORT HURON – KRAFFT 8 (SEPT. 16)
DETROIT / SALINE – EMAGINE SALINE 9 (SEPT. 16)
ESCANABA, MI – WILLOW CREEK 8 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / BATTLE CREEK – JC CINEMA (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / BATTLE CREEK – WEST COLUMBIA 7 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / COLOMA – LOMA 3 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / LOWELL – ADA LOWELL 5 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / GRAND HAVEN – GRAND HAVEN 9 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / HASTINGS – HASTINGS 4 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / HOLLAND – HOLLAND 7 (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / OTSEGO – M-89-7 (SEPT. 16)
KALAMAZOO, MI – KALAMAZOO (SEPT. 16)
GRAND RAPIDS / THREE RIVERS – THREE RIVERS 6 (SEPT. 16)
LANSING / JACKSON, MI – JACKSON 10 (SEPT. 16)
MARQUETTE, MI – MARQUETTE CINEMAS (SEPT. 16)
MARQUETTE, MI – WILLOW CREEK 8 (SEPT. 16)
TRAVERSE CITY / CADILLAC – CADILLAC 4
QUINNESEC, MI – TRI-CITY 8 (SEPT. 16)
MISSOURI
JEFFERSON CITY – CAPITAL 8 (SEPT. 9)
COLUMBIA – FORUM 8 (SEPT. 16)
GRAVOIS MILLS – VIP LAKE WEST 5 (SEPT. 16)
LEXINGTON – VIP CANNONBALL 6 (SEPT. 16)
NEVADA OPENING
RENO / SPARKS, NV – GALAXY VICTORIAN (SEPT. 16)
NORTH DAKOTA OPENINGS
DETROIT LAKES – WASHINGTON SWUARE 7 (SEPT. 9)
FERGUS FALLS – WESTRIDGE 5 THEATRE (SEPT. 9)
THIEF RIVER FALLS, ND – FARGO (SEPT. 9)
BISMARCK, ND – GRAND 22 (SEPT. 16)
EAST GRAND FORKS, ND – RIVER CINEMAS 15 (SEPT. 16)
FARGO, ND – FARGO (SEPT. 19)
FARGO, ND – MARCUS WEST ACRES 14 (SEPT. 23)
OHIO OPENINGS
CINCINNATI – MARIEMONT (SEPT. 16)
MARIETTA, OH – LAFAYETTTE CENTTER CINEMA 7 (SEPT. 16)
PENNSYLVANIA OPENING
PITTSBURGH / TARENTUM – PITTSBURGH MILLS (SEPT. 16)
SOUTH DAKOTA OPENINGS
SIOUX FALLS – WEST MALL (SEPT. 16)
SIOUX FALLS / WATERTOWN – ODYSSEY GRAND 8 (SEPT. 16)
SIOUX FALLS / WORTHINGTON – NEW GRAND (SEPT. 16)
TENNESSEE OPENINGS
NASHVILLE / HOPKINSVILLE – WK CINEMAS (SEPT. 16)
WASHINGTON, DC OPENING
WINCHESTER, VA – ALAMO WINCHESTER 8
WASHINGTON STATE OPENING
SPOKANE, WA – MAGIC LANTERN (SEPT. 16)
WISCONSIN OPENINGS
EAGLE RIVER, WI – VILAS 4 (SEPT. 16)
FOND DU LAC – FOND DU LAC 8 (SEPT. 16)
MILWAUKEE / LAKE GENEVEA – EMAGINE LAKE GENEVA (SEPT. 16)
RHINELANDER, WI – ROUMAN 6 (SEPT. 16)
