Ice Castles ( 1978 )

16-year-old Alexis Winston is a talented but untrained figure skater from the small town of Waverly, Iowa. A prominent coach sees her skate in a regional competition and wants to train her. Lexie's father is convinced to allow her to leave with the coach to an important competition in the city. There Lexie is exposed to a different world. She becomes a sensation in the skating community and falls for a television sportscaster. One evening while practicing, Lexis suffers a terrible accident that takes her sight and threatens to destroy her dreams. Abandoned by all her fairweather friends, Lexie goes home to rebuild her life. Bitter and angry, she initially refuses to leave her room. Gradually, her father, devoted boyfriend and former coach help her realize that she can still fulfill her dreams.—Heather Niles