Mark's Skating Ambition

Mark's Skating Ambition

Bruce Von Stiers

There are all kinds of drama films that revolve around sports. There are basketball films, baseball films, football films and even films that are entrenched in the world of soccer. But there aren't that many films that center on the world of inline skating. Airborne and Disney's Brink! are two of the best-known films about inline skating.

This year there is a brand-new film that has inline skating at the heart of it. The title of the film is Off The Line.

The film takes some tried and true plot formulas and blends them together for a okay story. There is a young guy who wants to make it big as an inline skating racer. There is a former inline skating champion whose injuries took him permanently out of the game and a young executive out to prove his worth.

Mark Stevenson is a young man who wants to make a big name for himself in inline speed skating. He is ambitious and has a lot of raw talent. But Mark doesn't have anyone that can train him to move up and beyond the next level. But through a chance meeting, Mark wheedles former skating champion Danny Peterson into training him and other members of his team. Those team members include Mark's best friend Jake Flyer and his potential love interest, Angela.

Danny Peterson had won the European skating championship. He was only one of two Americans to ever win that title. The other American skater was Winston Law. Through a tragic skating accident, Danny's career as a skater was over. And Winston Law might have been to blame, although he'd been exonerated.

Along with the Mark and Danny plot line, there's one where a company who sponsors skating is looking for a new win. Tom Richman is the youngest member of the company. He has an idea to recruit the top inline racers in the U.S. to go up against the top European team. The ultimate goal is to win the European championship and bring inline skate racing back to the U.S. in a big way. They end up recruiting Mark and his team, but there is a definite conflict between Danny and Winston Law, who works for the company.

Throughout the rest of the film, there are training sessions that are both good and bad, personality conflict galore and a passion to win, although the cost might be too much. Because, to win all the marbles, Mark has to win the 24 hour inline skating Grand Prix.

The skating circuit depicted in the film is real. The National Speedskating Circuit (NSC) lists itself as a professional inline speed skating organization which hosts competitions for the world's best inline skaters. The Grand Prix race is also a real thing. And there is actually a U.S. version of the race that takes place in Miami.

Samuel L. Pierce stars as Mark Stevenson. He wrote the screenplay and also produced the film and directed it. He previously starred, directed and produced The Get Rich Quick Scheme and The Future of Us.

Forrest Campbell stars as Jake Flyer. His previous films include Potato Dreams of America and Holiday Hell. Doran Danielson was Danny Peterson. He co-starred in The Get Rich Quick Scheme and The Future of Us.

Christopher Noordman was Tom Richman. He appeared in The Get Rich Quick Scheme. Jeremy Moller was Winston Law. He co-starred in Aberdeen and Kindred Spirits: A Mahjong Film. Hana Hyde was Angela. She previously appeared in Gather In The Corner.

Off The Line was an okay film. The skating sequences were really good, as actual footage from the NSC was used in different places. The plot was decent. It was all about the underdog grabbing the brass ring and the banished hero coming back to redeem himself.

The main problem I had with the film was some of the dialog and a little bit of the acting. It seems like actors flubbed their lines ever so often, but instead of doing a retake, they left it in. I've seen flubs like this in stage productions, but never in a completed film. But, the flubs might have been on purpose? And in a few of the scenes, the actors didn't come across as authentic.

Overall, I liked Off The Line, I mean, what's not to like about the underdog coming out on top. And a person being able to bring back a strong purpose for their life.

Off The Line is set to have its official premiere on May 8 th and will be available on streaming platforms on May 13 th .

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