"Ice Princess" stumbles and falls every time the movie isn't on the ice. And come to think of it, it does a good deal of stumbling and falling when it is on the ice.

The comedy-drama is an overly familiar ice-skating tale — along the lines of such predictable dramas as "Ice Castles" (1979) and "The Cutting Edge" (1992). But this one was clearly designed to appeal to pre-teen girls; the story it's based on was written by Meg Cabot, author of the "Princess Diaries" books.

Unfortunately, the contrived plotting in "Ice Princess" is so implausible that even the most undemanding movie audiences will have a hard time swallowing most of it. And the lazy, lackluster storytelling ensures that the film will only satisfy those who are starved for ice-skating.

The title refers to Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg), a straight-A student who becomes a competitive skater almost overnight, aside from skating on the pond behind her home for years.

Casey is trying to impress college recruiters with her physics project, which requires her to videotape local skaters, including classmate Gen Harwood (Hayden Panettiere). Eventually Casey winds up on the ice, and, before you know it, she's taking lessons from Gen's mother, Tina (Kim Cattrall), who was a skating champion in her day. Casey's conversion from student to athlete also puts her at odds with her own mother (Joan Cusack), who wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps in academia.

There are also several goofy subplots, including a possible romance between Casey and Gen's Zamboni-driving brother (Trevor Blumas). But the most problematic relationship is the mother-daughter story, which gives Cusack one of her least sympathetic, most one-note roles . . . though, as usual, she brings more to the part than it deserves.

In fact, Cusack is one of the few people here who really seems to be trying. Trachtenberg is likable enough, but, aside from her skating scenes (Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson does the really difficult stunts), she's simply coasting.

And British television director Tim Fywell never really settles on a consistent tone. When it tries to be a comedy, it's just silly. And when it tries to be a drama, it's also just silly.

"Ice Princess" is rated G, though it does contain some slapstick violence (mostly pratfalls) and scattered use of some mild profanity (mostly religiously based). Running time: 98 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com